The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-04
Bill Offered to Improve Farm
Lands in Kansas.
Counties May Vote Bonds and
Lend Out Money.

Counties IN Kansas Will De gwen
authority to loan money to persons
who wish to develop unimproved land,
if bill introduced in the senate this
morning by ]. NJ. Davis of Bourbon
passes the legislature. The measure
is framed to aid the man who Is un-
able to purhase land and to encour-
age agricultural development through
out the state.
Each county in the state under the
Davis bill is authorized to issue bonds
in any sum not exceeding 8 per cent
of the assessed valuation, and to run
Is years bearing interest at the rate
of per cent. This will be known as
the agricultural fund and will be loan
ed to farmers at a rate of per cent
for fifteen years in an amount not to
exceed 80 per cent of the value of the
land they buy.
The man who borrows money from
the county under this law must agree
to live on the ground I 5 years. With
his money he is build a small house,
team of horses, wagon, harness,
farm implements and seed.
If the settler is unable to pay his
yearly balance to the county commits
sioners on account of a crop failure,
he is Civ N an additional year of grace
in which to raise the amount due.
The county commissioners are au-
thorized to submit the raising of the
fund to the vote of the people at any
special or general election.
The semi-monthly pay day has been
placed on the calendar again. The live
stock, fish and game committee of the
senate introduced a bill this morning
similar to the measure killed by the
upper house last week. The semi
monthly pay day applies to corpora
lions in the state that pay only once a
month at this time and is a special
piece of legislation for the treatment
of railroads. 1t passed the house but
was killed by the senate. Chairman
Davis mi iE
one of the strong advocates of the
plan.
Senator Price of Greenwood, chair
man of the elections committee, has
offered bill providing for the print
ing of an additional number of bal
lots for the coming elections in Kan
sas. Under the old law the state
of trying to vote the thousands of
women of the state on the old author
lied mum Der Of ballots. The measure
was nearly overlooked by the senate
and would have caused a riot at the
polls in coming elections.
The senate this morning endorsed
heartily and with loud reclamation
the candidacy of Burt E. Brown as di-
rector of the reclamation bureau at
washington. The recommendations
of the senate will be sent to the presi-
dent and to the secretary of the inter-
ior Immediately after the house CON
ours in this mornings action.
Burt Brown now is secretary of the
senate and has made an excellent Of
t1cial of this session of the legislature
His popularity was recognized this
morning by the enthusiasm displayed
by the upper house in passing the
resolution.
Tho fifty-day limit of the Iegisla-
ture is up today. The pay of the
senators ceases at this time All en-
pIoyeeS except committee clerk and
personal clerical hire will be held
over, however, until the final ad-
journment.
n measure of vast, importance to
the cities of the first class under the
passed this morning by the senate. 1t
was the Troutman bill repeating and
amending the present commission
law. The most important feature is
the clause relieving city waterworks
from declaring profit on their invest
ment. This means that the rates in
Topeka and other cities can be cut
to rock bottom with only the MAIN
tenance to be met by the department.
The cities effected also are given the
right to erect, purchase and maintain
market houses. Other amendments
desired by the League of Kansas
municipalities have been passed.
Two bills planning the presidential
primary were stricken from the SEN
ate calendar and killed by the senate
this morning. 1t was the decision of
the body that another Legislature
would meet before a presidential cleo
ton occurred and there would be plen-
ty of time for a presidential primary
law at that time.
The senate today voted to combine
the office of attorney for the state
public utilities commission and the
rate clerk of the commission and es-
tablish what will be known as a |
commerce counsel with a salary of
$4,000 annually. He is to have an as
sistant at a salary of $500 a yea-.