Potosi journal., 1915-01-13

sdtute other employment therefor.
Code Procedure.
Last summer / appointed a commits
sion to study our judicial procedure,
prepare measures and SO formulate
our laws and codes as to bring about
a speedier administration of justice,
with fewer reversals because of tech
nicalities in no wise affecting the
merits of the litigation.
Fire Insurance.
would recommend the creation Of
fire marshal department., making
same an adjunct of the insurance de-
partment and under the supervision
of the insurance superintendent. In
this department we would have an
official authorized to investigate the
cause of all fires whose origin is at
all obscure. He should be empowered
to prosecute for arson; to compel the
observance of building laws; to re-
quire the removal of hazardous condi-
tions due to carelessness, or some
thing worse: to prepare a code of in
structions as to electric wiring: to in
spect and examine properties, and to
do such other reasonable things as
are calculated to prevent fires and re-
duce fire loss or waste.
State Industrial Commission.
Under the law we have bureau of
labor statistics, and factory, hotel and
mining inspection departments and a
board Of mediation and arbitration.
These constitute five separate and
distinct departments. The labors of
some departments. under the law, are
covered a second time by another de-
partment, and reports. travelling and
other expenses unnecessarily dupli-
Gated. The state should combine these
five departments in one department to
be known as q state industrial com.
mission"
Election Laws.
During the two years / have been
governor of the state l have striven
earnestly. at all times. to have honest
elections, both in the primary and in
the general election. My efforts have
not been in vain. The present laws
should be amended in many respects
30 as to safeguard the ballot
Public Sehools-Higher Education.
Five pieces of progressive educa.
tional legislation. administration
measures, were enacted by the last
legislature. each of which stands out
pre-eminently in the educational legis-
lative history of Missouri. These laws
have proven their worth in the. field
Of actual trial and test.
| Reformatory.
! The penal institutions of the state
consist of the penitentiary. Missouri
| Training School for Boys, at Boon.
Vile; Industrial Home for Girls, al
Chillicothe, and the Industrial Home
for Negro Girls, at Upton. The mere
punishment by confining in these
| penal institutions is not the full meas
ure of the law. The state can and
should render higher service. that
Of reforming as large a per cent as
possible, bringing them back into the
paths of rectitude and good citizen
ship.
| Good Roads.
| Missouri has $3.50 miles of unim
proved dirt roads and 54,264 miles ol
improved dirt roads. We have 3,42C
miles of gravel roads and 1.417 miles
Of macadam roads. We have SIC
miles Of sand clay roads and 100 miles
Of roads made from chats. We have
about 400 miles of patent surface and
other miscellaneous roads, making
the grand total in the commonwealth
over $4,000 miles. Last year there
was placed upon these highways bet
terments valued at approximately
| $8,O00,0OO. Under the new inter
county seat drag law, we have about
10000 miles Of inter-county seat roads
regularly dragged by the state, an6
upon which during the biennial periot
the state will have expended more
than $225.00O for this purpose, while
the people themselves have placed
thereon special betterments in the
sum Of $1.500,000.
Agriculture.
Aside from handling the officia
business of my department and exer
cising a general supervision and con
troll over state matters and in the Sc
curing of needed progressive legisla
ton, l have labored earnestly for bet
ter roads. better schools, better agri
culture and a better community life
Mourned as Dead, Returns.
Pana. Hl-W. G. Cannon, aged g
years. member of one of the mos
prominent families of Hillsboro an(
Montgomery county, returned to hi