The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-19

countant and the chief inspector to make
drastic changes in the methods Of the de-
Hereafter. all money received from the
sale OF the grain samples, which have
passed thru the hands Of the Kansas grain
Inspection department officials, Will be
turned into the state treasury and used
for the betterment of the department. 1t
is reported TO me that from the beginning
days Of the Kansas grain department it
has been the custom for the inspectors
and some of the other assistants to use
this grain as an emolument of their own.
In the early days, inspectors fed it TO
their chickens or gave it to their neigh
bors for like purpose, out Of which came
the habit of calling these grain samples
chicken feed"
Within the last few years, however. as
the department has grown and the amount
OF wheat taken from the shipments for
inspection has increased there had de-
yeloped a system of marketing this grain
ceeds among the inspectors and other
grain department officials. The chief in
spectOrs have allowed the practice TO go
on. under the excuse that il helped them
build a better department bv enabling
the inspectors to receive more than the
500 per month established by legislative
enactment as their salaries. During the
war and the subsequent period. in the ad-
minist-ations both of Chief Inspector Ross
and Chief Inspector Hart, the high price
Of wheat and the unusually heavy n-Ove
ment brought the return from this
called chicken feed to surprising pro-
When the matter came TO my attention
in March. L instructed the grain inspec-
tor to cease the practice of distributing
this money among his suboFdinates until
a full Investigation had been made of the
entire matter.
The investigation has now been com
pleted. It discloses that during the past
two years the amount Of money derived
from the sale Of samples. which have
passed thru the grading process Of the
department at its various offices, has ay-
eraged over 500 per month and that this
sum has been divided among the fifteen
fTFur tons
peka, Wichita, Hutchinson. SaIfna, Atchi-
son and other outside points
While il may be true that these grain
equally true that they do not belong to the
inspectors. They really belong to the ship
pers who owned the wheat from which the
sibie, of course. TO return the samples of
grain to the loads from which they were
taken after this grain has passed thru
the process of inspection and grading. The
amount belonging to each shipper is too
small to justify the effort necessary to
return 1t, even II II were possible to To-
cate him always It is only when these
samples are considered in the aggregate
that they reach the somewhat astounding
figures that have characterized the sale
OF them during the last four years. Turn
Ing this money into the treasury for tn
benefit of the department will give to the
shippers the only measure Of return pos
sible from the sale Of surplus taken from
their shipments
Notwithstanding that it is urged that
the inspectors of the other states and of
the national government are also carrying
ION the practice of selling the samples and
dividing the proceeds among subordinates
of the departments, 1 am satisfied that the
practice should not longer continue. There
is no way to avoid the collection of these
samples, no practical way Of returning
them to their original owners after the
inspectors have finished with them, and 1t
would not be good sense to throw them
away. l am convinced. however, that the
money for which they are sold should be
covered into the state treasury. II the
inspectors who have heretofore been using
this money to piece out their salaries are
not receiving sufficient to keep good In
spectors on the work. then the state leg
islature should justify whatever additions
are necessary to their wages.
The state accountant has been directed
to prepare a system of accounting which
will give TO the state auditor complete
account of all money received from this
source hereafter.
1t may be that there are legal features
involved in the question of the ownership
Of these samples: For the purpose of de
termtning this. 1 have transmitted the
state accountants report to the attorney
general for whatever action is necessary
in his Judgment for covering this money
into the treasury so that it may be used
to increase the service of the grain de-
partment to the public