The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-01-18
Gov. Hoch Submits His Recon-
mendations to the, Legislature g
IA for Action. e-a ar'f
SEVERAL REFORMS FAVORED
Prohibition Receives Strong En-
dorsement From the Executive
"A Great Year for All Indus la,
f6 tries In the State.
To the Senate and House of Represen-

III opeulence TO constllulohai REQUIRE
ment and in harmony with custom, L
transmit herewith my biennial message
for your consideration. -
To you, gentlemen of the legislature,
has been committed a great, trust-tv
study the Cover nmental needs of the
people, to supplement former legislation
with additional enactments necessary for
Its enforcement and efficiency, and TO
put upon the statute-books such new
laws as new conditions and experience
may show to be necessary. In this great
work, at the threshold of your labors,
the executive department tenders you
cordial cooperation and submits for
your earnest consideration numerous rec
concentrations. r e. Oh
wish to renew the recommendation
made at length in my message two years
ago for the passage of primary-electlon
law, and l trust this legislature Will
be able to solve the problem. and give
the people of all parties an opportunity,
to select at primary election the can
didates for whom they will be asked to
vote at a general election. They should
also be permitted to express their pre-
ference for United States senator, an ex
preston which a legislature would hard
l recommend the enactment of a law
forbidding gratuitous transportation, ex-
cept &c actual railroad employees
| recommend the appointment of
committee early in the session to hear
arguments for and against proposition
to reduce railroad fare in this state.
If railroad rates In this state alc
to be made equitable, an expert equal III
ability to those employed by the rail-
roads themselves in fixing the schedules
in the first place must be employed by
the state.
The absolute necessity, also, of an
authoritative estimate of the value of
railroad property in Kansas, in order
that the question as to what Is a rea-
sonable rate may be intelligenty decided,
by the commissioners, is apparent to ev-
prV student of the subject,
The railroad companies are en-
abled to evade most of our statutes
by claiming that much, If not most, OF
the traffic is interstate because its term
inals are across the line and the freight
is billed from all shipping-ponts in Kan
sas to Kansas City, Mo-, and from Kan
sas City, Mo-, to all points in Kansas.
This should not be. If our laws are to
be of value, we must insist that the rail-
roads provide places for the reception of
freight and passenger traffic on the Kan
sas side of the line. Otherwise our state
laws on these subjects will be in large
cart annulled.
i wish to renew my recommendation of
two years ago in reference to placing
the telegraph and telephone companies
and all transportation lines operated by
electricity under the control of tk1
Board of Railroad Commissioners.
Our taxes seem high because our e.
matter of fact. Kansas affairs, state and
municipal, are managed with remark
able economy Official salaries are COM
paratively small Few states pay so
little to their officials, Appropriations
eleemosynary and educational institu-
tons are relatively less than in most
any state in the union, and yet our taxes
assessments are ridiculously low, and
for the further reason that vast
amount of property escapes taxation al
together. This is particularly true of
money, for, while the bank commissioner
reports $40 100000 on deposit in the banks
of the state, less than S5,OOO,OOO appear on
the taxrolls. The assessment of rail-
road and other personal property Is al
law compels the assessment of property
at it's actual value, but nobody contends
that this law is complied with, and there
is no penalty for its violation. l think
most of this whole taxation problem
could be solved by adding to present laws
severe penalties for their violation, in
Guiding severer penalties for perjury IN
listing property for taxation, and rec
ommend that this be done.
Relatively land every thing is rela-
tive in this world) the prohibitory pol
icy has been a great success IN this
state. 1t has been great benefit, edu-
cationally. morally, and financially to
the people. .a..yry .,stt
When / came into office, two years
ago, l found this law largely ignored,
If not flagrantly violated in every city
OF the IlrSL CLASS III the Stdle. anu III
many Of the smaller cities and towns
i have written to every county attorney
and sheriff in the state and to many
of them repeatedly. urging the enforce
ment of the law.
In four-fifths of the los counties the
prohibitory law is as Well enforced as
other penal statutes. The constitution
imposes upon the governor the duty of
enforcing laws, but legislatures alone
give effect to constitutional requirements
and furnish the executive with power for
their enforcement. The governor can
only enforce law with law.
l have some well-matured thoughts as
to what you shouM do in this matter,
but will not make specific recommended
tions at this time. Bills covering the
subject will be submitted for your APP
proVal having the Endorsement of the
receive your careful consideration.
The subject to which l devoted more
attention than to any other in my first
change in the method of managing our
state eleemosynary institutions.
The institutions have been placed upon
a strictly civil-service and business ba-
SIS Many reforms in the management
have been inaugurated. The inmates
have Jared better than ever before; and
yet, while the needs of these institu-
tions have greatly increased. owing to
has increased 100000 in the past two
years, reports from each of these nine
institutions show most gratifying fl
nancial exhibit, the aggregate saving
amounting to some seventy-odd thou
sand dollars. / commend to your most
favorable consideration the recommen-
dations of this board, and trust you will
furnish them every facility they ask to
continue even more successfully the
great work they have been doing.
The last legislature wisely changed the
whole method of state printing by pro-
yiding for the election of a state printer
by the neople tn he given a salary of
1880, and for the erection OF a print
ing house to be owned by the state IL
now gives me great pleasure to report
the completion of a three-story brick
printing-office SO by 100 feet in dimension,
handsome in external appearance and
modern In internal arrangement, equip
ned with modern material and In sue
cessful operation at total cost of about
B6S. OO0 all of which will be paid for out
OF the saving of less than three years
operation. Effl flf.. - 4
No more humane and creditable law
was ever enacted than the one passed
two years ago known as the Juvenile
court law. You will be asked to con-
slider some amendments 10 this law, sug-
gested by experience.
recommend that the trial Judges
nave the mower to isuie parole fmme-
diately after sentence has been imposed.
in cases in which they may think it
.,-cantix, srent Al the .,enitantiarx