The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-18
STUBS LIKES IT.
Governor Pleased With the Of
flee of Executive.
Grows Fat Discharging ArduOus
Duties of His Office.
WORK Is HOURS A DAY
That Was During Session of the
Legislature.
Now He Is Having a Little
Breathing Time.
WORK Is HOURS A DAY


Governor Stubbs has held his offce
now for few days over two months
The legislature convened the day after
the Inauguration and the new governor
was up to his eyes in legislative mat
ters from the very beginning of his
term Most of the members of the leg
tslature were raw recruits. called upon
by the square deal element of the party
to save the state. The new governor
had answered the same call and they
all had to get acquainted with their
work and with each other. The gov
ernor had a lot of legislation in which
he was particularly interested besides
the famous utilities bill. There was
the good roads bills, four of them, and
forestry legislation, anti-discrimination
bills, a legislative library physical
valuation of railroads and a dozen 9TH
er measures more or less important.
These all had to be discussed with
various senators and representatives a.
dozen times over. Almost any hour of
the day or night during the session
there was member or two of the leg
islature closeted with the governor and
two or three others waiting in the re-
ception rooms.
Besides the legislators there were the
heads of all the state institutions who
had been called to go over their work
with the new chief. Then there We're
one hundred and one visitors from over
the state. friends of the governor or
friends of the square deal, who wanted
to pay their respects. And still anoth-
er brand of callers who only wanted to
shake hands with the new governor.
The new governor started out in his
new place in a cheerful frame of mind
and at the beginning adopted a method
of democratic simplicity with all Vis-
itors. No one was to be turned away;
all were greeted in hearty fashion AS
regards legislation no bill was too in
significant to be considered and friends
and foes in the legislature were all sure
of an audience in the matter of bills
pending or yet to come.
And now that the session is over and
the legislators gone home the stream
OF visitors to the executive offices con-
tinues almost as broad and deep as
during the past two months. But the
governor is still as cheerful and hearty
in his greetings and adieus as he was
In the beginning. If the defeat of the
utilities bill. for which he fought with
all his energy and every resource at
his command, has left any sore spots
they are not noticeable in his manner
or conversation with friends from day
to day.
He Enjoys the Work.
When the newspaper man entered the
governors office today he found the
square deal leader alone and at leisure
for the first time since Jan 1S. A mo-
ment later the private secretary en-
tered. Man outside to see you, gov
ernor'' he said.
Let him yait a few ninutes,'' replied
the governor, and he slid down in his
chair and placed his feet on the desk
This is the first time since / have been
here that 1 have sent back that word
except when 1 have been busy with i'm
portant work or giving an audience. Il
have worked on an average of sixteen
a 7 hRRn
] go to midday lunch at 1:30 and gem
orally leave the office in the evening
about 7:30. and often come back at
night and always work a few hours at
home.
Tired? Not a bit of it. And I'm not
worn out. either. nor frazzled' as you
call it. Do you know, 1 actually like
the work.
Here the governor laughed heartily at
the wonder expressed in his visitors
tone and expression that one could like
the constant grind of receiving delega-
tions, visitors, officeseekers and heads
of departments. And when the governor
laughs. it is the real thing-no smile
or chuckle, but a hearty gloom dispell-
ing laugh, clear from his toes. and if
the visitor is close enough the COVER
nor emphasizes that laugh with a hearty
slap on the back or knee. and if he can
not reach his caller he slaps himself
on the leg and laughs again. When
Stubs talked over with Speaker Dolley
An the utilities fight he slapped the big
speaker on the back and said: .They
beat the daylights out of us. didn't they,
Dolley?" and then he laughed as loud
and hearty though the joke had
been on the other fellows. Stubbs is
in earnest in this utilities fight. terri
bly, in earnest and the fact that he
laughed over his defeat is a sure sign
that he expects to fight again-and
laugh last.
Depends OH System.
But to get back to the governors re-
mark about his work. Continuing. in
answer to a comment that was half a
question. the governor said: There is
no grind about it. The change from
one individuality to the other, the
change of subject and the Importance
of all of them forbid that. 1t is monot-
ony that makes the grind. have work
ed hard all my life and succeeded best
where I employed the most exact meth
DDS and used system in both big and
little things. Yes. sir. / propose to use
a straight. plain business system in the