Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-07-26
Topeka LETTER

Topeka, July 23.-The Democrats
throw up their hats a good deal and
prate long and loud about the accom-
plishments of the 1913 legislature.
But do you know that some of the
most important measures put on the
statute books last winter are ideas of
Republicans, and number were in
troduced into the legislature by Re
publicanS?
The Democrats talk much of good
roads, but the biggest factor in road
improvement in Kansas this year and
for many to come is the automobile
license law, which will produce a.
round $3.50, 900 for road betterment
annually. Secretary of State Charles
ii. Sessions was the originator of this
law, and the credit for the idea and
working it out must in the main go
to him. In the senate the bill was
introduced by Senator Wilson of
Washington county, Republican
who batrled with might and main
for its passage.
To Chas. H. Sessions, Secretary of
State, also goes the lions share of the
praise for the corporation tax law,
which taxes the capital stock of cor
porationS in the state. He was the
originator of that law and was the
single big factor in getting it before
the legislature. 1t will produce
quarter of a million dollars of revenue
annually to the state.
The sand law, which provides that
all companies taking sand out of
navigable streams of the state should
pay the state a royalty, is expected Co
add $780, annually to the revenues
of the state. The originator of that
bill was w. E. Davis, State Auditor,
a Republican.
The last legislature passed a resolu-
tiOn authorizing the deposit of excess
funds which accrue in the state treas
nror'S ntfiPa fhn IA nnnat
interest-paying periods. By reason of
that act the State Treasurer has just
put to work approximately $500, 600 of
additional funds, all of which will
bear three per cent interest on daily
balances, and payable to the state.
This will bring the aggregate total of
interest earnings by the treasury de-
partmentS up in the neighborhood of
$50, 600 this year. The resolution was
originated, written and laid before
the legislature by the State Treasur-
er Earl AkerS, a Republican.
The Democrats cheer much over
the passage of the law which provides
for the expenditure of S125, 900 for
irrigation experiments in western
Kansas. Representative Wilson of
Greeley, Republican,. introduced
the measure and was the author of
the bill.
The Mahin law which regulates the
| shipment of Intoxicating liquor into
| Kansas is recognized as one of the
/ most farreaciling aids towards max
| ing Kansas prohibition state that
has ever been enacted. The author
and introducer of that bill was
| Senator l. NJ. Mahin of Smith county,
a Republican. The enforcement of it
falls to John S. Dawson, the Republi-
can Attorney General, and he has
done it with great success.
| The Democrats talk of great accom-
/ pliShmentS with the new Board of
Administration law, which wipes out
the Boards of Regents of the various
state educational institutions and
puts them ali in charge of board of
| three. A Republican was the author
of that bill and introduced it, Repre-
sentative a. NJ. Keene, of Bourbon
| county.
The law which provides that the
state shall pay ten cents a day to
! each prisoner in the state penitentiary,
the money to go to the prisoners de-
pendent relatives, is looked upon and
praised by the Democrats as a great
hum aitarian measure. A Republican
Senator Arthur Kinkel of Morris
/ county.
The list could be made much long
er. But these few examples bring
out strikingly the fact that to the Re
publican minority in both branches
of the 1913 legislature goes tremen-
dous credit for having written and
tant measures over which the Demo
Gratis prate long and loud, and to
some of the Republican state officials
must go the credit of originating and
placing before the legislature other i'm
i portant laws about which also the
selves much glory.