The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-10

=. L recommend IndJ THIS leSlSld-
governors office sufficient power, in
some form, to remove or suspend
without pay, unfaithful or derelict
public officials charged with the en-
forcement of law.
Revenue From Corporations.
1. I recommend that proposition
be submitted to the electors at the
next general election providing for an
amendment to the constitution which
will permit the state to derive its en-
tire revenue from statewide public
service corporations, and thereby re-
lieve all counties, municipalities and
local subdivisions of the state from
paying any state tax L am advised
that fifteen of the most progressive
states in the Union have already
adopted this method of taxation. with
entirely satisfactory results.
2. In many counties of the state
local conditions and exigencies often
require higher valuation upon
like class of property than in 9TH
er counties. With the law L recon-
mend each county would be free to
make such necessary valuation with
out being compelled to pay more than
it's reasonable and just proportion of
the taxes required for the state, as it
must do under the present custom.
State Penitentiary.
l. There has been a remarkable
and beneficial change in the method
of dealing with prisoners at the state
penitentiary by Warden Codding and
the board of directors The physical
property of the institution has been
greatly improved in many ways. The
number of hogs raised has been in
creased from about 200 per annum to
500; the herd of cattle has increased
from IS to something like 100 head,
including COWS and calves. The out
put of the Irvine plant has been great
ly increased and the management
vastly improved While the cost of
living has largely increased during the
past two years. the expense for food
and clothing at the state prison has
been kept down to practically the
same amount per capita as it was dur
ing the previous year. There has
been, however, a considerable sum eX-
pended out of the maintenance fund
to increase the dairy herd and make
general Improvements of the property,
which increase sthe general mainte-
nance cost of the institution. The
number of employees at the peniten-
tiary has been reduced from 1O3, the
number allowed by the last legisla-
ture, to 90.
2. large number of prisoners are
now working ten hours q day and six
days in the week in the state peniten-
tiary, manufacturing Irvine and brick,
digging coal and working on the farm
for the benefit of the state. The state
cents a day in cash in addition to
board and clothes. The Irvine plant
earns from two to three thousand dol
lars per month. The coal and brick
plants are very profitable with labor
employed on the above basis; but
what become of the helpless, penniless
wife and children, or, perhaps, a de-
pendent father or mother, left to
struggle and suffer in poverty and hu-
initiation at home. 1t is my opinion
hon n iees ~
and children are born as a result of
that marriage, the wife and children
have the first claim on tina. man and
his labor. The claim of the state is
inferior to the claim of the wife and
children. The la Dor of a man, even
| in the penitentiary. is worth more
than three and one-third cents in cash
per day and his board and clothes,
and I recommend that the net earn
ings above cost of food and clothing
of prisoners in the penitentiary who
have families in Kansas be paid to
those families for the purpose of
maintaining the home intact until the
prisoner can again return to his own.
Inheritance Tax.
| 1. Our new inheritance tax law was
| enacted at the very last night of the
Legislature two years ago The bill was
passed without having the considera-
| ton and attention that such an i'm
| portant measure deserves. 1t came to
| the governors Office for approval with
some bad features that should have
been changed by the legislature, but
/ regarded the law as too important
a piece of legislation to veto.
=. 1t is the duty of the legislature
to eliminate the unjust features of the
| law and amend it so that it will be
equitable and useful. The state has
already received $4,000 inheritance
tax from foreign estates that owned
railroad stocks which had to be trans
ferred in Kansas. 1t received about
$4,000 inheritance from another es-
| tate that had been accumulated in
| Kansas but a large share of which
Twill go TO heirs outside of the state.
| 1t would be almost a crime to repeal
the law, as some persons demand
B. The intention of the inheritance
tax IS to lay the heavier burdens of
taxation upon persons who have ac-
cumulated more property than is
necessary to their comfort and WELL
being, and to that extent relieve those
who are less fortunate Thirty-eight
or the most progressive states in the
nation have enacted inheritance tax
ture make u careful investigation of
this whole subject and vest in the