The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-01-13

for payment A great number Of officers and EN-.
ployes under the last administration aim that
the legislature neglected to make q sufficient
appropriation for the payment of their salaries.
and have presented their demands for large
balance. and this, together with the deficiency
resulting from the failure Of the last legisls-
ture to make sum lent appropriations for the
payment of the Quantrell raid ella ms, the
claims for the care Of the destitute insane and
the expenses OF the special session. reach the
sum OF more than $50 900. This will exhaust
all money now in the treasury aud leave q de-
fciency Of more than 300, 900 confronting the
new administration This condition renders it
almost certain that before funds can be de-
rived from q new tax levy the money received
under the old one will b. paid out aud the obi.
cations of the state will again be dishouored
The credit OF the state is too important to be
impaired. an l the neglect to meet the legiti-
mate demands made upon 1t, even for day,
affects its credit
This whole difaculty could be relieved If the
several assessors throughout the state would
make any reasonable attempt to comply with
the Law. The law requires that all property
shall be assessed at Its true value, and vet it Is
we'll known fact that each year the assessors
meet in their respective counties to devise
plans by which this provision OF the statute
c N be violated. A large ass ,Ssment and q
small lew Is preferable to a small assessment
and a large levy. This being so. it is dificult
to understand why assessors persist in disre-
garding the plain statutory requirements above
mentioned suggest that the law be amended
in two particulars: First, fixing penalty for
a violation OF the law requiring the assessm emit
OF property at its true value; second. giving
the state board OF equalization the right to
raise the aggregate assessed va ue OF property.
If these fail the state levy must be raised
Convict Labor.
The employment Of convicts should be at the
basis Of good prison management K .eping
prisoners in idieness would certainly be at
tended with disastrous results. To put the
product Of convict labor on the open market in
comp stition with free labor would be unjust
and to the greatest possible extent should be
avoided: but even such competition would
be preferable to supporting the con-
victs in idleness, as nothing is so
as ileness, especially when it is
enforced. The fuel nee sssary for the state in
situations should be supplied as has been done.
by prison labor The labor not necessary for
state with its supplies The convict labor
could be used in this way to the fullest extent
in the manufacture of many of the articles for
which the state pays out annually large sums
of money. and after q time our prisons could
be made practically sef-supporting by saving
to the state In the price OF the supplies fur
nfShed an amount equal to the cost Of conduct
ing these penal establishments
Useless Offices.
There are several offices which think could
be abolished without loss to the public service.
They are the board of pardons. state account
ant. forestry commission and labor commits
sioner. Whatever may have been the object OF
the creation Of the board OF pardons. it no
longer serves a useful purpose: for througl
this board the granting Of pardonS has degen-
Grated into an abuse The office OF labor COM
missioner was created IA years ago. but If dur,
ing all those years it has been Of any real ben
eht to the cause of labor the benefits are not
apparent Labor is pretty we'll organized in
Kansas, and inaugurates new methods. and &C
complishes its purposes largely through trade
unions and other organizations OF like charac-
ter. To these organizations the individual
member looks for Information and assistance.
Labor organizations are Independent of the
labor commissioner and the Individual laborer
cares little for him.
ECONOMY q state DepartmenIs.
An opinion prevails throughout the state that
there is extravaganza in nearly all of the state
departments ThiS sentiment should not be
disreyarded and in view of the facts which
have detailed in a review of the condition OF
our finances, prudence would suggest that we
should pursue the strlctest economy. Durin.
the last few years clerkships and subordinate
positions have been increasing so fast that the
aggregate expense OF providing for such per-
sons is great and many of these places are
I'll ed with favorites whose services are Of small
advantage to the state. Better salaries for
fewer efficient employees, rather than small sal.
aries fo- more inefficient ones. would secure
better services at a greatly reduced cost.
Speaking of the extra session recent.
ly called by ex-Gov. Leedy. the gov.
ernor SAYS:
If any necessity existed for legislative action
on the 18th day OF December, 1898, it existed
with equal force during the last regular ses-
sion. and would have existed with equal force
at the converting of the legislature in regular
session less than 81 days afterward The con.
vocation Of the legislature such a short time
before the regular session. and such q short
time after the people had rendered their
verdict. in violation of the spirit IL
not the letter Of the constitution, to
perform legislative acts everyone OF which
would be Of doubtful VALIDITY. was est Iblishiny
q dangerous prec. dent and was q menace to
the cause of popular government There is q
widespread sentiment that the calling of the
special session was not within the Limitations
Of the constitution If this should hereafter
prove to be true. then all the laws passed at
such session would be unconstitutional and
void and the issuance of the PROCLAMATION
stands without justification or excuse
Gov. Stanley pays high tribute to the
state board of agriculture, conducted.
as it is, aloof from politics. and asks
generous treatment for. it from the
hands of the legislature, that it may
mainta its highest efficiency.
He suggests that money be appro-
priated to reimburse the Kansas COM
mission for money advanced for maxi
ing a display at the Omaha exposition.
A liberal appropriation is urged for
, Kansas corn exhibit at the Paris ex.
position.
He urges that the salary Of the state
mine inspector should be paid by the
mine owner