Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-03-26
WHAT IT HAS DONE.
THE WORK or THE LEGISLATURE
JUST ADJOURNED.
Resume of tho Legislation of the Recent
session-Less Than Thirty General Laws
Understanding About Those Meas
ures Which Interest the Public.

a session of the legislature has never
been held in Kansas which enacted such
a small number Of new laws as the ses-
sion which adjourned sine die yesterday
morning. There are not TO exceed thirty
new laws which concern the people OF
the whole state. The session is remark
able, however, for tho great number Of
local bills which became laws OF these
there are about 225-more than twice as
many as any previous session has en-
acted. The number of bills introduced
during the session was 1,274. of which
| e54 originated In the house and
than one-ffth OF the bills introduced
become laws. OF the thirty general
laws, all but three or four were senate
measures; the house ACCOMPLISHED
almost nothing.
There were many joint resolutions be-
fore the legislature to submit to the
/ people at the next general election prop
] osltlon, TO amend the constitution of the
| state; one was to repeal the prohibitory
amendment; another was TO give the
women the right to vote at all elections;
| another was to repeal the provisions by
| which municipalities are empowered TO
| vote aid TO railroads; another was TO in
| crease the number of supreme court
| judges, and others touching upon
various subjects, but all. were defeated
or died IN committees, and the only
| proposition which will be submitted to
| the voters of Kansas at the next general
election is one calling a constitutional
convention TO amend or change the
constitution of the state. This resolu-
/ ton originated in the senate and passed
! the house about ten days ago.
Probably the most important law en-
acted at this session-the measure
which is OF greatest interest to the people
of the whole state-is the banking bin.
The state banks of Kansas have been
practically without regulation or con-
troll. 1t has been possible
for any sharper to come to
Kansas, organize bank, receive
deposits and sWindle the people out of
thousands of dollars; the wildcat banks
which have thrived and prospered 30
long IN the new counties OF western Kan
sas will, it is believed, be stopped by this
new law. 1t is similar in its operations
to the national banking law, requiring
all banks organized under the laws of
the state to make sworn quarterly state
ments showing the actual condition of
their business. 1t creates the office of
bank commissioner ut salary of s., 500
per year, and this gentleman is given
authority to close up the banks which
do not comply with the law. This is a
house bill but is similar to the bill in
troduced in the senate.
Another measure which is of particu-
lar interest to western Kansas Is the ir-
rigatiOn bill-ihe most yoluminous
measure passed at this session of the
legislature, covering eighty-five printed
pages. Irrigation has in the past three
years become one of the most interesting
questions in Kansas, but until the present
time there has been no law on the subject.
This law is very similar to the Colorado
law, and touches every feature of the
irrigation question, tells how irrigation
districts may be organized and protects
the water users as well as the ditch
owners. 1t is pronounced by Judge
Gregory and others who are deeply
interested in this subject as
wise measure and one
that was greatly needed. 1t
originated in the house, where it was
specially championed by Representative
Hopkins of Garden City. The discus
sion on the bill in the senate occupied
nearly two days.
Then there is another very important
new law in the alien land bill, which
prohibits any nom resident alien from
owning u foot OF land in Kansas. 1t is
said to be the most radical law on this
subject that has been enacted by any
state, going so far as to provide that
land now owned in this state
by aliens shall within three years DO
sold by the sheriff and the proceeds
turned over to the owner.
1t is said that about 100000 acres of
land in this state is now held by aliens;
It is principally in Morris, Marion and
Chase counties, where one Lord Scully,
owns large tracts, and the demand for
the law came principally from these
counties. 1t was opposed by a large
number Of western members who
claimed that foreign capital would be
frightened away by such a law. SEN
ator Richter introduced the bill and it
was champloned in the house by Repre-
sentatiYes Pearson and Allen, both re-
publicans. The constitutionnlity OF the |
bill is questioned and the matter will |
probably go to the courts.
There are several new laws which par |
ticularly interest the workingmen of the |
state. One makes labor day (the first |
Monday in September) q legal holiday; |
this was a republican measure orig |
mating in the senate. Another of great |
i'm portance to the large number of en-
plOyes OF the state Is the measure which /
makes eight hours days work for all |
laborers, mechanics and other persons |
employed by the stGte, or by any county, /
city, township or other municipality, or
by contractors or others doing work or
furnishing material for the state or for
any county, city or other municipality,
or by contractors or others doing work
or furnishing material for the state or
for any county, city or other municipal
ity; this includes all state institutions.
The bill contains provision for a fine
and imprisonment for any officer or con-
tractor who violates the law. Then
there Is another law which protects
trades unions and other associations in
their trademarks, labels, etc, and pro-
vides 4 fine and Imprisonment for any
person who initiates them. These two
measures were introduced by Senator
Carroll of Leayenworth and were sup
ported by all parties.
Another new law creates the board Of
public works which is to have charge of
the construction of public buildings. It
consists of three members, not more
than two to be of one political party,
who are to receive $1,000 per year each.
This was republican measure.
The bill which establishes an expert
mental station at the State university
TO enable Chancellor Snow to continue
his experiments for the determination of
the chinch bug is one that the farmers
are more particularly interested in 1t
appropriates g, 800 for this work, and
republican measure.
The primary election is another re- (
publican measure which became a law
and is one of the best things of the SEES
sion. Under this bill, primary elections,
which have heretofore been conducted
only as the politicians might arrange,
are now controlled by Law. Notice of
the election is to be published in a
and supervisors must
be appointed by the party hold
ing the election to see that