The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-28

A new RACE BILL
whitney Would Keep Whites
and Negroes in Same School.
Measure Looks Like Whip To
Force Thru Sparks Plan.

If white and negro school children
attend the same schools in cities of
the second class there is no reason
why they also should not be compelled
to do so in cities of the first class, ac-
cording to a bill introduced in the
senate today byi Senator Whitney pro-
viding for the appeal of section 910S
of the general statutes which permits
all cities of the first class to maintain
separate grade schools for negro pupils
and also permits Kansas City, Kan,
to maintain separate high schools for
them.
The bill is looked upon as a whip
which Senator Sparks, of Galena,
hopes to use in getting thru his bill
providing for the establishment of
separate schools for negroes in sec
ond class cities.
When asked about the matter fol-
lowing the introduction of Whitney's
bill, Sparks said:
well 1 don't see where the occa-
sion arises that calls for a distinction
being made in regard to cities of the
first class. Certainly their white pu-
pills are no better than are the white
pupils of the smaller cities, and L do
not believe their negro pupils are any
worse"
Under the present law Kansas City.
Kan, is the only city in the state that
can maintain separate high schools
for negroes, but every first class city
in the state has the power to estab-
lish and maintain separate grade
schools if it SO desires. The bill in
troduced today would do away with
all this and would make the open
school universal turnout the state.
In contrast to the Whitney bill. a
bill introduced by Senator Sparks
early in the session would permit any
second class city in Kansas to estab-
lish separate colored school whenever
it's board of education saw fit. This
bill is the only pet Senator Sparks
harbors and he recently made the as
sertion that he came to the senate for
the sole purpose of giving it his at
/ tention and trying to get it thru the
| legislature. Two years ago Sparks
was a member of the house of repre-
sentatives and a similar measure was
passed by the house but was killed by
the senate when Governor Capper let
t be konWn he would veto f if 1t were
passed. Capper has recently sent out
a protest against the passage of the
Sparks bill at this session and a copy
of the protest has been placed in the
hands of every member of the legisla-
ture.
I Fourteen New Bills.
A total of fourteen new bills were
introduced during the afternoon ses-
sion. One by Plumb provides funds
for the operation of the state board
of chiropractic examiners and another
far reaching bill by Whitney provides
that in every city, town or place in
Kansas where one or more elevators
are located there shall be a supervis-
| ing inspector and a weighmaster,
| whose duties shall be to see that there
is uniformity in the matter of inspect
ing and weighing all grains. The
WhitneH bill provides that these super
wishing inspectors and weighmasters
shall be appointed by the governor
upon recommendation of the chief
grain inspector.
A bill by Carroll authorizes the SUI
perintendent to appoint corps of spe-
cial assistants and fixes the following
salaries for the insurance department:
Superintendent. $4,000 a year; assis-
tant superintendent. $4,000; special as
sistant superintendent, $4,000; chief
clerk, $1,000; insurance actuary, So
500; claim adjuster, $4,000; grading
engineer, $4,000; rate auditor and
field inspector, $4,000