The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-10-08
Politics, People, PerSifIage
Comment on Subjects in Which You
May or May Not Be Interested. About
People You Know and Ought to Know
BY BRYAN MACK

While on this subject Of paying state
officers I am reminded of two events
| that occurred several years ago that
caused this part of the constitution to
become such a source of annoyance.
As a matter of fact, this part Of the
constitution had, prior to 1917, been
something of dead letter, and Mr..
Luning, and his predecessors had been
permitting state officials to draw their
money without having to wait until the
three months expired.
The first scare that Mr.. Luning had
was toward the last hours of the 1917
session Of the legislature. The practice
: had been that members of the legisla-
ture and attaches could draw their per
diem along during the session, and most
of them found it very convenient 70 do
so. Nothing had happened to make this
Objectionable, and the state treasurer
being an accommodating individual
gladly paid out the money upon the
signing Of a receipt
1t so happened that a majority of the
members and attaches had drawn their
money. or greater part OF 1t; the
stormy session of 1917 was about to be
brought to an end. when Governor Cats
notified the legislature, collectively and
individually. that he would not sign the
appropriation bill. and that so far as
he was concerned they might exercise
their own pleasure as to what they did
with it.
I met Mr.. Luning in the corridor a
few moments after he heard this report
and distress was written upon his face.
He looked like the worst thing in the
world had happened, and he proceeded
to lock up his door, and didn't pay out
any more money until the appropriation
bill had been signed.
Of course there was no chance for
the state treasurer to lose the money,
but he had paid out quite a few thou
sand dollars without any authority and
had nothing for 1t but receipts.
Very shortly after this incident the
exact month 1 do not recall. Mr.. Luning
had another unpleasant experience. The
practice had been to advance the state
officials money from time to time from
the state treasury, but the warrants
were issued only quarterly as provided
by the constitution. and then when the
warrants were ready they were cashed
and the treasurer reimbursed.
This proved a very satisfactory ar
rangement until one state official. who
had drawn quite bit of his quarterly
salary, decided to deposit his warrant
in the bank instead Of cashing 1t at the
treasurer's office. This didn't please TO
any great extent the state treasurer; 1t
made him liable for money that was
being paid out contrary to the provisions
, of the law and constitution, so he de-
cided to end the matter which was ex-
actly as he should have done.
Over in Jacksonville last week an IS
| year-old boy was convicted in the rnu-
nicipal court on a technical charge CT
vagrancy, the testimony OF the police
man who arrested him being that he
hung around the 500 block on Main
street with the bootleggers. One of the
interesting features of the case IS that
the boy gave his home address as Gil
Main street, while no mention IS made
of the bootleggers who seem to be i'm
mune from arrest. l would naturally
conclude that you must work in Jack
sonviTe, and that bootiegging is highly
resDectable.