The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-04
PROUD WAKEENEY
Town Dedicates Modern High
School Building.
Five Thousand People Attend
ed the Ceremonies.
GOV. HODGES MAKES SPEECH
New Governor Tells of Educa-
tiOnaI Work of State.
Is Proud of Record of Demo.
cratic Legislature.

Wakeeney, Kan, April 4.-From
every section of Trego county men,
women and children drove to Wa
keeney today to attend the dedication
of the new Trego county high school
building and to listen to the principal
speech of the day by Governor George
H. Hodges. Schools were dismissed in
all parts of the county and the dedica-
ton OF the new school building was
made holiday by the citizens of the
town and county
Early this morning farmers began
coming to Wakeeney in automobiles,
wagons and bugies. From many of the
school districts the children came in
Long beforethe noon hour the streets
We're crowded with vehicles and it is
| estimated that not less than 5000 peo-
pie came to town to attend the cere-
monies.
At noon big old fashioned barbecue
was held. 1t was part of the days
program and hundreds of people at
tended the barbecue, which was the
first to be held in this county in sew
eral years.
Following musical program by the
band, school children and glee clubs,
Governor Hodges spoke for an hour
and a half this afternoon. In his
speech Governor Hodges death prin-
cipally with educational work in Kan
sas. He reviewed with pride the work
of the 1913 legislature in it's enactment
of better school laws.
Stats Educational Work.
In his discussion of the educational
work in Kansas, the governor declared
that he believed the creation of the
by the recent legislature would result
in a uniformly better system of work
in the colleges of Kansas and would
ultimately prove g. real saving in mon
ey to the people. Governor Hodges
also endorsed the work of the legis-
ture in it's passage of a law for the
publication of school text books at the
state printing plant and stated that in
his opinion the new system being
worked out by the school text book
commission would save the school
patrons of the state thousands of dol
for their children. The governor also
referred to the laws extending aid to
weak school districts, the educational
appropriations Of the legislature and
declared that they were all for the bet
terment and advancement Of the public
school system of Kansas.
Briefly Governor Hodges answered the
charges against his administration by OPP
position newspapers and challenged
comparison of records as affecting econ
omy, efficiency and service for the tax
payers of the state. 1t was the only place
in his speech that the Kansas executive
dealt in personalities and this was done
only in a summing up of the legislative
work of the recent session and the dis
cussion through the newspapers OF the
work of the administrat ton
Progressive Kansas Measures.
Discussing progressive measures, Gov
ernor Hodges stated that the record OF
the Democrats in power in Kansas for
the first time in 80 years, would show the
enactment and enforcement of more pro-
gTessive and humane laws than any ad-
ministration in a decade. Among other
reforms which the governor mentioned
was the plan for a commission form of
stat, government. advocated in special
message to the state legislature. This
plan. Governor Hodges declared. was one
of the real reforms which would be de-
manded in Kansas and in the nation and
that the discussion of the policy had al
ready insured it a place in the policies
and platforms of political parties in the
future campaigns
The new high school building dedicated
here today is one of the most modern and
up to date in this section of the state
Bonds for the erection of this building
were carried at special election held
several months ago, when the voters went
on record as strongly favoring better edu-
cational facilities for the school children
of IregO county.