The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-01-20
THE STATES NEEDS
Governor Makes Many Sugges-
tons for Reform in Mes
sage TO Legislature.
WANTS A BUSINESS SESSION
Executive Recommends Many Changes
in Present System of State and
County Governments.

Topeka.-Following is the full text
of Governor Capper's message deliv-
cred to 1917 legislature:
Gentlemen OF the Legislature:
The constitution of Kansas directs the
Governor at the opening of every session
OF the legislature, to communicate in
writing such information as he may pos
sess in regard to the condition of the
state, and to recommend measures he
may consider expedient. 1 ask you to
take the recommendations and sugges-
tons l shall make as expressing my sin
cere belief of what this legislature can
do and ought to do for Kansas and not
as perfunctory document intended mere
~ for the consumption of the populace.
If this legislature will get down to bust
ness this afternoon; keep down to bust
ness every day for the next few weeks;
restrict the number of its employees to
the minimum; refrain from playing poll
tics: eliminate log-rolling; abstain from
pork; kick out the grafters; maintain
strict regard for economy; guard against
the innocent-looking jokers the lobby will
have ready to slip into bills; transact all
business in the open; enact the legislation
that We have promised the people, but
make as few laws as possible; refrain
from legislation in behalf of special inter
ests of any sort; straighten out some of
the worst tangles of our complicated
code; and then adjourn promptly and go
home, the people of Kansas will rise up
and call you blessed.
The people are not clamoring for a
great mass of new legislation. The leg
islature of 1915 passed 421 new laws-1O6
In the last twenty-four hours of the ses-
slon-a large proportion of them unneces-
sary If not positively detrimental. 1 hope
we may set a new mark this year in the
expeditions transaction of business and in
giving time only to those measures that
are really worth while.
l do not mean to imply there is not an
abundance of work for this legislature
to do; there is work a-plenty-so much
that the half of it cannot be DONE unless
we have the business like, conscientious
session which hope we shall have.
More Efficient Government
Kansas has admittedly outgrown our
present system of government. 1t is a
hodge-podge; a patchwork; antiquated,
cumbersome, wastefuI, inefficient; entire
~ out OF keeping with the more scientific
systems of business, now employed by
private concerns and many other states.
a multiplicity of boards, commissions
bureaus and departments duplicate the
work OF one another, divide responsibility |
which should be concentrated and by
interfering with one another often retard |
the public business. They increase the
cost of government without giving ade-
quate return efficient service to the |
public Some of the defects of which the |
people complain are embedded in the /
state constitution, now more than fifty |
years old. Consequently there has arisen |
IN many quarters insiStent demand for |
new constitution 1t seems only fair |
that the people of the state should be |
given an opportunity of deciding whether |
they desire the calling of a constitutional |
convention The old objection to such |
convention-the fear of endangering the
prohlbitory amendment-no longer exists;
and If the people desire now to undertake
this important task, they should not be
denied.
In case the legislature in its wisdom /
should decide this to be an inOpportune
time for the consideration of the ques-
uon or a constitutional convention, |
recommend that an amendment to the
constitution be submitted to the people |
permitting the submission to the people |
OF an indefinite number of amendments at |
any general election, instead of three
only, as the constitution now provides |
This will make possible more consistent |
readJustment of our machinery of govern
ment than is possible under the three |
amendment proviso
Consolidation of Boards
In the meantime. while that issue is |
pending, there are many changes which /
this legislature can effect in the interest |
OF greater economy of effort and money /
There should be a general consolidation |
OF boards, commissions and offices wher- |
ever such consolidating will simplify the |
machinery of administration and effect |
economy.
1 desire to call your attention to the re-
port of the efficiency and economy COM |
mission created by the legislature of |
1915. and ask that you give careful con-
sideratiOn to its recommends tons espec- |
tally its suggestion for consolidating and |
co-orolnat1ng state bureaus and depart |
ments; that the four boards now in charge |
of the state institutions. namely: The |
board of administration, the board of con- |
troll, the board OF corrections and the
board of managers of soldiers homes be |
abolished; and that the state schools |
penal institutions, charitable institutions |
and soldiers homes. be placed under one |
board, to be appointed by the governor, |
composed of a director of educationaI in |
stitutions; director of penal institu- |
tons; director of charitable institutions; |
a director of soldiers homes; with the |
governor ex-officio member and chair |
man. empowered to appoint a business |
manager and purchasing agent for all |
state institutions. If this consolidation is |
made, honorary boards could be provided |
TO counsel and advise with the heads of |
the educational institutions in regard to I
politics affecting the welfare and manage /
ment of the schools.
Our present system under which a va
r1ety OF boards receive bids and purchase /
supplies separately for the various lnsti- |
tutlons Is neither businesS-like nor eco /
nomical Other states have effected q |
great saving through creating an expert /
purchasing agent with power to take ad- |
vantage of market conditions I am con- /
WINGED that a high-grade experienced |
business man in this position as business
manager and purchasing agent for the |
four classes OF state institutions will save |
ROAD AGENTS HoNoREo PASS. /