The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-04-05
State Highway Commission May
Find it Necessary to Curb
Road Boosters.
new LAW MAY Be OvERWORKEO
Reports Show That Hundreds Of Miles
Of Hard-Surfaeed Highways
Are Being Planned.

| Kansas is planning an extensive
road construction campaign this sea
son. The enthusiasm just now for
hard surfaced roads is so great that
there is danger of OVERRIDING things.
Already murmurs are heard that Kan
sas is going crazy" over road work.
Members of the commission realize
that q new law can be overworked
as well as underworked. In other
words, II too much work is mapped
out for the first year and taxes are
materially increased the farmers, in
their fury, may swoop down in the
next legislature and repeal the law.
So the commission will apply the
brakes to the over-enthusiastic road
boosters.
There will be available on July
about s430000 Of federal funds for
road work in Kansas. The various
counties must match this amount, at
least. The money can only be spent
op permanent roads and the commits
sion must first map out five-year
program Of road work and have it ap-
proved by the federal commission be-
fore any federal aid can be secured.
This will be one of the first duties
the new state commission will per-
form. In the program 1t will aim to
cover roads from one county seat to
another and between all important
market centers. Some of the big in
terstate thoroughfares will be in
cluded; perhaps most Of them. While
the government offers to pay so per
cent of the cost Of q road it is planned
to spread federal money out thinner
than that. The plan now is to spend
$1,000 Of federal money a mile. This
will be regarded as bonus and will
encourage the counties to do more
work.
Reports from many counties show
that petitions are being circulated for
hard surfaced roads. Morris county
has petitions signed up already for
thirty-eight miles-a road clear across
the county. Lyon and Usage counties
are also signing petitions.
| X X 4.
Girl spurns FIao.-Anna Folkland
of the fourth grade in the Irving
school at Wichita, was suspended re-
Gently by the principal. Mrs. Helen
Eckstein, because she refused to
salute the Stars and Stripes and give
the oath of allegiance, as is the rule.
She is 13 years old and says THE flag
does not stand for all that is in the
oath. The father, G. w. Folkland,
she stated, had taught her the flag
did not stand for justice and she was
following his instructions. The girl
said she would give up her education
in the public schools rather than be
hypocrite. The father has been .
Socialist, he acknowledges.
X + X
Orphans ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
children in the state orphans homo
at Atchison were vaccinated recently
as preventative measure. Mrs.
Anna Mosher of Topeka, who visited
the home has since been stricken with
smallpox.
Wind Destroyed SchooI.-A high
wind and hail storm swept through
Allen county the other night, cutting
off telegraph and telephone commune
cation. Belated reports say the
Maple Grove schoolhouse and numer-
nuc harnc uara daofrauad
X X X
Engineer Died SuddenIy.-William !
Wyatt, 40 years old, hosting engi- |
neer for the Kansas City Structural
Steel Company, died in restaurant /
at Arkansas City recently.
Expect Big Hay Crop.-Prospects |
never have been better for a big
prairie hay crop, according to large
holders Of hay land in woodson and
Wilson counties. the banner hay
region of the country.
College Founder Dead.-C. J. Strom.
Quist, widely known Swedish pioneer
and one Of the founders Of Bethany
College, Is dead at Lindsborg. He
came to Mcpherson County in 1872.
He held county offices, was the leader
Of the temperance cause in the legis-
lature in 1895. and 1897. He was "a
years old.
X X X
! Caldwell Advance Sold.-C. M. Hunt |
Of Garrett, and J. r. Bennett, Of To
peka, former state printing shop EN-.
ployees, have bought the Caldwell Ad.
vance from Mrs. Clarice McIntire, re-
Gently elected clerk Of Sumner Coun.
ty. Mr.. Hunt is Mrs. McIntire's
X X X
Farmers Fight Car Thieves
Aroused by four motor thefts in the