The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-01-20


our products were placed on exhibition and the
Kansas exhibit was creditable both to the state
| and to the efficient board OF managers who had
| the matter in charge. No provision had bean
made for the expenses attending this exhibit
| but am informed that my predecessor gave
| the assurance that If the money necessary to
meet these expenses was advanced he would
| recommend an appropriation to reimburse
! those making such advances. On the strength
| of this assurance several thousand dollars was
| furnished by individuals, counties and corpora
| lions to aid the enterprise. / would suggest
that this money be refunded.
Trans- Mississippi Congress.
This congress had it's origin in Kansas in an
act of the legislature Of this state. 1t has
grown to be large convention Of business men
and has had several important sessions. The
uext meeting will be held in this state. The
question as to whether it should have state
| recognition is left for your consideration.
Corn Exhibit.
| 1t is expected that provision will be made by
! Congress through the Department of Agricul-
| ture for an exhibition of corn and corn pro-
ducts at the international exhibition to be held
| in Paris in the year 1900. The people Of other
countries have but little knowledge Of the
wor tn and uses of this cereal The object Of
the exhibit is to widen the market for this
great American product by giving the people OF
| foreign countries a better knowledge OF its
value. Many of the corn producing states are
expected to aid this exhibit by appropriation.
Kansas is great corn producing state, and
should take advantage Of this opportunity to
identify itself with this undertaking.
Mine Inspection.
The Office OF mine inspector was created in
| 1883, and all of the expenses have been paid by
the state. There is no greater reason why the
state should pay for this service than there is
that the state should pay for the inspection of
grain or oil. The obligation rests upon the
mine owner to see that his mine is in proper
and safe condition for the miner, and If the
state is compelled to do this work for him he
should be required to payfor the services The
law looking to the protection Of the coal miner
should be so changed as to give him the fullest
protection.
Economy.
An opinion prevails throughout tho state
that there Is extravaganza in nearly all of the
state departments This sentiment should not
be disregarded and in view of the facts which
have detailed in review of the condition Of
our finances, prudence would suggest that we
should pursue the stricteSt economy. During
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 filed
with favoriteS whose services are of small ad-
vantage to the state Better salaries for fewer
efficient employees, rather than small salaries
for mora inefficient ones would secure better
services at greatly reduced cost
The abolition of the board OF pardonS will de-
devolve upon the executive Office the work
heretofore done by that board at an expense of
about $500 and will necessitate greater eicien-
cy in the clerical force Of that office, but, not
outstanding that fact, think other reduc-
tions can be made.
The appropriation for the executive Office last
year was:
Salary of Governor. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5000
Private Secretary. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. LOU
Executive Clerk ............. ............ l'zJO
State Accountant Observation-Disclosures. 2,OOJ
Stenographer, Typewriter and Messenger. 1900
Rewards and Arrests ...................... 1000
Salary of Lieutenant Governor. .......... 200
Contingent Fund Observation-Disclosures. s,OJO
believe the appropriation for the ensuing
year may safely be limited to
Salary of Governor .................. 3,OOJ
Private Secretary Observation-Disclosures. 2,OOJ
Rewards and arrests. ........,....... 2,OOJ
Stenographer, Typewriter and Messen-
ger ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ......... Z,OUJ
lieutenant G GOVERNOR. .................... 200
Contingent Fund. -. N...........'......... o,On
Total. .'..''qlt'OOU
This reduction added to the saving of the eX- |
pense of the Board of l'Grdons would result n |
an approximate saving in the executive office |
of more than 5000, and 1 believe like but |
probably not proportionate reduction could |
be made in other offices and departments with
out impairing their efficiency.
Convict Labor.
The employment Of convicts should be at the |
basis of good prison management. keeping |
prisoners in idleness would certainly be at
tended with disastrous results. To put the
products of convict labor on the open market
in competition with free labor would be unjust
and to the greatest possible extent should be
avoided: but even such competition would be
to supporting the couyctS in idle
ness, as nothing is so demoralizing as ldlenesS,
especially when it is enforced
Employment being necessary, and as the con-
Wet can only be employed in production. the
question of the disposition of the products OF
his labor becomes u serious one. If the state
withdraws from the market as producer 1t
should be allowed to withdraw from the market
as consumer. if not permitted to 60 into the
market as a seller, it should not be required TO
enter the market rs a buyer. The wrong OF the
State-if wrong at all-in placing the product OF
it's mine on the market in competition with the
product OF the mines supported DIV Tree laoof' |
has been greatly magnined and misunderstood
II the state furnishes employment to its con-
victs as it must, and is forced to retire from
the market as a producer, it must supply, so
far as the product of prison labor can do SO, its
own needs.
The fuel necessary for the state institutions
should be supplied as has been done by prison
abor. The labor not necessary for such pur-
pose could be used in furnishing the state with
It's supplies The convict labor could be used
n this way to the fullest extent in the manu-
'acture of many of the arti les for which the
state pays out annually large sums of money.
md after time our prisons could be made
practically self-supporting by saving to the
state the price of the supplies furnished an
mount equal to the cost OF conducting these
PENAL establishments.
The cost of establishing the plants for the ,
manufacture OF the different articles would 1 o
considerable, and until this was done there
would be large Deficiencies; but in the end our {
convict labor would be employed in useful pur-
uits without coming into competition with the
rec labor OF the state eis3p5 IL slDpigins il
Foundations OF Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is Luilt on niles driven |