The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-01-13

/ Dl1llc hay have soma lrc1Ul71Te % r1e cllrl-
( seer ard result cr such axaui1atlons Az lu=
Z Insurance eompanfss orders ana sooisties a
1 any kind doing insurance business IN the Etzte
Eh01lz Be pm under the charge % the Llsuf=
aa5s department.
/ The fuformati5l furnished IN the report Of
I the bank commfssioner IS very EratifTinE-
I Our state banks are becouiuE more secure
I than ever. and their conditton anords reason
7 FOR Cougrl tulation- 7 heartily concur In the
l re5omme1datf0n q the commissio1er that
i building AID loan associations within the stats
/ Be placed under the control q that depart
ment, and that outside associations Be re-
quired 70 give security for the protection o.
\ kansas Investors as g condition precedent %
/ doing business In the state The commissioner
/ also recommends the creation Of q guarantees
I fund Tor the protection Of bank depOsitOrs No
one thing connected with the business OF bank
( ing would be more desirable than some pro-
I vision securing the safety Of depositors- The
I plan proposed is new. Is may be practical I
/ commend 90 70 your careful consideration
Public Funds
The Law provides that the state funds shall
I be kept in the vaults Of the treasurer and q
/ compliance with this Law results in the accu-
mutation OF large sums Of money, At times
reaching nearly million Of dollars II a con-
siderable portion OF this fund could be placed
| In private banks throughout the state at the
best rate Of interest obtainable. IL would result
in the double advantage Of keeping large sums
Of money in circulation that would otherwise
extent OF the interest obtained
A Deficiency
Each administration has been reluctant to
raise the levy for state taxes over that Of pre-
ceding administrations and numerous devices
and subterfuges have been practiced TO keep
within the limit Of former levies and still meet
the ever-lnCreasinE expenses Of our public in
stitutiOus The last administration reduced
the levy from ~ TO Is undoubtedly upon the
theory that such levy would raise sufficient
revenue 70 meet current expenses but this
lew was insufficient 70 raise the required
funds, and long before the close OF the term
the payment Of warrants was refused By
the state treasurer On the 18th day OF Deem
Der, 1876. there was on hand belonging TO the
general fund more than 191.OOJ: so that the
last administration had some money with
which TO commence business The present sd-
ministratiOn viii be compelled to face the situ-
alton with q treasury practically empty.
There was on hand Decsm5er .. 1888, a little
more than = GOD or S155. O01 less than two years
before; but the small balance on hand IS not
the worst A large Indebtedness is turned over
for payment A great number Of officers and en-
plOyes under the last administration claim that
the legislature neglected to make a 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 legisla-
ture 70 make sufficient appropriations for the
payment Of the Quautreu raid claims the
claims for the care Of the destitute insane and
the expenses OF the special session, reach the
sum OF more than $50 CO., This will exhaust
ali money now in the treasury and leave a de-
dcienCy Of more than 5000 confronting the
new administration This condition renders 1t
almost certain that before funds can be de-
rived from new tax levy the money received
under the old one viii be paid out aud the obi.
cations Of the state viii again be dishOnOred
The credit OF the state is too important to be
impaired, and the neglect % meet the legiti-
mate demands made upon IL, even for day,
affects its credit
This whole difficulty could be relieved II the
several assessors throughout the state would
make any reasonable attempt to comply with
the Law. The law requires that all property
shalt be assessed at its true value and yet IL is
a we'll known fact that each year the assessors
meet in their respective counties 70 devise
plans By which this provision Of the statute
can be violated A large assessment and .
small levy Is preferable 70 small assessment
and q large levy This being so, Il is difficult
70 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 assessment
Of property at its true values second. giving
the state board OF equalization the right 70
raise the aggregate assessor value OF property
II these fan the state levy must be raised
Convict Labor
The employment Of CouviCts should be at the
basis Of good prison management Keeping
prisoners in idleness would certainly be at
tended Win disastrous results. To put the
product Of convict labor on the open market in
competition with free labor would be unjust
ana 20 the greatest possible extent should DO
avoided; bus even such competition would
be preferable 70 supporting the con-
victs in idlGnesS, as nothing IS 50
demOralizins as ueness. especially when it is
enforced The fuel necessary for the state in
stitutions should be supplied as has been done,
by prison labor The labor not necessary for
such purpose could be used in furnishing the
state with its supplies The convict labor
A. sE-= III
in the manufacture OF many Of the articles for
which the state pays out annually large sums
OF money, AID after a time our prisons could
be made practically sef-suppOrtiug By saving
TO the state in the price OF the supplies fur
nished an amount equal 70 the cost OF conduct
ing these penal establishments
Useless Omces-
There are several o1ices which think could
be abolished without loss 70 the public service
They are the board Of pardOns, state account
ant, forestry commission and labor commits
siOneE Whatever may have been the object Of
the creation Of the board Of pardOns, 1t no
longer serves a useful purpose; for through
this board the granting Of pardOns has oegen-
Grated intO-au abuse The ONCE Of labor COM
missioner was created Il years ago, but II dur
ing all those years IL has been Of any real ben
cit to the cause Of labor The benefits are not
apparent Labor Is pretty well organized in
Kansas, and iuaugurates new methods and ac-
complishes its purposes largely through trade
unions and other Organizations OF like charac-
=
member LOOKS for Information and assistance
Labor organizations are independent OF the
labor commissions and the individual laborer
cares little for him
Economy in state DEPARTMENTS
An opinion prevails throughout the state that
there is extraTara1es 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 dnanCss- prudence would suggest that We
should pursue the strlctess economy During
the last few. years cierkships and subordinate
positions have been increasing 50 fast that the
aggregate expense OF providing Tor such per
sons is great and many Of these PLACES are
filed with flr0rites whose services are Of small
advantage 20 the state Better salaries Tor
fewer encfsut employees. rather than small sal
aries for more fnef1cient ones, would secure
better services a. greatly reduced cost
Speaking of the extra session recent
IL called by ex-GOv. Leedy, the gov
ernOr says
II any. necessity existed for legislative action
on the 18TH day Of December 1895 IL existed
VIII. equal f0rce during the last regular ses-
sion a1d would have existed with equal force
al the couveninE OF the legislature in regular
session less than 81 days aftsrEard The con
vocation q the legislature such . 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 20