The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-22
Coming Legislative Session Will
Be High Pressure.
Many Important Measures Are
Already Proposed.
ALL WANT CHANGES.
Practically Every Department
Is Seeking Reforms.
New State Accounting Law One
of Most Important.

In addition to the numerous impor-
tant Square DEAF bills which will be
introduced at the coming session of the
legislature. there are already in sight
enough general bills of great i'm
portance to insure a legislative session
of high pressure. and great business
possibilities.
Nearly every department at the state
house has some important piece of leg
islation in which it is greatly inter-
ested, and for the passage of which it
Wli orlng every influence to bear Most
OF these measures are introduced in
good faith, with the itention of bring
ing about radical betterments in the
law.
One of the most interesting and rad
zeal measures which Is proposed is the
plan for guarantee scheme for all the
state, banks Of Kansas. This is the law
recommended by John Q. Royce state
bank commissioner, and it amounts to
sort of mutual insurance of all state
bank deposits. If it is enacted into
law. it will be impossible for depositors
to lose their money because of bank
failures. 1t Will be of especial benefit
to the smaller banks, and for that rea-
son the tendency of the big and well
established banks is to fight the meas
ure. The fact that congress is con-
sidering the advisability of enacting a
similar law for national banks makes It
more hopeful for the Royce measure.
as a national law of the kind proposed
would tend to cause people to all de-
post heir money with national banks.
and leave the state banks in the lurch.
The auditors Office is planning to
present very important piece of leg
islauOn for a complete reconstruction
of the state accounting department
The auditor and state accountant have
secured the services of a specialist in
accounting systems to work out the
L n r To- r n L 10
now going on. The new law. when
drafted will provide a complete check
between the various state offices, and
especially between the offices Of the
auditor and state treasurer. and will
absolutely prevent any financial Chi
canery, unless there is a collision and
conspiracy among a number of state
officers to defraud the state.
The railroad commissioners will ask
for a law creating q rate department.
for the board, with an ample salary for
a high class rate expert The board
feels that 1t is greatly handicapped in
its work without an expert rate man.
and the present board of railroad com
rlissioners has utilized its stenographer
for whatever work of that class has
been done.
The state board of health will presen.
a number of important laws. one viii
be a state pure food law, very similar to
the national pure food law. All of the
essential features Of the state law VIII
be the same as the national law, and
there is not much doubt of the passage
of such a law. The board of health VIII
also ask for the esta blishment of a state
tuberculosis hospital. at an expense OF
S1O0, OOO Another law which the board
of health wants IS one requiring railroad
companies to fumigate their cars and
clean them by a sanitary method at ter
rninals. Some of the roads already do
this, but the senate committee on rail-
roads killed a bill of this nature which
was proposed at the last session.
From the insurance department will
come the state fire marshal law, which
has been up at previous sessions, ana
has always met defeat. The sentiment
in favor of such a law seems to be
stronger this year than usual It is
claimed that the law will minimize the
fire risks in the state, and bring about
a reduction in fire insurance premiums
The supreme court. which is not usu-
ally obliged to come before the legisla-
ture and ask fer things, will this ses-
sion seek to bring about the speedy en-
actment of a law raising the salaries OF
the Justices from SO. 600 to S. 900 year.
This law, to benefit the Judges now on
the bench, will have to be passed during
the first week of the session, because the
newly elected judges take office on Jan
uary IA. There is certainly going to be
a lot of opposition to such a law unless
all of the state officers are included The
state officers insist that there Is no more
reason for raising the pay of the SUI
pay of other state employees. and the
opposition to any discrimination in be-
half of the supreme court judges may
beat the bill.
The state board of control will have
only one general proposition to check up
to the legislature, and that is tie ques-
ton of state care for the insane At
present the state law gives the counties
the duty Of caring for certain classes OF
insane. and the result is that many in
sane cases are taken care OF at poor
farms There are no county asylums, as
the law contemplates. The board of con-
troi thinks that the state should take
care of all insane. and IL the Legislature
takes the same view of the matter, Il
will be necessary for provision to be
made for largely increasing the capacity
of one of the state asylums.
The state treasury department viii
rrobably want some amendments to the
present state depository law. In general
this law is working we'll and there seems
to be no disposition to change the pres
ent ARRANGEMENT as whole. But there
are some changes which experience has
shown would be advisable, so the state
officers say.
A scheme for the taxation of corpora
tons has been sprung, but it is not like
" that the Legislature would undertake
such a proposition at present. Bills Of
this nature are sometimes regarded with
suspicion