The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-03-27
new LAWS FOR KANSAS,
LIST AND CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF
THE GENERAL BILLS PASSED BY
THE LATE KANSAS LEGISLATURE.
WHICH HAVE BECOME LAWS.
The Work Accomplished.

Now that the legislature has ad
iourned, the people naturally wan
10 know what it has accomplished.
In the house S54 bills were intro
duced, and in the senate i20-making
LIZA in all. OF these about One-ffth
became laws, only about fifty of which
were measures of general application
About twenty-five of these were house
bills and the remainder senate bills.
Many joint resolutions were introduced
to submit to the people propositions
affecting the constitution. but only one
passed both houses-the resolution lay,
ing before the people for action at the
next general election the question oil
calling a constitutional convention.
One of the most important measures
which became laws was the house bank
ing bill. The state banks OF Kansas
have been practically without regula.
ton or control. 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 so long in the
new counties of western Kansas will, ii
is believed, be stopped by the 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
banking commissioner at a salary of
81, 500 per year. and this official is
given authority to close up the banks
which do not comply with the law.
The bill authorizing the collection OF
taxes quarterly instead of semi-annual-
", as at present, was among those
which became laws. The bill also
changes the law governing the semi
annual settlement Of county treasurers
with the state treasurer. AT present
they are abliged to make trip to To
peka twice year to deposit their col
lections with the state treasurer: this
is changed so that they will hereafter
remit by express or by draft, saving
s15, 600 annually in mileage to treas
urers.
One Of the new laws is of considerable
Importance to many working men. 1t
ClA III u htN WI n lOl oil
laborers, mechanics and other persons
employed by the state or by any coun-
ty. 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 municipal
ity; this includes all state institutions.
The bill contains provision for 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 and Imprisonment for any person
who initiates them.
The alien land law prohibits any non
resident alien from owning 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 be sold by the sheriff and the pro-
ceeds turned over to the owner. About
200, 600 acres of land in this state is now
held by aliens; it is principally in Nor
ris, Marion and Chase counties, where
one Lord Scully owns large tracts, and
the demand for the law came principal
" from these counties. The constitu-
tionality of this measure is doubted.
The irrigation bill is the most vol
luminous 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
heretofore 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 organ
lied and protects the water users as we'll
as the ditch owners.
Laws were also enacted establishing
an experimental station at the state
university to enable Chancellor Snow to
continue his experiments for the en-
termination of the chinch bug, and ap-
propriating $500 for the work: making
Labor Day 1.-THE first Monday in Sep
cember) legal holiday: apprOpriating
$40, 900 to be used bv the direction of
the board of railroad commissioners and
for the purchase Of seed grain TO be
distributed under the direction
VI kLlC vi lllC
various western counties as loan to
the farmers; authorizing Wholesale
druggists and dealers in Photographic
supplies to sell alcohol at wholesale to
druggists and photographers for medi-
cal and scientific purposes: prohibiting
the sale of Intoxicating liquors to in
mates OF national or state soldiers
homes: prohibiting the editing, pub
fishing, circulating and selling news
papers and other publications devoted
to scandal; regulating warehouses, the
inspection, grading, weighing and
handling of grain: prohibiting county
commissioners from designating any
newspaper as the official county paper
which has not been published continu-
ously for one year; providing that aD-
peals from the police court OF a city of
the first-class to the district court and
from there to the supreme court may
be taken by the city upon 4 judgment
for the defendant on quashing a COM
plant, upon an order of the police
judge arresting the Judgment, and upon
question reserved by the city.
The important measure which failed
of final passage were the bills providing
for the election OF railroad commission
ers by vote of the people; the bill
adopting the Australian ballot system:
the equal suffrage bill; the various bills
reducing or regulating railroad pas
seuger and freight rates: and all the
or thirty in number
concerning mortgages, stay of execu-
tions, finance, etc.
Among the measures enacted not
mentioned above, a brief synopsis is
herewith given which will enable the
reader to form general idea of their
import:
h. B. No. 30, to amend chapter 30 Of
the laws OF 1879. entitled IAN act to en-
able counties, municipalities, corpora
tons, the board OF education OF any
CITY. and school districts. to refund