The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-15


a wide spreading movement in the country
for state INCOME taxes. Undoubtedly Kan |
sas would be benefited by the enactment
of a low income tax with low exemption:
The income tax even tho moderate, would |
relieve the burden on property and es-
son worthy of the consideration by the
legislature for a moderate income tax exists
in the access which the state would have to
federal income tax returns Our state tax
commission has repeatedly told us that
seven hundred millions of property in Kan
sas is hidden from assessment and escapes
taxation year after year but the property so
escaping our assessors must be returned on
income tax blanks to the United States in
ternal revenue collector. But access to
those returns is restricted to those states
which have adopted the state income tax.
Therefore. in addition to the Just return
from a moderate state income tax. we
would have the very desirable aid of this
reliable fund of information in carrying
out our general property tax system.
Workmen's Compensation Act.
My attention has been called to serious
faults in the workmen's compensation act.
In my judgment, any form of workmen's
increase should possess In the strongest
possible degree two features: first, the re-
liability of the insurance, that is, the GER
tainty that it will be paid second, the
time element-it should be paid at the
earliest possible moment. Our workmen's
compensation act was copied from the stat
uteS of other states and we have managed
to copy some serious faults, the most SER
ious of which is that the present statute
leaves the administration of the laws to
Il
tration is had.
An injured employee should escape the
payment of an attorneys fee. He should
be able to escape the delay of action
in court and there should be no door thru
which fraud and oppression may enter.
Under the present Kansas law | am told
that employees frequently pay attorneys
fees which range from 300 to 900 of the
amount recovered l believe the law should
commission of this state might administer
it as a special part of its duties. Under
such an administration of the law no at
torney's fees would be needed and there
would be no delay in obtaining relief. The
commission would give prompt and Just
attention to all matters of injury and there
should be no appeal from the decision of
this commission. If with the future growth
of the state this work became too burden
some for the public utilities commission to
nave IN charge, then a separate commits
sion should be created for this purpose as
has been created with success in other
states.
l strongly urge that the legislature give
constructive attention to the entire sub
ject of n werkmen's compensation act. l
do this out of the full realization that the
law we have Is in reality Il reflection upon
our character as a Justice loving people.
L call especial attention to the law in ohio
where the state with very splendid results
has taken care of the subject of workmen $
compensation, thru state insurance.
Working Conditions of Women.
am heartily in favor of any legislation
that will Improve the conditions and hours
for the working women of Kansas.
| Good Roads.
No subject is receiving in the country
1 today such widespread attention as that
| of good roads. In recent meeting ut
Annapolis of the Governors Conference. L
was deeply impressed by the fact that the
| subject of good roads was the most absorb
! ing of any in the conference. The COVER
| nors recommended forty-two states and l
| believe that, without exception, every
! state was studying Il good roads program
with the intention of intensified activity
| upon the subject.
| In practically every case the foremost
consideration is being given to the fact
| that in n little while there will come home
| and from our industries, many thousands
| of men seeking employment. The rate of
| discharge of workers from n-cOnvertible
war industries will be very rapid and begin
almost Immediately. In importance next
| to this will be the release of men under
arms in the United States and the last
| reservoir of unemployed men to be emptied
into the county will release 100000 sol
| diers from abroad.
! Good Roads Helped Win War.
! To act as a stabiizer of labor conditions
! during the time when this additional
amount of labor is seeking employment, a
F, good roads building program might be OF
the utmost Importance. l do not mention
this because it is in any sense the supreme
consideration of good roads program
but merely to indicate the peculiar timeli-
ness with which We might begin whatever
activities may be carried on under the
present constitutional limitations.
There is no doubt of the fact that as
soon our men return from overseas, they
will bring with them definite impetus fol
good roads. | have heard thousands of oul
men over there say, When / get home
4! am going to be good roads booster
ton that without the good roads in France
this war could not have been won; i
brought also the realization that the road!
commercial asset of the republic TIL,
strength which the French nation has re
ceived from the completeness of its gool
roads system which links together every
market center and every great farmin:
area was the strength which enabled he
to meet rapidly the strain which the wa
placed upon every part of the nation, com
Numbering its every resource.
My attention has been called to the pro
gram of the Kansas Good Roads assoc.ia
ton endorsed as it has been by my prede
cessor and the highway commission. w
, have reached the point in our career
commonwealth where realize that futur
Development will be affected in very larg
measure by what we do at this time touch
ing the building of permanent roads. l
has been pointed out that only four states
Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Kan
sas. do not give state aid for road con
struction. 1t is not in case that W
do not endorse state aid-it is merel.
because the restrictions of our ancient con
stftution do not permit it.
/ The program of the Good Roads associa
ton calls for bond Issue for building
hard-surfaced roads. the principal and in
terest on these bonds to be met out o
the proceeds of automobile licenses.
similar program has been adopted by tn
state of Illinois in a popular election, tn
vote in favor of it being more than six t
one. A system of state roads connectin
all our market centers would add ney
life and new potentfality to every industr
in the state. 1t is peculiarly just that tn
cost of the state roads would be met b.
n license upon the vehicles which use thes
roads. So many things are made possibl
by general good roads system that tn
! state would be madly reactionary to longe
I ignore it.
The added enjoyment of country IF
which has come with the automobile, tn
possibilities of intensified cultivation tina
have arrived with farm motors. the bear
ing which the new day in transportatio
had had upon the possibility of improvin
all the opportunities of the farmer, 50
| cial. commercial and educational, are s
obvious that there is argument wit
which TO meet their challenge. Kansas ha
done well on public improvements. such n
| the building of schools and state institu
lions. but she has been utterly negliCen
touching this, which has become the mos
: modern demand
Endorses Road Association Plan.
endorse the program which the Kar