The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-25
IN SENATE MILL"
State May Buy an Island in
Missouri River.
To Be Occupied by CoEvicts of
Penitentiary.
MINIMUM WAGE OUT AGAIN.
Labor Committee to Give Tt One
More Chance.
Senator Paulen Aids the Sec
Ond Glass Cities.
MINIMUM WAGE OUT AGAIN

In a Bill which VIII De introduced
soon by Senator Howe OF the Chart
able and penal institutions committee
provisions will be made for the pur-
chase of an island in the Missouri riv-
fer the use of the state penitentiary
convicts who are inclined toward the
tilling of the soil. The island, lying
just east of the penitentiary and north
of part of an island now owned by
the state, will furnish to the convict
labor the cutting of timber, the plant
ing of corn and eventually a produc-
tive underlying bed of valuable coal
The state now owns $50 acres in
what is known as Steiger's Island a
S5o-acre tract of land in the Missouri
river. This island is reached by a
ferry from the Kansas side-a ferry
operated by the inmates of the peni-
Tertiary. Incidentally, the island is
one of the best pieces of hunting
ground in the west.
Chairman Howe of the charitable
and penal committee proposes to buy
this tract by the sale of brick made
at the penitentiary kiln. 1t can be
procured at little less than SIS an
acre.
The island will first be cleaned of
timber then planted to corn. Every
year the river is charging it on one
side by its deposits OF sand and SOIL.
Another side is being washed away
a. few jettes built here and there will
stop this waste.
Beneath the island is a vein of coal
that the miners of the state inStitu-
ton some day will reach.
Fifty women succeeded last night in
reScuing the minimum wage bill from
its newly dug grave. Through con-
sistent lobbying, they persuaded MEM
bers of the labor committee to revive
the measure for their benefit-and
after a bitter fight in the senate last
evening the bill was re-referred to the
1-1N far- Tor
alton and for additional hearing to
its friends
Senator Price of Clark county was
the defender of the report of the la
Dor committee.
IT have utmost confidence in the
chairman, Senator Meek he said.
IT don't think that this crowd of lady
lobbyists-nine-tenth of them not
registered in violation of the Law
should have anything to do with the
deliberations of this body on SO i'm
portant a question. The committee
hearings have been given and twice
the committee has signified it's will
Iingness to kill this measure
The senators from the rural districts
are against the minimum wage Their
desks are piled high with petitions and
letters from their constituents asking
them to kill the bill in the senate It
is contended by the women of the
smaller towns that the store wages are
all the girls can do for supporting
funds-and that young boys will take
their places if the bill goes into effect.
The labor committee is composed of
Chairman Meek and Senator'S Porter.
Huffman, Joseph. King. Meek. Porter
and Joseph are against the bill King
and Huffman are supporting it The
friends of the measure are depending
upon future hearings to win the vic
tory.
Hereafter if the measure passed by
the senate is successful in the house.
road overseers in Kansas will be elected
instead of appointed. The bill by
Senator Wilson, of Washington county,
provides for the adjustment of the old
custom of appointing overseers that are
favorable to one section of the district
OF have favors to give out to the FOdy
that appointed him and to his own
property and the property of his neigh
bors. The Wilson bill provides for the
election of the road overseer in each
district to hold office for two years.
Senator Joseph's bill requiring coun-
~ treasurers to send notices of unpaid
taxes twice n year in the middle of
January and July, has passed the SEN
ate. This bill gives the taxpayer a
chance to avert the embarrassment of
meeting the warrants of the sheriff
when he has forgotten to pay his taxes.
The treasurer will send out notices by
tice is sent has so days in which to
make the payment
Senator Paulen, of Wilson county, in
q timely amendment to Stayely's NUM-
c.ipal innprovement bill gave the second
class cities Of Kansas the right to
make certain waterworks and electric
light improvements outside the limits
of the city now prescribed by law. The
Stavely bill allows them a distance
piled to third class cities only. Paulen
amended it to include second class
municipalities.
The county engineers may be no
moro in Kansas. An amended bill by
Senator Nixon of Summer county was
passed by the senate late Monday af-
ternoon providing for the repeating of
the section of the statutes creating the
office. Counties Will be authorized
hereafter to appoint their county sur
veyor to the duties of the county en-
giueer.
The Nixon bill introduced in the SEN
ate gave the counties with a popula-
ton of more than 10000 the right to
appoint a county engineer of roads and
highways if they needed the office.
Senator Bowman of Anderson county
amended the Nixon measure by repeal
ing the state law which provided for
the official position. The Bowman
amendment was accepted by thesen-
ate by an overwhelming vote.
For the last four years counties in
the state have been required to have a
county engineer when the position was
useless. As Wilson of Washington
said: There are engineers in coun-
ties of Kansas that know no more
about road building than I do-engi-
neers that know less than farmers
have forgotten in this respect. The
position is absolutely useless"
It is intended that the county sur
Veyors have additional road work
that they may make additional salary
- support the office and the services
Of a connnefeDf man