The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-10
A SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATURE.

''wen done" is the only fair verdict
that can be applied to the activities of
the members of the Kansas legislature
for 1911 even though, they failed to
take favorable action on some or the
pledges that were contained IN the
platforms of each of the paramount
parties. Indeed, it is doubtful II there
has been a legislature in years that
has worked out SO much constructive
Legislation of the rightly progressive
sort. LEGISLATION that will open the way
for the advancement of the state and
the benefit of its people in many es-
sential particulars. Certainly no set or
legislators have worked harder ana
mora consctentiously to perform their
duties. and in the face of less encour-
aeement from. certain newspapers and
small coterie of individuals, who
seem to be obsessed with the idea thal
there is no intelligence in Kansas on
matters of public concern outside OF
what they possess. And the results OF
this hard and conscientious work have
been large.
A score and more Of most important
and valuable measures have been
passed. Among them is satisfactory
public utilities commission law, gooo
roads law worth while, a law giving
state aid to schools in weak rural dis
tricts. a proposed amendment to the
constitution giving women the right OF
universal Suffrage, a resolution ap-
proving the income tax amendment TO
the federal constitution. an act requir-
ing foreign corporations to oeglh sulI9
in the state courts, a needed revision
of the fish and game laws, an en-
blowers liability law and a@WorKmeh
compensation act, an act giving Inc
hank commissioner supervision over
stock and investment companies, ana
a strin gent act providing for the TAX
ing of vital statistics and the registra-
ton of the same. The establishment
of needed institutions for the care Oh
criminal insane and the care or per-
sons afflicted with tuberculosis were
authorized. as was the establishment
of a school of mines. Many other
pieces of legislation distinctly worth
while were also enacted into law. But
it is unnecessary to refer to them here'
as they have been detailed in other
columns of this newspaper
And although the aggregate of the
appropriations is a few hundred thou
sand dollars larger than it was two
wears ago, the legislature has actually
been most economical in disposing OF
the states money!. Kansas is growing
and growing fast. The needs of all OF
her institutions are larger now than
they have ever been before. 1t takes
more money to supply them and 1t Will
take more and more each year as long
as Kansas continues to grow and the
state does it's full duty to all OF lts
people. But the increasing CROWN OF
the state also increases the amount OF
taxable property in the state, so that
the proportionate burdens of the tax
payers under the ever increasing state
expenses will not be appreciab1y larger
than they have been the past few
years, that is, of course, If the leglsla-
lures of the future handle the expen-
diture of the states funds in the same
careful and effective way that has been
pursued by the legislature that has
Just finished its labors.
Best of all, there hasn't been the
slightest hint of actual faint or scan
dal in connection with any of the &C
t1V1tieS or any OF IHe IueAIOoAS "a NA0
legislature. The "pork barrel charges
of Mr.. White and Mr.. Leahy simmered
away into laughable fasco. There
has been no breath of charge that
any of the legislators have been sus-
ceptibIe to outside influences of the
corrupt sort Many of them have I'M
doubtedIy played considerable politics.
but that is expected at every session
of every legislature. For the most
part, though, the legislators for 1911
have worked honestly and faithfully
to draft the best possible laws on
many important subjects, and their
work in the main has been crowned
with an undeniable success.