The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-02-13
TALK FROM TOPEKA.
Tho Solons Struggling with the Text
Book OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Hedge
Eeuces-Assessment Laws.
ct cetera, ct cetera.
TOPEKA, Feb. 8, 1885.


Editor Register = We have not
progressed quite so fast on the Text
Book question as your last issue would
indicate, or as could wish. I find we
differ widely on this question, and
while still hope we may get some
thing done that will be an improve
ment on the present law, do not feel
entirely sanguine of getting what 1
think would be the best. There are a
number of bills before the two houses.
One that has the approval of Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction Law
head provides for the school districts
buying their own books and holding
them as district library. 1t is claim
ed that:this would meet the objections
of parties changing their residences
and having to buy new books. 1t all
districts owned their books it would
make no difference where scholars
would go they would find books. 1 be-
lieve this should become law. 1
have taken a good deal of trouble to
look this matter up and / find where
this has been the practice the cost to
scholars, that is to the district, has
been very much less than where books
are bought and owned by parents, and
teachers are unanymous in saying it
adds very materially to the efficiency
of schools.
Before coming here was Emporium
ed by a number of good farmers to try
to get law passed requiring hedges
along public highways to be kept trim
med. found the chairman of the
committee ON agriculture had received
like requests and introduced such a
bill. Now / have letters almost every
day from farmers Directing TO such a
law. Some of these objections, how
ever, come from persons who have a
hedge on the north side of an orchard
for protection to the orchard. To all
such I desire to say / was careful to
have provision in the bill that will
exempt such hedges. have no per-
sonal interest in the matter but it does
seem to me such hedges ought to be
kept trimmed.
The bill providing for a state land
commission meets with strong opposi-
ton. but i think it may pass. 1 am
quite confident the assessment laws
will be amended and hope material
ly improved. The great trouble now
is to sift out from the great number
such bills as really have merit. 1t is
remarkable what a number of worth
less and unnecessary bills are intro
duced. AS an illustration may say
last week the author of bill secured
the suspension of the rules, advanced
his bill and made it special order for
consideration in committee of the
whole. When it came to be read it
was discovered that the entire bill,
a long one, too, was an exact copy of
law now ON the statute book on the
same subject without the change of a
single word. The Legislature, that is
both houses, have got down to work
reasonably well; yet it is very trying
10 be compelled to listen to so much
that to some of us seems entirely un-
necessary. But it always has been,
and presume always viii be the case,
that great many men in such bodies
feel that they must express their views
ON about everything that comes up.
There has been very little time con-
sumed as yet OH the resubmission or
temperance questions; and there
should not be much. These questions
were fully discussed before the people