The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-01-16
ed for every cOngested pre-
Improvement of Roads-

De provided for every cOngested pre-
cinct
Improvement of Roads
am unreserYedly in favor of the
improvement Of public highways The
trainers Of our constitution conferred
this work on the counties Until the
people, by amendment, change the con-
stitution, 1 urge that the counties Co
operate with one another, that future
road work be more uniform and done
in such a way that it will result in
connected and continuous highways.
recommend such amendments be made
to the present law.
We have found the best and cheap
est road in Kansas is the dragged
road. When the work is done at the
right time the expense and labor OF
keeping it up is small. A well-organ=
lied drag system will do more to give
any Kansas county fine roads, than
the expenditure Of a much greater
| amount Of money in building and
maintaining a single highway. The
highways viii come, but good commun-
fly roads are our first need
Welcome Europe's Farm Workers.
Following the war in Europe a large
increase of European immigration to
the United States is to be expected,
of which the largest part is and al
ways has been made up of men skilled
in farming. The farming interests of
the United States may then obtain
the better class of these immigrants,
provided measures are taken to at
tract them before they are dispersed
to the manufacturing districts, for
which they are poorly fitted. These
emigrants viii come here with their
faith in American ideals made
80
the European system of government
and diplomacy. They are a high type
| Of farm workers. Kansas needs just
such trained farm hands and farm
| tenants, and it viii be wise to prepare
| to obtain our share of the most de-
| sirable OF these emigrants. This can
be done by attaching to eRe of the ex-
listing bureaus or departments of state
an immigration agency that will keep
in touch with the demand for such
labor in the state and will supply
printed matter, setting forth the at
fractions and opportunities Kansas
] has to offer to the farm workers of
Europe
| Remodel the Prison With Convict
Labor.
| A comparison committee of experts
was appointed under my predecessor
/
and make recommendations for their
| improvement This commission has
recommended that the penitentiary
plant be remodeled and enlarged.
ask you to give its recommendation
most careful attention. 1t is pointed
| out that the greater part of the raw
| materials for reconstruction is to be
| found on state property; that prison
! labor can be used for nearly all the
I work of construction, excepting the
skilled superintendent; that we can
use all of the old plant which has
value; that we can construct what
will be virtually a new penitentiary
| at minimum of cost, and that large
number of prisoners, now unskilled
men, can be trained to become skilled
artisans, which will more than double
their earning power after their re-
lease:
Abolish the Fee System.
The fee system of compensation for
public services opens the way to
abuses which are almost universally
condemned. While fees as compensa-
! ton have been abolished in connec-
ton with most public offices, the sys-
tenn still remains in connection with
certain state and county offices.
urge the enacting of a law which will
abolish the fee system in state and
county governments, as now conduct
er, and specifically providing that all
fees of whatsoever nature collected by
public officials or employees shall be
paid into the general revenue fund.
Check Up County Officials.
Our present system of handling
county funds is loose, slipshod and
utterly unbusiness-like. 1 recommend
law requiring the county clerk or
county auditor to check all county Of
ficials at frequent intervals, to check
out all outgoing officials and to
check in all incoming officials. This
is not provided for in our present sys-
tenn Of county government
Change In Banking Laws.
In view Of the radical changes re-
Gently made in our national currency
and banking system by the establish
ing of the federal reserve banks, L
recommend that our state banking
laws be so amended as to enable any
state bank which so desires to avail
itself Of the provisions of the new
federal law
Keep Faith With the People.
particularly urge that the ways
! and means committees of each house
report the appropriation bills at the
earliest practical day, so that they
| nay have careful consideration before
the rush of the closing sessions.
recommend the adopting of the
initiative and referendum; an amend
ment to the utility commission law
prohibiting the use Of free railroad
passes by members and employees of
the commission; the enacting OF a
presidential primary law; an amend
ment to the constitution to provide for
a verdict in civil cases by three
fCurths of the members of jury;
and the Strengthening Of tho -o'l,e
Sky law, so that there may be no
question of its consuJuuOlIaI.Ly-
The attention of the legislature is
directed to the disgraceful condition
of the state house grounds and to the
lack of a proper system of lighting
for the grounds and the capitol itself
In conclusion I wish to emphasize
again the urgent necessity for policy
of strict economy. The suggestions
and recommendations 1 have made do
not in any instance call for the crea-