The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-11
srATUrE REVISION NEEDED.

Some talk is being INDUCED in by
various members-elect of the APP
preaching legislature that a revision
of the statutes of Kansas is most de-
sirable. 1t is talk along the right line.
Certainly, if there is any set of laws
! in the country that need revision and
codification it is those of this state.
Many of them are obsolete and have
no place on the statute books of an en-
lightened community. Others are of
the hit and miss variety. They aim
to accomplish certain things and miss
the target of their endeavors entirely.
Others need to be brought up to date.
Several are conflicting in many i'm
portant particulars and far too few of
them are anywhere near perfect
What is needed is a revision and
proper classification of all the GRIM
inal laws of the state into a penal
code; also a separate revision and
classification of all the civil laws into
a civil code; and then there should be
an additional classification of the
various miscellaneous statutes of
special nature into another volume.
Conflicting statutes should be ironed
out or abrogated and the laws that
are now dead letters should be con-
signed to a morgue. Such a revision
and classification of all the laws of the
state would be of inestimable value to
the whole people and would greatly
facilitate the administration of law by
the courts.
The task to accomplish this is no
small one In fact it is of monu-
mental proportions, and as is sug-
gested by some of the legislators it can
- 4
ial commission created by an act of
the legislature and either appointed
by the legislature or by the governor.
1t is too big a matter for special
committee of members of the legisla-
ture to undertake if they are to have
any time to pay the necessary atten-
ton to their regular legislative duties
which are not small by any manner
of means 1t is suggested that a
measure creating such a commission
should be passed in the early days of
the coming session and that the body
created to revise the laws could re-
port It's work to the session before it
adjourned and have the laws as re-
vised and codifed enacted formally
into statutes. This would fbe exPedit-
ing the matter in a most desirable
way but it hardly seems to- be feasible |
because of the shortness of the legisla- |
tive session. The revision and |
of the laws of a state |
demands the most careful and pains
taking work. A hurried revision is 7
most likely to result in the accom-
plishment of more good than harm
the mistakes which would be |
bound to creep in. Rather would it
be better in the end for the legislature
to create such a commission, being
liberal in the allowances for their
salaries so that the highest class of
men might be attracted to serve on
It, and give all the time it requires to
10 the work at hand. 1t would be far
more desirable for commission of
his sort to plan to be ready to report
20 the legislature two years hence
han for it to be hurried along in it's
work so that it could make a report
before the coming legislature con-
;ludes its labors. Or perhaps, it
would be better still to have a special
session of the legislature called to act
IN the report of the revision commits
don whenever it is ready. The sub
ect is big one of the utmost i'm
1ortance and will necessitate any
quantity of the hardest kind of
legislative effort even after the com
mission has done it's work and made
IS report to the legislature.