The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-07
Auditor Turner Asks State OF.
ficiaIS to Set Example.
Purpose Is Lowering Taxes in
Kansas, He Says.
LETTER TO GOVERNOR ALLEN
Wants Governor to Assume Re-
spOnsibiIity for Claims.
He Asserts There Have Been
Unnecessary Expenses.

In a letter sent Gov. H. J. Allen.
Tuesday. State Auditor n. A. Turner
undertook to put the governor on rec
ord as assuming responsibility for see
ing to it that no deficiency claims are
presented to the next legislature thru
over-expenditures, and again called
upon all state officials to set an econ
omy example that will result in the
lowering of taxes.
Turner's letter to Governor Allen
was in answer to a letter he received
from the governor some days ago I'm
which the governor was replying to
the auditors plea for greater econ
omies in the running of the states
business. When the auditor called
for an ECONOMY conference" some
months ago the governor accused him
of "grandstanding" and asserted there
were no eXtrava gances in the running
of the states business. Since then
Governor Allen has made a number
of speeches-including his eloquent
Kansas Day speech-in which he has
belittled the increase in state taxes
and has made eloquent defense OF the
way his administration has been run.
Charges ''Too Much Junketing."
Turner. however, in his letter of
Tuesday asserts there have been un-
necessary expenSeS-unnecessa sal
aries paid to employees and too much
junketing." In this connection the
auditor says
Il cannot agree with you that there
was no foundation or justification for
my calling attention to these matters
many months ago. and am pleased to
tell you there has been. since that
time, a reduction in the number of
persons employed in many of the de-
partments, including the public utiii-
ties commission, industrial court, state
| board of health. with no increase in
any of the departments so far as I
have been able to discern very
noticeable decrease in the number Of
travelling expense accounts outside the
state also is to be found
Aitho the auditor refused to con-
/ firm 1t, 1t is said a number of state
| departments, including the national
guard organization and the bank COM
| missoners office, are facing deficien-
cies. However, the auditor takes the
being at. least--that there will be no
| deficiencies and in his letter dealing
with this matter he says:
TT is gratifying to me to have you
assume the responsibility of speaking
| for all of the institutions of Kansas,
and to know that you have assurance
| that no deficiency claims will be pre-
sented by any of them to the legisia-
| ture when it convenes in January"
State Auditors Letter.
The state auditors letter TO Cover
nor Allen is in full as follows:
February @. 1922.
Hon Henry ]. Allen. Governor
Dear Sir: / am in receipt OF your
institutional expenditures for the current
fiscal year and note the very encouraging
| tone OF sale. You state that there is not
even n remote possibility Of any of the
| educational, charitable correctional. or
penal institutions exceeding their legisla-
| tive appropriations this year, and go into
/ Il toll m Ehn IN
| is going to be made in the various large
building appropriations. Among these yon
mention the following savings In the rari-
| GUS building funds, made possible by rea-
son of .he decreased cost Of construction:
Boys Industrial School; cottage =. so 900
Osawatomie hospital, dairy barn Z2,oOO
| Kansas university, electrical labOra- -.
A. q, economic bniIdine....-. 2o.oSS
Parsons hospital, commissary build ..
Girls. industrial School, dormitory.. 50' 0o0
Substantial savings also, you state.
being effected at the State Soldiers' Home
and at the State Printing Plant because or
efficient lines
Governor Assumes Responsibility.
| 1t is gratifying to me TO have you as
| sumo the responsibility Of speaking for all 3
that you have assurance that no deficiency
claims Will be presented by any OF them
| TO the Legislature when IL cOnvences In
January, and this condition is. indeed. one
that jUstifies commentator ald reflects
| much credit upon the management Of the
| institutions.
| Ny recent appeals to the departments,
| boards and institutions to bend every pos
sible effort toward economy and to stop all
| expenditures Of public money wherever
not absolutely necessary, In order to as
| sist in the present general demand for re-
| trenchment. was intended to fOrewarn those
entrusted with the care Of state funds and
: to awaken their interest IN the most vital
| question now before the publle-that OF
| taxation.
1t has been said that the states share Of
| the tax dollar is so trifling that 1t does not
demand serious attention. 1t is true that
only a small part, approximately ten cents
| (1Oc) Of every tax dollar comes to the state.
| but If the states public servants set the
example that they should Of making n sub
\ stantial reduction and the same policy -
I carried into county, city, township AMI
| school government. the aggregate saving n
public expenditures will be nothing short
/ Of great and happy surprise. and will en-
able the tax ievyiDg authorities to decrease
| all the ievies next year.
| / cannot agree with you that there was
mo foundation" or justification for my
| calling attention to these matters E5aay
months ago. and am pleased to tell you
that there has been since that time "a re-
duction in the number Of people employed
| fConfinue1 op page Six