The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-08

Organization Is Completed at
the State House Today.
Members Want a Brand New
1917 Model Government.
SUBSCRIPTIONS COME IN FAST
Three Women To Be Put on the
Executive Committee.
State Headquarters To Be Es-
tabIished in Topeka.

That Kansas wants to dispose of its
''two-cylinder, chain drive, norman
top form of government and get
brand new, eight-cylinder, self-crank-
ing, self-starting, one-man top, 1917
model" was the temper of the men
and women who, today, organized the
Kansas Better Government league.
And the most promising thing
about the organization was the avidity
with which they put their money into
the enterprise After the temporary
organization was formed the member
ship campaign began with the distri-
button of membership slips with blank
checks attached. For ten minutes
there was steady scratching of pens
and pencils welded by men in all sorts
of attitudes. using chairs, NOTEBOOKS
and the walls for desks.
The purpose. of the league. as set
forth in the report of the organization
committee, is ito give aid to such
ne edful legislation as will promote eff
ficiency in state, county and city go.-
eminent" And this is broad enough
the members said, to cover move
ment for a new Kansas constitution.
That is one of the purposes of the
organization-to get an amendment
thru the present legislature as pre-
ern state constitution.
One Hundred Present.
The preliminary organization was
formed at a meeting held before noon
in the assembly room of the public
utilities commission Perhaps one
hundred persons from over the state
attended. Governor Capper presided.
Homer Hoch of Marion was named as
temporary secretary and Charles Har-
ger of Abilene as temporary treasurer.
AT previous meeting three COM
mittees had been named-committee
on organization with Henry j. Allen as
chairman, committee on membership
with Charles Harger as chairman and
the committee on legislation with Prof
Frank w. Blackmar as chairman.
The committee on organization Of
fered a report which was adopted
with few changes. As adopted the re-
port calls for temporary organiZa-
ton formed around an executive COM
mittee of twenty-five members with
the governor as ex-officio president of
the league. The chairman, secretary,
treasurer and three other members of
the executive committee will form a
quorum. A county adviser will be
named in each county of the state.
The chairman of the executive COM
mittee has authority to subdivide the
committee into committees on admin
istration, membership, legislation and
name such other committees as may
be needed.
Have State Headquarters
State headquarters will be establish
ed. The temporary members of the
executive committee will consist of
Robert A. Barr, of Fort Scott; ID. j.
Fair, of Sterling: Ben S. Paulen, of
Fredonia; Frank w. Blackmar, of
Lawrence; Henry J. Waters, of Man
haitian; Homer Hoch, of Marion; j.
c. Ruppenthal, of Russell; G. c.
Mack, of Newton: c. A Smart, of Of
tawa: H. II. Motter, of Mcpherson.
c. c. Isley, of Cimarron: Will T. Beck
of Holton; Henry j. Allen, of Wich-
tia; Samuel T. Howe, of Topeka; c.
E. Snyder. of Leavenworth; c. M
Harger, of Abilene; Henry Lassen, Of
Wichita; e. r. Moses, of Great Bend:
William Allen White, of Emporia: u
S. Sartin, of Kansas City; G. s.
Murphy, of Manhattan; one member
10 be named from AtcEison and three
women to be selected by the women
who attended todays meeting.
wsCofwd :ztwHETAOI 6 j NINA
The original report provided for an
executive committee of twenty-one
members with no women Mrs. Cath
arine Hoffman, of Enterprise called
attention to the absence of women and
the men began producing alibis. Gov
ernor Capper agreed that perhaps
there should be women on the COM
mittee and looked at Professor Black
mar, who had read the report
1t Is Aliens Report
This is not my report said Pro-
fessor Blackmar. at is Mr.. Aliens
report and he is not here, but / have
no objections to placing women on the
committee. / suppose of course the
women unders-and that there is mere
~ a temporary executive committee"
William Allen White smoothed mat
tiers over by moving that the commit
tee be enlarged by the addition of
three women members and that those
present be permitted to caucus and Sc
lect the three. That motion carried.