The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-12
Formal Adjournment of Kansas
Legislature Delayed.
Governor Is Rushing Through
Consideration of Bills.
STATE PRINTER BUSY.
Take Till Midnight Saturday to
Gets Bills to Governor.
Samuel Zimmerman to Be Pay
master H. n. G..

The final adjournment of the
legislature will not take place tonight
as provided for in the resolution
adopted early in the week. The ses-
sion will continue until tomorrow
night and possibly until Monday. AL
the bills passed have not yet reached
the governor and the engrossment of
these bills will likely occupy the
clerical force until late tomorrow
The governor has signed 165 bills up
to 5 o'clock Thursday evening. There
are a large number of these meas
ures yet to consider. The time of ad-
journment was extended by the few
members of the two houses still on
duty at the request of the governor.
State Auditor Nation and Senator
Glenn drew up a bill which will place
the school lands of Kansas on a prac-
teal business basis. The fraud and
scandal Of the leasing system has been
done away with. This bill was passed
by the legislature. Speaking of the
measure, Mr.. Nation said:
THE law just passed, and which
has already taken effect, wipes out the
leasing law absolutely. The leas-
ing law was a fraud from the begin
ming. Under cover of a lease pros
pective settlers were excluded from
settlement and the best school land
used with practically no income for
the school fund. Spectators obtained
leases at nominal price, and by
collusion with the county officers con-
verted themselves into settlers or sold
their lease-hoId right to the detriment
of the state.
f'This law provides that any bona
f1de settler may have his land ap-
praised by making application to the
county superintendent. Heretofore a
settler was required, after he had
lived on the land six months, to OBJ
tain petition signed by twenty
householders of the township in which
the land was located
This law provides that the rights
of coutesting settlers shall be tried
out before the probate judge. Here
tofore the probate judge was required
to accept proof of settlement from
all parties, the county clerk was re-
quired to issue certificates of pur-
chase, and the county treasurer was
required to accept money from all
parties as well. The result was that
different parties would sometimes
make application to the state auditor
for patent to the same land on the
same day.
This law also requires that a person
must be 81 years of age, or the head
of a family, before he can settle on
school land. Under the old law a child
10 years old could settle on school land
ever, does not disturb the rights of
minors who have settled on school land
prior to the passage of this law.
This law gives the purchasers who
are now in default in the payment of
Interest or principal ten months in
which to pay up. On failure to do this
such defaulting purchaser loses all right
to or interest in the land. Any person
hereafter who shall fail to make a pay
ment of principal or interest within ten
months after it is due forfeits all his
rights, and such land is thereupon open
for settlement and purchase. Heretofore
the law required defaulting purchasers
to be served with a notice. and the
technicalities attending the service of
this notice were such that it was diff
cult to obtain a good forfeiture on school
land, and subsequent sales had been at
tended with considerable hazard to the
This law also provides a severe pen
atty on the county treasurer for failure
to remit school land moneys senli-an-
nually to the state treasurer. All ex-
penses connected with the appraisement
and sale of school lands are required to
be audited by the state auditor before
orders are drawn for payment. These
orders are drawn by the county clerk
instead of the county superintendent as
heretofore. Under the old law the fees
of the appraisers and county officers
were paid by the order of the county
superintendent, the state auditor having
no check on such payments. The state
has been defrauded out of thousands Of
dollars on the account of the payment
of illegal fees and outrageous and ex-
orbitant charges. The new law also
fixes specifically the fees that shall be
allowed in the appraisement and sale
of school lands"
Governor stubbs has received a petit !
ton from one hundred farmers in |
Dickinson county urging him to sign |
the mortgage recording tax bill. Gov |
ernor johnson of Minnesota has also |
telegraphed his endorsement of the |
to Representative Case. its |
author. Speaker Dolley fought for this |
bill on the floor of the house. Governor
Stubbs has been urged by some people |
not TO sign the bill but it is generally |
believed that he will do so.
A public utilities bill along the same
lines as the Stone bill that was defeated
in the Kansas legislature has been in
troduced in the Missouri legislature
and there is every likelihood that it
will be passed. The home rule plan oS
governing utilities has been tried in
Missouri and found wanting The state
has now about concluded to try a state
to be appointed by the gov
ernor.
The legislature has adjourned but III.
state printer is covered up with work
1t will keep the plant busy night an!
day until Tar INTO the nlSnC saturday
night to get all the enrolled bills back
to the governor. State Printer McNeaI
figures that the 1909 session law hook
will contain about 500 pages, as against
6S7 for the 1907, and 1.0e9 for the 1905
statutes. Two years ago the book con
tanned 444 chapters. Four years ago il
contained 545. This session it will con-
tain only 1856 chapters. C- tt.a 226 bills
and resolutions enacted during the en-
tire session. this time, 166 Of them l