The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-03
POLITICAL GOSSIP
e. B. Jewett Has Some Good
Road Ideas.
Would Have Highway Run
Through Middle of State.
HEALTH LAWS NEXT.
Many Changes Are Suggested by
State Organization.
Commissioner JOhnsOn's Report
on Labor Panic.

wick county has other legislative views
in his mind besides getting the state
fair for Wichita, the most important of
which is a plan to have a system of
good roads built through Kansas. Mr..
JeWett is now working on bill to build
a macadam highway through the state
from the Missouri line to the western
border. This road would run through
the middle of the state and be crooked
enough to strike all the principal cities
located anywhere near its course.
Across this pike, and intersecting it
would be four other similar roads at
equal distances apart. They would run
north and south from state line to state
line. All the principal cities of the state
would be connected by this system of
five macadam highways, Mr.. Jewell be-
neVes that the farmers along the roads
and the autoists would help bear the
burden of their building. OF course the
state would have to bear the principal
part of the expense. He will likely in
trOduce bill Incorporating these views
on good roads early in the session.
The Importance of Representative
Jewetts plan was emphasized at the
Lawrence conference last Saturday
when Governor elect Stubbs made good
roads legislation the principal feature
of that meeting.
The state board of health now in ses-
make the following requests from the
next session of the legislature:
An appropriation of $4,000 for the ed
ucational campaign on tuberculosis.
Uniform weights and measures and
penalties for giving false weights.
Continuation of the photographed
survey of Kansas streams by the gov
ernment.
drainage work by sanitary engineers
and appropriation for additional funds
for it.
The enactment of a law requiring
physicians to make accurate reports of
all tuberculosis and typhoid fever cases.
Additional legislation to compel re-
porting of births, marriages, deaths
and other vital statistics with penalties
for noncompliance.
In addition to this the board passed
a resolution calling for a more thorough
investigation of the milk supplies
throughout the state in an effort to Sc
and to reduce the chances of deaths on
account of unSanitary dairieS.
Now that the election is over there IS
nothing sensational in Labor Commls-
sioner Johnson's report that 10000 men
were thrown out of employment In
Kansas during the recent bankers
panic Coming before election the re-
port would have furnished excellent
campaign material However condl-
tions have greatly improved since the
worst days of the panic and now the
people can have facts and figures from
the state labor commissioner as wen as
newspaper assurance that the panic has
passed on Commissioner Johnson de-
clares in his report that conditions are
now normal in Kansas and that there
appears to be work for every one. There
were thirty-one strikes in the state
during the past year but most or them
were of slight Importance and quickly
settled.
Montgomery county was represented
in the legislature during the past three
sessions by three lawyers-Joe Holdren
of Cherryvale, w. N. Banks of indie
pendence. and Senator Sam Porter OF
Caney At the next session the big
county of the big Third district Will
dispense with the services of lawyers
entirely David Kline of Coffeyville Is
a PROSPEROUS farmer, Harry Brighton or
Caney is a newspaper man, and John
Overfield of Independence, senator
elect. is an oil man. All three are
broad aggressive men and will doubt.
less make a good showing for one OF
the largest and most important coun-
ties in the state
There has been much speculation
in Kansas as to what Senator Ches-
ter 1. Long will do when he retlres
from the senate next spring. he mas
been picked for a foreign embassy ana
a cabinet job by well meaning peo-
ple. 1t has been suggested that he
run a newspaper, go into the salt
business. buy sugar plant invest IN
irrigated lands But now comes
tried and true friend and with rare
discernment picks a more glorious
career than that offered by politics or
business for the Medicine Lodge
statesman, towit the position of I
alfalfa king of the Sunfiower state. |
The alfalfa industry is coming into its
own in Kansas Alfalfa mills are |
starting up at many points and the
chance is now offered for man of
Senator Longs talent and influence to |
win new and undying fame in the |
promotion of the coming product of /
the west 1t will be remembered that |
Senator ingalls, first came into prom |
inence in Kansas by his production of |
'Blue Grass Why should not Sen |