The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-01-18

and moral or spiritual. The day-school
should be greatly improved. Surely
| there Is great need of this, for over 81
per cent of the boys who are sent to this
linstitution must enter the first or sec
ond reader class Many of them cannot
read or write. 1 believe women teach
ers should be provided for these young
men. The library should be care
| fully overhauled and a system or prl-
vate reading inaugurated and encour-
aged under the supervision particularly
OF the chaplain and the teachers. A
wonderful reform work can be wrought
in this manner. There should h. resi-
dent chaplain in the institution. with a
salary of at least $1,000.
A renewal of the effort made in the
last legislature will be made In this
to establish salt Htc pl9nt at and 5hg
trust with more favorable results,
The law should require that all coun-
ty and city jails should be constructed
with a special view to light, air, ana
sanitation; that they should be kept
clean that the beds should be furnished
with clean linen and covers that can
be washed and changed frequently. The
jails, particularly In populous counties
and cities, should be so arranged as to
should be an adult department, Ju-
venile department. and. OF course. a
women's department. Prisoners serving
sentence lahd prisoners awaiting trial
prisoners should be given employme MT,
and some system of pay fer their ser
vices adopted. f- Nd
believe. the salaries of our supreme
court judges and our district Judges
alike are ridculously low. / heartily
indorse the suggestion that the sslarie.,
of these judges be increased to a rea-
sonable sum- EtEft
lions, the state university the state
normal school, and the state agricul-
tural college, show most gratifying
growth and each appeals to the patriot
&c PRIDE OF every loyal .kansan. Each
is worthy of your fostering care.
Kansas. leader in real reform, was
one of the first states to require uni
formity of school-books in its public
schools. The law was passed In 1897 and
prices in Kansas with those in Cali
fornia, where the state prints it's own
books, shows that the people of Cali
fornia pay from 100 to 2UO per cent
more for their school books than do the
people of Kansas. Plausible schemes
will doubtless be submitted to you fer
the purpose of weakening this law and
warn you against them. ~
Among the other suggestions made
by the State Teachers association I.
would call especial attention to the pro-'
position to levy state school tax. This
is not a proposition materially TO- inT
crease school taxation. 1t Is rather "a
proposition 10 DeltST etludllZe Vie VlS-
tribution of school taxation and the
school facilities in poor districts g
Wisconsin,. Nebraska, Missouri and
perhaps other agricultural states have
made the teaching of elementary agrl-
culture and horticulture a part of their
common school curriculum. Many Of
our educators think that Kansas should
follow this excellent example, and l
heartily agree with them.
Superintendent and principals of our
city high schools are confronted WITH
school fraternties. These fraternities
should have no place in our high
schools. | believe they should be Tor
hidden by law and boards c. education
given all possible power to suppress
them.
Two propositions have been earnestly
and extensively discussed upon which
you will doubtless be called to take
official action, namely, the project OF
a semicentennial exposition. and the in
aNguration of a permanent state fair
/ wish to combine these two PROPOSE
Ions and discuss them as one. On the
2?SE of January, 1911, Kansas VIII reach
its fiftieth milestone as state Inc
to celebrate this historic and
important event i'll an elaborate and APP
propriate manner when first suggestt
met with a response remarkably hearty
and unanimous. The newspapers OF the
state with singular unanimity indorsed
tne PROJECT ana on JANUARY -, lSVu a.
was held in Topeka, COM
posed of delegates appointed by varl
Gus commercial clubs, county commits
sioners, city officers and other mum
cipal and corporate bodies throughout
the state, and was a remarkably en-
thusiastic body of men.
No one thing would bring Kansas into
greater prominence and contribute more
to it's material development and pro-
gress than would this contemplated ex-
nocit Allied tn this EXPOSITION
project is the kindred one of = perma-
nent state faIr 1 have long believed that
the state should have such an insti-
tuition, that it should be no cheap af-
fair, that it should have permanent
and beautiful grounds that its build
ings should be substantial and orna-
mental; and that a permanent display
of the states resources, its minerals,
it's grains, its grasses, its birds its
animals. its arts, its literature, its every
resource and development, { should be
on permanent exhibition, for the inspec-
ton of strangers and for the. lnsplra-
ton of its own people. If these TWO
projects could be combined, ana iSd,,dH see
Kansas could lead the procession in
this matter. .'s
A bureau of information, with man
like f. d. Coburn. for instance at
its head without Interfering with ms
present duties) would be Of great value
The race problem is largely an
educational problem. The feduca-
tional problem, therefore, Is, a most
serious one. 1t must be solved. If
solved at all, by colored schools. Prac-
teal men of both races realize this
fact State aid extended to this class
of schools is therefore along the line
of practical craftsmanship and COM
mend to your favorable consideration
the two institutions which former leg
islatures have generously helped. West
ern university, located at Quindaro, and
the Topeka Industrial and Educational
Institute. i.Ltt l4
( 1 believe It would be wise to estab-
lish a state hospital for inebriates, for
the treatment of alcoholism. Perhaps
the new medical department of the
state university might be wisely en-
larged in its scope to include treat
ment of this class of unfortunates.
Our debt of gratitude to our country
defenders should be Intensified by the
passing years and by the infirmities and
necessities which age brings to them.
| most heartily commend for your care
full consideration, therefore, the wise and
practical Recommendations OF Depart
ment Commander p. II. Coney, a copy
of which will be laid on all OF yQHr
desks. In addition to the recommends
tions of Captain Coney, l wish to sug-
gest the propriety of the legislature pro-
viding for a regular chaplain az the
Dodge City Soldiers Home.
The suggestion of Mrs. Cora G.. Lewis,
visiting member of the Board of Control,