Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1903-01-22
BAILEY'S
MESSAGE
The New Governor Of
Kansas Addresses
the Legislature.
the Senate and House Of Represen-

To the Senate and House of Represen-
| tatives:
No legislature has ever convened in our
than those which surround you at this
| time The business and commercial in
terests OF Kansas have never been upon
| stronger or more substantial basis than
| now. No state In the Union has alb
sorbed more of the general prosperity
that has come to the whole country dur
| ing the past six years than has Kansas.
New life, new hope and new energy
/ nave come to our people as the result OF
| these conditions. and the increase in VAL
ue OF nearly all real and personal prop
| erty has largely enhanced the wealth
| and commercial Importance of the state.
Having been elected by the people Of
| two years. 1t is the consciousness that 4
VIII have your hearty cooperation In
doing those things which VIII build for
| kansas that nerves me to meet the
| sponsibilities confronting me.
In compliance with the law, ] herewith
| submit such suggestions and recommend
ations as TO me seem proper.
AGRICULTURE.
| with all due recognition of the vastness
| ana Importance of her other constantly
| developing resources, and her unsupported
| possibilities. as revealed by each passing
| year, the basis of the states materiar
| prosperity must be her agriculture-the
| utilization of her soils wonderful fertility
and the favoring climate. That Kansas,
| with her comparatively sparse popula-
ton. already leads all other states in the
| production of such commodities as wheat,
alfalfa, and the sorghums, and ranks
with the foremost in the output of corn,
is suggestive of her capabilities. The Of
| ficial statistics Indicate that, in the de-
| cade just closed, the increase in value of
farm products has been nearly "a per
cent. and of live stock more than 50 per
cent, or, for all combined 31.6 per cent.
| The promotion and record of our farm
! Industries were early in the states his
| tory entrusted to the State Board of Ag-
rfoff1 k,1.-
| ginning, in methoy>: of practical helpful
| ness, the thoroughness and reliability of
| its statistical work, and the high order OF
| Its publications, has rendered an inval-
| liable service to the growth and develop
| ment of the agricultural interests of the
| state. The high standard of the work
| done under the administration of the
| present secretary jHstifies such appropria-
lions as are necessary 90 maintain the
| usefulness OF the board.
The opportunities afforded the state for
| needed agricultural experimentation by
| the possession of the Fort Hays land
make judicious such appropriations as are
| necessary to establish and equip the
work there on proper basis for greatest
| future usefulness. The past two years
It has been well demonstrated that por-
| lions OF our state are adapted to the
| production of sugar-beets yielding largely
| In tonnage and sugar content. The last
| legislature provided for the payment of
a bounty of one dollar per ton on all
| sugar-beets grown in Kansas in the years
| 1901 and 1902, containing not less than
|
| used in the manufacture of sugar. The
ACCESSIBILITY of providing such a bounty
on sugar-beets grown in the ensuing two
| years will be for the legislature to de-
termine.
HORTICULTURE.
| / would impress upon you the import
| dustry; an industry that elevates our
| rural communities. creates a love of home
and induces the boys to stay on the farm.
| Under the educational influence of the
! department of horticulture. the orchard
lists of the state have. in the last decade,
planted 5,TS4.49o apple trees, bringing our
| state up from ranking seventh to ranking
| fourth, or an increase in ten years of
nearly 100 per cent. The total of fruit
trees and grape-vines is quite 25,0O0,0O0
! In our state.
The officers of this department are
| chosen by the practical horticulturists
for their long experience and ability.
| becoming one of the great commercial
items of our state. and 1 recommend such
| appropriations as may be necessary TO
carry on the work of this society.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
AS result of the general prosperity
! of the state there is a marked increase in
| the attendance at each of our state edu-
| cational institutions-the University, the
Agricultural College. and the State Nor
| NAL School. L would respectfully recon-
mend for each of these institutions such
| appropriations as in your judgment may
be necessary to maintain them upon
| plane commensurate with the growth and
| development of the state. For detailed
| report of the workings and necessities of
these institutions. l refer you to the re-
my predecessor.
I believe that the law should provide
for the charging of nominal incidental
| tuition fee at our educational institu-
| lions. l find. upon investigation and
| correspondence with other states. that
this custom is largely in vogue. resulting
| in considerable revenue for maintenance
| without inf1cting any hardshipS or bur-
dens. Especially do I think it unjust to
from other states can attend our state
| educational institutions free of cost. as
| is now done. In the three institutions
of our state. there are now enrolled 1859
| pupils from other states, with practic-
| ally no cost to them. l would respect
fully recommend that a tuition fee be
charged for P Ff. outside nont the state
capita cost of the tuition at the institu-
lions they attend.
| WESTERN UNIVERSITY, QUINDARO.
This institution, founded for the liberal
education of the colored youth of the
state, I believe is doing work: under
that is worthy of your generous con-
sideration and liberal support:
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
| In the matter of scnool legislation, l
invite the attention of the legislature to
the recommendations of State Superin-
tendent Nelson, as found in his biennial
report Without indorsing his recon-
| mendations. it is a clean and conscien-
tious review of the work and needs of
| our public schools.
There is universal sentiment among
the teachers and educators of the state
that the salary of our state superintend-
| ent should be increased from 1000 to
| $500. 1t is claimed the salary of this
| official should be equal to that of secre-
tary of state. state treasurer, state audi
| tor and attorney-general. This claim
seems to me but just
| Repeated efforts have been made in re-
cent years to improve our compulsory
| attendance law. 1t is conceded that our
| present compulsory attendance law is
weak in many respects. and should be
! strengthened. The state has the same
| right to enforce attendance at schools
that it has to enforce collection of taxes
for the support of schools. 1t is wise
| economy for the state to enact such laws
as will enable school authorities to en-
| force attendance at school. The boy
| upon the street in many cases becomes
| the dangerous citizen Of the state.
The people of Kansas will justify a
| liberal appropriation for the educational
| exhibit at the st. Louis exposition. Kan
sas has a splendid school. system, and it
| worthy display at the st. Louis exhibit
| of our educational resources. Our public
| school system is the greatest heritage
that the founders of our commonwealth
| have bequeathed unto us. and 1t should
| be preserved and enlarged by wise and
conservative legislation.
| STATE BOARD OF RAILROAD COM
MISSIONERS.
| The law creating this board was passed
| by the legislature in its session of 1901
! and took effect on the Goth day of March
of that year. The fact that there had
| been no railroad commission in the state
for number of years caused a large
| number of grievances against the railroad
| companies to accumulate. and there have