Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-03-24
SOME GOOD LAWS.

uOu0 It's WnOIe uuLy, mas eudcl0u some
very good measures. We deplore the
fact that it has not done more but all
will be thankful for the good things it
has done. In cleaning over the work
we find many new bills have become
laws and we mention some of the most
important ones as follows:
To regulate public stock yards. This
bill is aimed at the stock yards at Kan
sas City, Kan, and it provides for a
general reduction in the charges for
feed and yardage of about so per cent.
On basis of the business done at
the Kansas City Stock Yards IN 1896,
the bill will make saving to the Kan
sas shippers of about S $4,000 annual
ly. This is one of the most important
bills passed by the legislature. Efforts
to pass such bill through former leg
lslatures failed dismally.
To prohibit the formation of trusts.
Under the provisions of this bill two or
more persons or corporations are I'M
| able to combine fer purpose of con-
trolling supply or prices. Any corpora
ton violating any of the provisions
shall forfeit its charter. Any person
violating any of the provisions shall be
fined from $500 to 81 900 and be impris
oned not more than one year.
To regulate the sale of school books
The bill provides for the appointment
| by the governor of u school book COM
mission of eight, members, the state
superintendent of public instruction to
be chairman. The commission shall
advertise for bids to supply the state
with books at rates at or below a sched-
ule fixed by the Legislature. This
schedule cuts the present rates in two.
| II the commission be unable to make
contracts at prices given, it shall buy
manuscripts and arrange for the publ
| cation of the books needed. For this
last named purpose $4,000 is appropri-
| ated.
To create a department OF grain in
| spectiOn. This bill takes the inspec
| ton out of the hands of boards of trade
| and places 1t under the control of the
state inspector. The state inspector,
under the old law was simply figure
| head. The expenses of the new depart
ment will be paid out of inspection fees.
To authorize Judge w. G. Webb of
Topeka to revise the statutes of the
| state.
10 provide for juries in cases of con-
tempt of court.
70 redistrict the state into legislative
districts. The principal changes are
made in the short grass country of
Western Kansas.
To authorize treasurers of counties
having a population of less than $4,000
| TO deposit county money in banks.
To protect prairie from incursion by
fire. The bill provides that tax of 2
mills on the dollar shall be made when
ever majority of the electors of a
township or county shall demand it.
To enable old soldiers to peddle with
out license.
To provide for the taxation of miner
al reserves.
To prohibit the dockage of hogs at
public stock yards.
To provide for the assignment of real
estate mortgages.
To require railroad companies to fur
nish free transportation to shippers of
stock when accompanying shipments.
To prohibit railroad companies from
obstructing public highways by leaving
trains on crossings.
To consolidate the irrigation and for
estry commission.
10 provide for the election of mar
shall, clerk, attorney and street commits
sioner in cities of the second and third
classes.
TO prohibit the pententiary directors
from entering into contract for the
sale of coal from the penitentiary mine.
1t is provided that coal shall in NJ In
stance be sold under the market price
for coal of like quality produced by free
labor and sold In the general market.
To require corporations to pay their
employees in cash, and making it mis-
demeanor for any agent of a corpora
ton to pay anything else.
To amend the Australian ballot law.
To provide for the punishment of per-
sons who conceal, destroy or dispose of
chattel mortgaged property.
To provide for the payment of county
fees and salaries on basis of popula-
ton.
If, In connection with these, the max
imum rate bill and few others had be-
come laws, there would be few, if any,
reasons for complaint.
The Populists of Pratt county gave
Hon. w. F. Brown an elaborate recep-