The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-01-05
Men Who Framed Original In.
strument Tied Hands Of
Voters in State.
BREWSTER EXPLAINS THE LAW
Attorney General says Present Basic
Law Must Be Amended Before
Holding Convention.

intended that 1t should be changed by
constitutional convention. They put
joker into the basic law of the state
that practically makes 1t necessary to
amend the constitution before an at
tempt is made to have constitutional
convention.
That is the view Of s. M. Brewster,
attorney general, in an opinion given
to Prof. +. w. Blackmar of the state
university A constitutional conyen-
ton is four years off at least The
legislature that meets in ten days can
mako only recommendation that one
be held. The shortest cut to effective
changes in the constitution, according
to the attorney general, is to amend
the section Of the present instrument
which prohibits more than three
amendments being submitted at sin
gle election.
The only thing the 1917 legislature
can do Is by two-thirds vote make
recommendation that Kansas needs
new constitution and the people of the
state. at the election I'm 1918 will vote
whether or not accept the recommen-
dalton. And in that vote there il
trouble ahead.
The present constitution requires
majority Of all those voting at the
election must vote fayorably on the
plan to call constitutional conven-
ton. The proposition might receive
a majority Of the votes cast on the
proposition alone and still be defeated
because it did not receive majority
Of the votes cast on the proposition
alone and still be defeated because 1t
did not receive . majority of all tho
votes cast. In the election in Novem-
Der there were nearly one hundred
thousand voters who marked their bal
lots for President and failed to vote
on any other office.
An ordinary constitutional amend
ment can be carried by simple ma
jority vote. There has never been q
constitutional amendment adopted In
Kansas by a majority Of all the votes
cast in the election.
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Asks for New School Laws.
Some important changes in the Kan
sas school laws were suggested re-
Gently by w. D. Ross, state superin-
tendent of public instruction. He has
asked the coming legislature to enact
the following laws:
Take the state and county superin-
tendents out Of politics as much as
possible by~making tho offices ap-
poiatiye, along somewhat the same
lines as the chancellor Of the univer-
sity. presidents OF the agricultural col
lege and state normals and city super
intendents are appointed.
Free textbooks in the grade and dis
trict schools.
Free high schools for all Kansas
children.
Longer tenure for school teachers.
Pensions for teachers.
Extension of Hndergartens.
Extension OF transportation priyi-
leges for students far from the schools
they must attend.
Better health supervision in the
schools.
The county unit for taxation for ad-
ministrative purposes.
+ + +
No v. S. Road Aid to kansas.
NJ fnH
eral aid for highways until 1t changes
its present law and creates real
highway commission with some au.
thority. This is the ruling of David
+. Houston, Secretary Of Agriculture
Mr.. Houston. in a letter to Governor
Capper, makes 1t plain that the $143.7
900 available at present is not COM
ing near Kansas until the legislature
acts. Kansas officials had it all fg.
ured out that the state would be able
to get the federal aid money, but the
Secretary Of Agriculture could not see
it that way.
Want Kansas Divorce Record.
A central divorce record will be
asked Of the next legislature in con-
nection with the office Of w. ]. v.
Deacon, state registrar OF vital Stats
tics,
r + r
Record for Kansas Mills.
The flour mills Of Kansas produced
! 12,213,447 barrels Of flour during the
past year, according to figures given
out by the state board of agriculture.
This is the second largest annual out.
put in the history Of the state
+ + r
Cared for 9,16S Needy Persons.
According to report issued by the
state board of control. eighty-two pri-
vate charitable institutions in the
state cared for 9.166 needy men, wom-
en- and children during the past year.
The gross expense aggregated $780,
7s7.
+ r r
Big Grain Elevator for Topeka.
Several big grain dealers Of Kansas
are organizing a company to build a
250,0oebushei grain elevator in To-
peka. Most of the stock has already
heen subscribed