The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-18
Kansas Legislature Compared
With That of Missouri.
Sister States Expenses More
Than Five Times as Much.
RUN ON A NEW PLAN.
Information Bureau Installed
at State House.
Visitors Hereafter to Be Treated
With Consideration.

Comparisons are odious. but never
theless the average Kansan can point
with pride to the work and expenses
of the last legislature of his state IN
comparison with the record made by
the legislature of Missouri which ad-
5ourned today.
The Kansas legislature was in ses-
sion a few days over two months ana
its bill of expenses was about $4,000.
The expense of the Missouri legisia-
ture, in session little over four
months, was $452,000.
The Kansas legislature had some-
thing less than one hundred employees
on the pay roll. The Missouri legisla-
ture had 4SS employees on its pay roll.
Missouri's Democratic senators had
six clerks each to wait upon them
The Republican representatives had
two clerks each.
Missouri paid $142, 900 in salary for
the members of the legislature and
$230,0O0 in salaries for the employees.
Kansas, almost as large and wealthy
q state as Missouri, only had $4,000
legislative expense all told, and at
that several of the members of differ
ent factions talked of graft in the pay
roll and prated of the necessity of
keeping down expenses.
The moral of these comparisons
would seem to be that Missouri is too
extravagant and Kansas is too par
simonious in the matter of legislative
assem- blies. Missouri progress has
not kept abreast of the speed develop
ed by its legislature, while the Kansas
legislature is underpaid and required
to do too much work in too short
time for such a large and prosperous
state.
P. A. wiebe of Lehigh, Kan. has
sent Secretary F. D. Coburn peck
of hard wheat imported from Rus
sia for seed purposes. This wheat is
the very best grade of Turkey red
and the grains are almost as hard as
shot
Secretary Coburn thoughtfully
sifted the wheat through his fingers
and placing one of the grains in his
mouth tried to chew it. The wheat
was as hard as flint and the secretary
made a grimace as he felt to see if
all the enamel had been knocked off
his teeth.
''I can remember, not many years
ago." he said, when the millers of
this state would not take hard wheat
from the farmer except for a much
lower price than that paid for the
ordinary variety. They complained
that their machinery was not
adapted to grind the stuff-it was
too hard 1 once hauled a wagon
load of wheat to the mill and heard
that miller tell me that he would
market price for it. Think of that.
With hard wheat now selling any
where in the state for above the
market price. Turkey red of the
hard variety is now the pride and
glory of the Kansas farmer We i'm
port the best grade of hard wheat
clear from Russia. and planted in
Kansas soil. it transforms that soil
into a mine of gold"
Chas E. Strauss. of Topeka. who Sc
cured the concession from the execu-
tive council last month to conduct a
stand in the lobby of the state house
has installed an information bureau in
connection with his cigar case and ap-
nle trays. This innovation will be well
come to the thousands of visitors from
all over the state who call at the state
house every year. Mr.. Strauss has a
list Of all the officials and employees in
the state house. the offices they oc-
cupy and the location of these offices
He is IN position to give the visitor
any information desired in regard tc
the state house and can also give di-
rections about finding any place OF
interest in the city.
A large sign bearing the words, In
formation Bureau" hangs on the wal
behind the cigar counter and all ques-
tons are promptly answered. This is
the first time in years that any partic.
ular courtesy has been extended to Wis.
itors at the state house by the conces.
sionaire in the lobby-the first place
that a stranger will go for information
The corridors were thronged with visi.
tors during the Sunday School conven.
tion a few days ago and many of the
delegates who had been here before
remarked on the change and seemed t
appreciate the new state of affairs
State Labor Commissioner w. r. A.
johnson is busy these days sendine
out notices in regard to the workings
of the child labor law to school Off.
cials. These, instead of the EMPLOYER
will hereafter have to fill out the blanks
in regard to the age of children who
have to work for a living. The new
child labor law is very drastic anC
the labor commissioner proposes tc
see that it is rigidly enforced in every
section of the state.
Mr. johnson is also sending comics
of the fire escape law to the fire chiefs
of some 500 cities of the state. All O.
the fire marshals who have responded
to these notices up to this time EXPIRES,
themselves as pleased with the new
law and say that they propose to see
that it is strictly enforced. In abou
q week the labor commissioner viii
be ready to send out to the fire chief,
the detailed requirements for ma,
terials, devices. extinguishers. fire es
capes, etc, to be used hereafter in the
J. H. Ricken, the new commands,
of the Kansas department of the q
A. R., has taken possession of hi,
quarters in the state house and ha,
already appointed the following mem,
bers of his staff: H. C. Dryden. cha
mute, assistant adjutant general: w
]. Magatagan, Chanute, assistan
quartermaster4 general; Thomas Girls
ham, Cottonwood Falls, judge advo
cate general; E. c. Jones' Kansas CITY
Kan, chief of staff. The other off
GERS will be appointed in the near fu
ture. The policy OF the new G. A. r
Administration according to Com