The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-13
NOTES OF SENATE
Aid for Destitute Widows in
Kansas Is Asked.
Bill Today Allowing So
Month to Children.
EFFICIENCY ACT is PASSED
For an Investigation Of All
State Departments.
Other Items of Interest in Up
per House Today.
EFFICIENCY ACT is PASSED


4 bill offering relief to all destitute
widows with children and wives OF
convicts of Kansas was introduced IN
the senate this morning by = M DAVIS
of Bourbon county. The measure. II
passed, will aid in the support OF all
children in the state under sixteen
years of age, with fathers in the peni-
Tertiary or with mothers who are I'M
able to take sufficient care of them.
The bill primarily is to do away
with the practice in this state of
mothers, unable TO care for their
children. giving them away Every
year the state and counties find it
necessary to provide for widows with
4 herd of small children and mothers.
wives of convicts. who have no money
tic maintain their households
The cases of destitution are to be
investigated by the state board of
control and the county commissioners
of the counties in which the patients
live Fifteen dollars a month for each
child under the age of sixteen years
is the maximum amount allowed.
The state and the counties divide the
expense.
Kansas soon may go into the bust
ness of manufacturing bags and bag
ging for sale at cost to farmers. Sena-
tor Milton of Wyandotte county offer
ed d bill today apprOpriating $4,000
for the necessary machinery at the
state penitentiary and the Hutchinson
reformatory TO utilize the jute left
over after the manufacture of Irvine
and make it into bags
1t is stated by Senator Milton that
the state could make thousands of
bags annually out of this wasted fibre
and hemp and sell it to the farmers
at cost and at price much cheaper
than they are paying retail firms at
this time.
Hereafter. if a bill by Milton Of
Wyandotte Is approved, district judges
in Kansas viii be allowed only sixty
days to take cases under Amusement
and hand down opinions. Tt has been
the custom, says the Wyandotte Sena-
tor, for the ends of justice to be de-
feated by delayed and postponed
opinions caused by the jockeying of
attorneys on the case. Sixty days
would be specified as the maximum
time for these opinions.
The senate today approved S25.-
600 appropriation for the erection of a.
manual and trades school building at
the state reformatory in Hutchinson
The old building burned recently and
the school has been handicapped for
want of room and equipment to carry
on the work organized there some
time ago. The bill was supported and
introduced originally by Senator
Howe, who is to be superintendent of
the institution.
The Milton convict labor state road
bill has been killed by the committee
on penal and charitable institutions
This measure provided for the building
of 400 miles of highways throughout
the state from the seat of one state
institution to another. Convict labor
from the state penitentiary and from
the state refo-Tnatory Ould be used
for the road construction. The coun-
ties through which the road would pass
are asked to furnish the material.
on petition of a majority of the pro-
perty owners, streets in cities of the
first, second and third class in Kan
sas may be sprinkled with oil if bill
introd iced by Senator Shouse, CT Ed
wards county, passes the legislature.
For the purpose of encouraging rail-
way building in the railroadless coun-
ties of the state Senator Shouse of
Edwards, and Il other counties. has
offered a measure giving counties and
townships the right to vote $1,000 per
mile in bonds This bill weuld apply
to counties with railroad mileage of
less than 10 miles.
In order to settle the legal holiday
suuabbIe in Kansas. Senator Waggener
senate setting aside February Il. an
niversary of Lincoln's birthday, as.
legal day of rest
senator Joseph, OF Butter county,
has introduced his bank guaranty law
explained at length recently in the
State Journal This bill would revise
the present guaranty law and give the
state banks the power to handle all
support ting funds.
Senator Howe has revised his bill Civ
ing cities the right to levy taxes for
club room for young boys and eiris.
The original bill applied 10 all cities
The first class city representatives
killed it because of the Y. n. c. a.
advantages in the larger towns of the
state. Howe has drawn up his bill 10
apply only to cities of the second and
third class. 1t was introduced in the
senate today.
Senator Klein of Allen county would
allow township boards to give one dol
lar mile for dragging the roads in
stead of the now fixed wage Of rs