The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-10
Things WyandOtte Senator
Wants Of Special Session.
Believes Public Utilities Bill
Should Be Passed.
GOOD ROADS MEASURE
Would Have Law to Utilize the
COnVictS.
Best Thing for Prisoners and
for the State.

Senator 7. A. Milton, Democrat, of
Wyandotte county, who is in the city
as attorney for Captain F. H. Tillot-
son in the Bleakley kidnapping case.
while declining to discuss the feasibil-
ity of an extra session of the legisla-
ture, has a number of pronounced
views on matters which would re-
ceiVe attention in case Governor
Stubs decides to call the legislature
together in an extra session. He is in
favor of a state guaranty law, a pub
lie utilities commission and the use of
convict labor on the public highways.
L am in favor of a public utilities
commission said Senator Milton,
''for a number of reasons. However,
am not In favor of a commission
which would be a one man affair and
dominated by politics. am in favor
of commission, of say three mem
bers, to be elected by the people of
the state at a general election.
Il would have the state divided into
three districts and elect commissioners
from each of them for term of two;
-FOUR and six years, so that a new
member would be added to the board
every time an old member retired.
This would leave the board in control
of the two old or more experienced
members. This plan would deprive
and place the responsibility for the
naming of the members in the hands
of the people where it rightfully be-
longs.
THE people are growing more and
more opposed to the one man power
idea and this would be a step towards
the government fof the state by its
people. In congress we are now wit
Messing a fair sample of the one man
power and the people of the country
q n
the past twenty years has been to
take the reins of government out of
the hands of the people and place it
in the hands of the politicians of the
country.
IT am especially in savor of a law
which will give Kansas better roads
and which will equalize the cost of
building them on fair basis. Convict
labor should be used on the public
highways of the state at all times and
roads for Kansas and do away with
the possibility of the conVictS coming
in conflict with the skilled labor of
the state.
1.-The use of convicts for this pur-
pose would remove them as competi-
tors with the skilled toilers of our
state. incidentally it would be econo-
mical and would in few years give
the state the best public roads to be
found in the union and rebound to the
credit of Kansas . g~a.41
by the use of convict labor a sys-
tenn of roads connecting every pub
lie institution in the state one with the
other could be built in a few years and
Kansas would be traversed with a
system of the finest highways in the
world. The road which is now under
construction in Leavenworth county
could be extended to Kansas City in
this way, thence to Olathe to the state
school for the blind, and finally be ex-
tended in every direction until every
state institution would be reached.
Farmers in the various sections of
the state could connect with this pub
lie road at convenient points and the
value would be inestimable. Every
acre of land in the vicinity of one OF