The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-01-22
THE NEss AGR.

xA2 MAOOAOAs
Gov. Martins nrst message 70 the
Kansas legislature, which We published
In full last week. was delivered 70 the
senate and house Of representatives at
noon Wednesday last.
While the document is quite long
one, It is well worth careful perusal and
will be found to contain many valuable
points Of information and many timely
recommendations for needed legislative
action.
. It illustrates by a series Of pertinent
ngures the marvellous growth and pros
peritY the state has attained In the quar-
ter of century Of its existence.
Itadvises that the debt-creatIng power
Of municipalities he limited and cites
the fact that the county, town.
ship, school district and city
indebtness of the state Is about &c.
600, 1000, while the bonded state debt Is
less than one million; that there is one
county whose Indebtedness Is nearly
twice that Of the state, and other coun-
ties whose debts equal that of the state.
1t advises, as one Of the most import
ant duties OF this session, that much
needed revision OF the laws respecting
the assessment and equalization Of prop
srty.
1t speaks with pride of the high stand
ing OF our public schools system, has q
good word for the three higher schools
of learning. and notes the proud fact
that this Gtste spends more tor public
education than for all other expenditures
combined.
II contains n recommendation that
should be satisfactory 70 the people and
TO the regents Of the Normal school
that of an investigation of the recent
sale Of the Normal school lands. con-
corning which there have been charges
of fraud.
It ADVISES an entirely new plan OF dis
posing Of school lands. doing away with
the present wasteful, unjust and cum
bersome methods; and also q more salts.
factory manner Of management OF the
charitable institutions
We learn from the document that the
penItentiAry pays the state an income OF
S95. 900 above its expenses.
1t speaks 10 highly explanatO-
~ terms of the board OF
agriculture, the horticultural society
the academy Of science, State Agent
Crawford, ana the state priating office
II refers to needed reforms IN the in
surance law; and in the present ridIcu.
lous road work which is characterized as
mere patching between ralns"; to the
great need OF q revision aud cOdiAcation
Of Kansas laws the extension of the lawi
tor forming corporations; to a more def
mite definition OF the various crimes; &C
the demand for a state geological survey
and to the growing importance OF the
sorgum sugar industry.
1t pronounces the system q dealing
with railroads through com mlssionert
as the best one and advocates the con-
linuauca of the general scope and re-
quirements of the present law, but ar
enlargement of some of the powers Of
the commission.
~ RACcChlo tbC GACob OOJCSSAOA A4oNC ~
the proposed Texas cattle trail, and adj
vises the most careful attention to oul
vital live stock interests.
1t advocates the increase of the mum
Der of justices of the supreme court from
three to five; some regulations of Telie
for the pressure OF business upon certain
district courts; the reduction of the
legal rate of interest from to @ pei
cent. and by contract from 10 TO 10 pei
cent; the speedy and final disposition
of the Price raid claims. 1t makes the
important recommendation that the
present legislature devise some means
to obviate the necessity of q special ses
sion of the legislature required by the
make the new apportioDment of the
state.
Concerning the prohibition Law
the message says the amendment o
1880 gave expression to the voice of thu
, people, and the law on the subject should
be SO amended as experience has show
it should be, 30 as to carry out the ex
pressed desire of the citizens. and assert
that a repeal OF the vexstious restriction
the law imposes upon physicians snt
druggists in the conduct of their legiti
mate business would strengthen The
law.
The document refers briefly TO til,
inconsistent law OF the state concerning
| n nifaI Duni an mani. advocates the re-
peal of the present registration law, AMI
lays great stress upon the great Injustlc'
and dishonesty Of elections in the south
aud urges tue legislature to use its in
Huence in protecting the safeguards O
+ the ballot box.