The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-11
Homer Talbot of X. e. Munich
pal Bureau Gives Ideas.
Spoke Today Before Kansas
Federation WOmen's Clubs.
TAKE CITIES OUT OF POLITICS
Transfer of Local Control From
Legislative Committee.
Matters of City's Concern
Should Be Left With City.

Broader powers of local self govern
ment for the people of the cities and
towns of Kansas, and wider powers
of popular control over state and mu-
nicipal government are some of the
leading features in the program of i'm
provements in public administration,
Homer Talbot, head of the municipal
reference bureau of the University of
Kansas told members of the Kansas
Federation of Women's Clubs here
this afternoon. Mr.. Talbot spoke
principally about municipal home
rule.
Home rule means the transfer of
local government from the committee
rooms of the state legislature, the
members of which are elected on ma
tional political tickets and issues, to
the people of the localities them
Selves he said. Instead of the citi-
zens of municipalities having only
such power over their own local af-
fairs is expressly or implicitly
gra nted to them by the state legisla-
ture-as is the case at present-the
people of the local communities should
have all powers of local self-govern-
ment. except those which the consti-
tuition and the legislature determine
they may not have. In other words,
matters of purely local concern and
interest should be left to be settled by
the people of the localities themselves.
The home rule measure provides
that the people of the cities may
frame their own municipal charters,
and may exercise hereunder all such
powers of local self-government as ara
not forbidden by the constitution and
the general laws of the state In the
municipal home rule constitutions!
amendment submitted to the legisla-
ture, provision was made for the safe
guarding of the municipal ownership
rights of the people of the cities and
towns of the state. The home rule
constitutional amendment did not
pass. The issue, however, is a live
one
The second great advantage of the
municipal home rule reform is in the
fact that benefit would come to the
members of the legislature themselves,
in that they would be afforded the OPP
portunity to devote their entire atten-
ton to statewide affairs"
Three Cheers for 1. and r!
Mr. Talbot pointed out that anoth-
err important feature of the city and
state betterment program of the
League of Kansas Municipalities is the
initiative and referendum. For three
successive campaigns, every political
party of importance in the state of
Kansas has pledged itself to submit
an initiative and referendum amend
ment to the people of the state, to the
end that the people of Kansas might
be able to exercise more continuous
and adequate control over their own
state and city governments" he said
The people of fifteen other states
already have reserved themselves the
powers of the initiative and referen-
dunn said Mr.. Talbot
The League of Kansas Municipali-
ties is A statewide municipal better
ment organization. with one hundred
and thirty-seven cities and towns en-
rolled as active members. and with 4
steadily increasing membership" Mr.
Talbot pointed out. w. L. Porter
commissioner of parks. Topeka, is
president of the league