Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-01-20

recommend
partments pertaining to agriculture INTO
department OF agriculture in charge of
a commissioner. similar to the plan 10l-
lowed by the national government It
should include the state board of agricu1-
ture the departments of horticulture,
live stock. grain inspection. entomology.
dairy, stallion registration, feeding stuffs,
veterinary, forestry and possibly others.
Not only would this reduce the cost of
maintaining these departments. but the
benefits resulting from closely
correlated administration would be many.
believe departments employing in
spectors. such the health. labor. fire
and hotel departments may by co-opera-
ton greatly reduce the expense of state
inspection and eliminate many sinecure
jobs
I am heartily in favor of the commits
sion's recommendation that the state tax
commission be abolished and its duties
placed in the hands of a single officer to
be known as the state tax commissioner
Fewer judicial Districts.
The state has, too many judicial dis
tricts- There is great inequality of bust
ness in them A log-rolling lobby smooth
cred a bill in the house to reduce the
number of districts, after the senate had
passed it at the last session 1 recon-
mend similar bill be passed at this
sion. reducing the number of judges; and
empowering the chief justice of the
preme court to transfer judges from one
district to another when the work of a
court has become congeSted. thus dis
tributing the work more uniformly. Such
a measure will reduce expenses and help
in cleaning up cluttered court dockets- .
An Executive Budget System.
I recommend adopting the executive
budget system of making appropriations.
recurring the governor to submit to the
legislature carefully prepared schedule
of the financial needs of the state, show
ing where and why increases. if any are
demanded Our present haphazard spend
ing of public monies inevitably leads TO
pork-barrel legislation and inequalities and
izil
ice At the governors conference in
Washington last month, the twenty-four
governors present were unanimously of
the opinion that this system marks a
most important forward step in legisla-
tive methods. 1t is not revolutionary in
its effect; it merely introduces system
into state expenses. The governor has no
more power under it than under the pres
ent order; all that the budget plan does
is to substitute foresight for hindsight;
to substitute a unified, coherent plan of
distribution of the states appropriations
for a patched and incoherent plan. I
earnestly urge the adoption of the Mary
land budget system for Kansas with
such modification as is necessary to meet
any needs peculiar to the state.
FourYear Term of office.
1 recommend that all terms of office
with all elective officers subject to re-
call; and that all officers purely clerical
in both state and county administrations
be made appointive instead of elective
we hold too many elections ana vote
upon too many officials. The saving in
election expenses alone will amount to
thousands of dollars and 1 believe the
service will be greatly improved and
that there will be fewer scrambles for
public place.
simpIified County Government
The most extravagant and wasteful
branch of government is that of the
county in its present form County taxes
have nearly doubled in the last ten years
increasing from s4.ss2,ss5 in 1906 to S..
942,736 in 1916 With all our complaint
of increased taxation, it seems incredible
that effort has been made by the legis-
lature to curb extravaganza at this source
where it is grea test We have sometimes
seemed to begrudge the money required
for the maintenance of state institutions,
even to the extent of hampering their
growth. development and usefulness, when
in reality the money required for them
is but small part of the public revenues
We have been saving at the spigot and
wasting at the bunghole-
Every county now elects thirteen or
more county OFFICERS several of which are
unnecessary. Commission form of gov
eminent for the counties is worthy of
serious consideration, but it is doubtful
if it can be adopted without changing the
constitution In the meantime. a number
of county offices can be abolished or COM
of deeds can easily be dispensed with and
its duties given to the county clerk
Legislation in this direction should not
take effect earlier than expiration Of
terms of present incumbents.
The City Manager for Cities.
The citizens of any city in Kansas may
safely be trusted to devise and revise the
method of their own local government. in
accordance with their desires and to meet
| their peculiar needs without being COM
4 PEELED to wait the pleasure of a state
/ legislature. I recommend immediate
/ Legislation giving the cities of Kansas
/ home rule, empowering them to adopt
/ the city manager plan Of government at
! the ensuing any April election; such
/ law to be fully guarded against conflict
with state laws and interference by the
/ cities with the police powers of the state
The city manager plan is a great for
ward step in the direction of better gov
| eminent. and everywhere it is in opera
ton is producing striking results in the
| way of economies and better service
/ Reform In Receiverships.
/ The recent scandal caused by the pay
4 ment of enormous and exorbitant re-
! ceivers' and attorneys fees in the case
| of a bankrupt natural gas company, i'm
| pels me to urge you to enact a law plac-
commission the business of all bankrupt
to appoint the receiver and to have gem
eraI supervision of the business. in the
same manner as the bank commissions
now handles the business of insolvent
| state bank The fees of the receiver and
| the attorneys employed should be limited
| by law to a sum in keeping with those
/ paid in the ordinary conduct of business
I Such a measure will put end to
| form of graft that has become public
| stencil Every dollar squandered or graft
! cd in such receiyerShip cases finally Is