The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-16
AID TO YECCMEN
Bill in House Would Be of
Benefit to Criminals.
Licensing of Detectives Is Pro-
vided for i'm Measure.
OPEN RECORDS TO THE PUBLIC
Anyone Could Procure InfOrma-
ton in the Files.
Bank Commissioners Office
Would Be Crippled.
OPEN RECORDS TO THE PUBLIC

One Of the most innocent looking
little bills before the state legislature
concerns the licensing of detectives.
Yet the bill, which came from Repre-
sentative Peal of Butler county, and is
now before the house labor commit
tee, promises more trouble for indivi-
duals, firms and corporations than al
most any measure now pending. Ac-
cording to men who have studied pro-
visions of the bill, the measure will
provide the greatest aid to the Yegg-
mems Union of any measure brought
before a state legislature.
Apparently the bill merely intends to
license and regulate detectives and de-
tective agencies. Probably that was the
idea in the mind of the author of the
bill. But in the form in which the bill
went to the house labor committee it
is loaded with sorrow and trouble for
every individual interested in appre-
hension of law violators Detective
agencies, or persons engaged in de-
tective work are required under the
bill to pay a 81 year license to the
state and provide a $4,000 surety
bond. Those are not the provisions,
however, which are causing trouble.
Here is where the member from
south Butler county, probably acct
dentally, planted a ton of dynamite.
In the third section of his measure,
known as house bill No. S14, he pro-
vides that all detectives and detective
agencies shall keep books and records
of all transactions. That isn't%so ser
1ouS. But the next sentence provides
that the secretary of state shall have
supervision over such books and rec
ords and they shall be subject to in
spectlon by interested persons. That
means trouble, according to men who
have inspected the Peal bill
Turn Over Records.
Under legal nj 49,
Dill, the Kansas anti horse thief asso-
cations detectives and secret service
men would be compelled to turn over
their records to persons who might
pc interested in the welfare of an in
dlVldu2l suspected of borrowing a
| neighbor's horse. The same provi-
sion in the bill would compel the
spoilers for the state temperance
union to turn their books over that
a sympathetic investigator for a gang
of Jointists might gather knowledge
| as to just what work is being done
| and who is investigated
BY the same token, the state bank
commissioners office thru a detective
agency, would be compelled to turn
| over information which might be of
great value to a rather distinguished
| looking gentleman bank robber The
| railroads, which employ scores of de-
tectiveS, for the protection of their
| property and freight in transit, would
| be compelled to release Under the act
such information as has been gath
| cred in pending cases. Firms and cor
porations employing detective agen-
cies, would awake to find that their
agencies have been compelled to re-
lease their evidence to persons who
| might be interested in the escape of a
man suspected of crime. Those are
some of the interpretations placed on
| the bill.
| That doesn't seem to be all Be
| fore a person may engage in detecting
in Kansas, he must get a permit. Thus
| a secret service man from another
state might follow a criminal to Kan
sas and suddenly find re was COM
PEELED to come to Topeka. provide a
| bond and buy a license before con-
| tinuing his pursuits. And in the
meantime the man whom he sought
| might walk away.