The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-25
CAPITAL CITY NOTES
(By Chas. H. Trapp.l

Topeka, April 22-It has been
said that no locksmith ever construct
ed a safe that some burglar could
not open. The bootlegers operating
from Kansas City to Topeka and west
have found a way to avoid large fin
ancial loss in case they are caught
in motor cars. The law says that
the car may be confscated. The off
GERS have grabbed several cars in the
lost couple months and invariably a
man turns up shortly and exhibited
mortgage on the car-and of course
the law could not take his property
away from him.
J. Frank Smith, the good roads
man, is back from a trip to Kansas
City and reports Psi miles of hard
surfaced roads on the old Santa Fe
trail have been financed. 1t will be
remembered that the government has
take no hand in the good roads game
and has put a damper on the building
or roads during the period of the war.
However, the prohibition does not ap-
ply to those highways that have al
ready been financed. Smith reckons
that within year the state will have
more than a hundred miles of hard
roads instead of the three running
from Lansing to Leavenworth.
A bomb has been thrown into the
political camp by the announcement
of an Olathe editor that Frank L.
Travis, who is fighting in France, ex-
poets to be the Republican nominee
for superintendent Of insurance. The
laws are so framed that the soldier
boys can be elected, even though they
be not on the spot. And the soldier
boys who are fighting for the coun-
-
over the fellow who stays at home.
A new scheme to organize an oil
company has been proposed to Frank
Organ, blue sky commissioner. Man
came in this week and made this pro-
position. He wanted to sell stock
and with the proceeds buy baby
bonds He would hypothecate the
bonds, and use the accommodating in
terest to sink his wells. Organ ad-
vised him to save his initiation fee.
A manufacturer tells why you are
going to get clothes that are increas-
ingly high priced or increasingly
poor. High grade cloth is made of
yarn that is twisted of long wool fl
bre. Second grade is made of short
er wool. There are numerous
grades. After the suit is worn out
it is again torn into threads md made
into cloth. This is the suit you buy
at bargain" Again it is torn up
and mixed with cotton. This is the
suit that shrinks an inch or two when
it rains. With practically no long
wool to be had, the citizen is in pre-
dicament- Some tailors still have the
old weaves on hand and if you can
get suit from them you are lucky.
Even the street car companies are
fooIiv,o- &l,o1 1,f
the rising costst of labor, material
and incidentals they find themselves
with fixed income Of five cents
ride. Again, the autoist who picks
up his friend and takes him down
town is eating into the income. The
jitneys have done such damage to the
electric transportation; even the sub
urban rides have been curtailed by
the private car. And the street com
panies are sending the S. o. S. over
the land for help. With income less
a receiver, land they say the only sal
walton is to raise the fares to six
cents.
A Topeka man has invented
'fmanIes airplane" Without danger
to the mortal he proposes to send his
machines over the Hun lines and do
sweeping damage to the fellows who
ravished Belgium. The invention has
gone to the war department for ap-
proval. The war department replies
that it will receive attention in its
turn. That many minds are working
to the end of the Bosche and that 1T
will take some time to look over them
all. They are taken up in turn.
Over six thousand motor trucks
are engaged in hauling for profit on
the Kansas roads Regular trips are
made on a SCHEDULE and an express
business is being done. One man
out of Kansas City, Kansas, has eigh-
tyf-ve tons in truck service and he
is making a good thing for it.