The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-15
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Good Road Legislation Along
Practical Lines.
Senator Elect Reed Has a New
Plan.
SCHOOL LAWS AN ISSUE
Question Is Now, Shall State
Print School Books.
Educational Commission Did Not
Recommend Plan.

| j. T. Reed, of Smith county, the
! newly elected senator from the Fortieth
| district, is working on bill which he
! expects to introduce. He has not com
pleted the draft of the bill yet, but in
| substance it places the construction and
maintenance of public highways in the
| hands of competent engineers. Each
county is to have general road super
| intendent whose duties will be to super
wise this road work along modern lines
and with an idea to permanency. Good
roads legislation is on the cards for the
next session and there is sure to be
good roads law worth while placed on
the statute books. For 20 years there
have been here and there disciples of
good roads in this country, but now the
faith has spread to all classes of people
and public sentiment made the QueS-
ton an issue of the last state campaign.
The victorious party, according to its
leaders, now look to a good roads bill
as one of its pledges to be redeemed.
The passage of any score of bills so far
proposed for the next session of the leg
islature will not be of such benefit to
the people of the state at large as the
enactment of effective and intelligent
good roads legislation.
Thomas L. Hiskey, a clerk in the land
Office in Colby, Kan. will be appointed
register of that office. He was Indoors
ed by Senator Long and Senator Curtis
will engage in the banking business in
Idaho. Next spring the Colby Office
will be consolidated With the land Of
flee in Topeka. When the consolidation
becomes effective Hiskey will be given
an appointment in the Topeka office.
u. Z. Wyant, of Waverly. one of the
prominent candidates for the place of
secretary of the senate. was docket
clerk of the house for two terms and
won many friends over the state by the
manner in which he filled that place
A. w. Benson, of the supreme court;
p w. Goebel, the Kansas City, Kan,
banker; ex-Speaker J. T. Pringle and
Ansel B. Clark of Rice county, are
among the prominent men OF the state
who have heartily endorsed the cand1-
dacy of Mr.. Wyant for the senate job,
speaking in cordial terms of his cour-
tesy and capacity while docket clerk OF
the house.
The report of State Printer McNeal
coming on the heels of the final agree
ment of facts by the educational COM
mission in it's recommendation for need
ed school legislation, is of general IN
terest. Mr.. McNeal appears to be car
ried away with the plan of state
school book printing plant and declares
that he can print the books for nearly
half the present cost to Kansas buyers.
1t will be remembered that the state
once appropriated money for an oil re-
finery. In California where the school
books are printed by the state it is
said that they cost more than the prices
maid by Kansas. On the other hand, |
there is not the slightest doubt but that
the prices for school books in this state
are too high and too many changes are
made in the different kinds OF DOCKS re
uuired for use If the present school |
book law of the state was rigidly en-
forced it would afford a great deal of |
relief for parents who now have to |
buy truck load of books for their chill |
dren every school term.
School legislation is sure to occupy !
a prominent part in the deliberations of
the next legislature. And at the begin
ming the Republican state printer has
fallen in with the ideas of the Demo-
cratic candidate in the last campaign
for the office superintendent of public
instruction. In fact, the school book
question has come to be an issue in
Kansas politics.