The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-10
War Prices on Commodities
Forces Deficit on Institutions.
State Boards Find That EST;
mates Are Far Too Low.
GOVERNOR ADMITS TROUBLE
He Says Call of Senate and
House May Be Necessary.
All State Institution Heads
Called Here Next Week.

Kansas faces a special session OF the
state legislature. War prices for all
commodities have forced all state in
situations to face fiscal year deficits*
and to exceed their estimates in pur
chaSeS.
Gravity of the situation is felt in
every state institution. GOVERNOR
Capper himself is today looking the
matter squarely in the face. BeforeE
leaving for Leroy today, the governoil
admitted that a special session may
be necessary. In preparation for theX
important move the governor will caiV
all state institution heads to Topeka
early next week for a financial coun-
Gil with the state board of admins
tration, of which he is ex-officioz
chairman.
Should the legislature be broughf/
to Topeka this fall or next winter, its
program will probably be definitely
| outlined in the call. At least two del
mands will be made by the GOVERNOR
He will ask first for immediate emer-1
gency appropriations to meet de-
mands thru increased costs of living4
| and the probable creation of an emer-X
gency fund to be placed at the disposal
ministration board. The second de-
| mand will be for a ratification of
! amendment to the federal constitution
providing for national prohibition
providing the resolution which passedI
the senate last week is adopted by the
house during the present session
Face Many Demands
Demands for a special session have
been faced by the state administration
almost since adjournment of the 1871
| legislature. When the members of
| the ways and means committees met
| in joint sessions they prepared appro-
priation schedules based on before
| the-war prices Institution headsI
made bitter complaints, but the COM
mittees delivered sermons andI
speeches about economy and sought toI
hold the certain tax increase as low asI
| possible.
For. years. the legislature had beenI
urged to create an emergency fund
of a quarter or half million dollars
Each session the question was lodged
and each legislature passed the buck
to the succeeding legislature. w. FL
! Davis, former state auditor, had urged
creation of this fund on numerous oc Il
casions. Such action would have prob
ably saved the seeming necessity for|
a special session this year.
Serious at Pen.
Il don't see how the institutions can
make it thru the year with appro-
priations available.' said Governor
Capper today. THE situation is espe-|
altho almost every institution is con
| fronted with shortage of funds to
meet needs and demands. An emer-
gency fund would have been a great
thing just now"
The conditions at the Lansing state
prison are most disheartenfng. Every
month the institution slips a little
further in the mire of deprecated
funds. 1t exceeds its estimates in pur-
chases and comes before the Iegisla-
ture with unpaid bills and deficiencies
and emergency claims. And the high
cost of living only makes things
worse.
Every time the prison turns out a
ton or coal a Sn0n1 nf Inc
Irvine. 1t means a loss of money al
tho the institution which received the
coal was benefited" said e. w. Hoch.
a member of the state board ssIn
short. it seems that the more the prfs-
on does the more money it loses and
the more its expenses increase"
Other institutions are not suffering
as badly as the state prison, but all
ere in need of funds. The only RELIEF
is thru direct loan by the banks to
heads of the state board ana faith
that the next legislature will make
good the loan. The loan system IN
unpopular. however, especially in
view of the loud protestations that
Kansas is now entirely out of debt
So the special session seems the only
certain and direct relief.
May Take Prohibition Stand.
Many demands have been sent to
Governor Capper urging that Kansas
be the first state to ratify national
prohibition. Should the prohibition
amendment go thru the house during
! the present war session of congress, .
special session of the Kansas legisla-
ture would be necessary IL this stats
took the lead in the march to make
the nation dry. Passage of the pro-
hibition amendment Will doubtless
mean that ratification of the federal
amendment will be included in the call
for the special session.
In a few days, Governor Capper in
| dictated, he will confer with several
leading legislative members relative to
! a special session. Whether the law
makers will be asked to come to To-
peka without pay, has not been indf-
Gated. A special session would prob
ably continue two weeks to a month.