The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-03
NOTES OF SENATE.
Two Big Measures We're
Passed This Morning.
Night School and Convict Road
Labor Bills.
WICHITA TAKES IT BACK
Commissioners Change Minds
on Election Job.
LOring TrOtt Bill Boon to City
Clerks of Kansas.

In the space of time that was neces-
sary for roll call, the senate this
morning voted to establish night
schools in all the cities of the state
! Only two votes were registered against
the measure which was drawn up and
submitted by Senator Troutman, of
Shawnee county.
Under the provisions of the law the
, school board of any district or the
/ board of education of any city in the
state has the power to establish and
maintain free public night schools in
connection with the regular public
school of the district. Persons over the
age of fourteen years are eligible to
this education.
/ titions signed by not less than ten par
ents or guardians of children or per-
sons eligible to attendance, must be
! submitted to the board of education.
If the nightly attendance averages not
more than seven persons the authori-
ties may discontinue the school.
The sessions of the night school shall
be held not less, than three nights each
week during the terms of the regular
public school and in terms not less than
five months in length. October 25 is
| the latest date to be recognized by this
school work.
Senators NighsWonger, of Sedgwick
county. and Gray, of Osborne county,
were the only members of the senate
to raise their objection to the bill.
Nighswonger said there was no demand
for it in Wichita and that the school
taxes in that city We're burdensome the
way it was without adding the eX-
pense of night sessions.
Hereafter the city clerks of cities of
the second class in Kansas will not
have to copy in long hand the ordi-
nances passed by their cities. Senator
Trott's mea sure allowing them to copy
the ordinances on typewriter or clip
from the official newspaper publication,
has been passed by the senate The
Trott bill will be welcomed with open
arms by the city clerks of the state.
A plan to work the convicts of the
state penitentiary on the roads of
Kansas finally has been worked out
and the complete bill by Senator Bow
man of Anderson county has been
passed by the senate. The Bowman
measure not only aids in the building
of good roads in the state but it pro-
vides a daily wage to be paid to the
prisoners for the support of their fam
lilies.
For years Kansas has been trying to
adopt a plan for the employment of
the inmates of the penitentiary on the
roads in the state and outside the pris-
on walls. The Bowman bill passed by
the upper house this morning is the
first real result of this movement 1t
has the hearty endorsement of the
warden of the penitentiary and policies
of the administration.
Upon request of the board of coun-
ty commissioners any county in the
state can have a certain mum ber OF
convicts for road labor The prisoners
also may be used in the work of i'm
proving the streets and alleys of many
Gowns in the state. The county or city
is required to pay all expenses of guard
ing the convicts. The county also
shall furnish the tools and materials
necessary for the work
The warden of the penitentiary is
paid so cents a day for the use of
each convict. The earnings of the
convicts. after the cost of maintenance
is settled. will go to the families or
dependents. eff the prisoner has no
family the money is to go to the con-
vict after his discharge from the in
stitution.
common road work but will not be en-
ployed in labor that demands skilled
employees.
The Howe bill requiring the city
trea as1rerS of all cities in Kansas to
publish quarterly statements of the
finances of the city passed the senate
this morning. This is measure that
has been demanded by persons inter-
estad in municipalities for many years.
1t will give a three months check on
the financial end of all cities and towns
in the state.
The bill to abolish the office of cleo
ton commissioner in Topeka, Wichita
and Kansas City has been killed after
it's passage by the senate. And here
Is the reason: The bill was introduced
in the senate by Nighswonger of Wich-
ita following out a written resolution
from the city commissioners of that
city. Nighswonger forced the measure
through the senate and thought all
was well until one day he detected on
the food of the senate no other than
the wichita election commissioner who
was lobbying against the BILL few
davs later along came personal let
ter from every commissioner of Wich-
ita asking that the bill be killed. In
other words the body in which the bill
originated went back on its request.
In the house committee the senate
Nighswonger measure was reported ad-
verseIv 1t was figured that the work
could be done by the city clerk and
that the cities could save from 81, 600
to 81 500 annually.
The senate this morning conducted
the first omnibus third reading of bills
in this session. Twenty-eight senators
lined I'D in front of the presidents desk
and in a chorus that sounded like a
mob in front of a county Jail, the read
ing of bills began. Senator Troutman
of Shawnee won first honors. He had
a bill composed of eight typewriter
pages which he read in 2 minutes and
IS seconds.
The senate broke all records in a
half days business this morning by
passing 50 bills on third reading. The