The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-04
ALLEN BATTERS


Gus amendments to the present resolu-
ton and would submit them as soon
as each issue was disposed Of
There is little prospect that a vote
will be taken by the house today. 1t
is probable, tho. that roll call may
be demanded Wednesday.
Talks Farm Tenantry.
Governor Allen swung Immediately
into the midst of his appeal for a new
constitution with a demand for I'M y
progement of the farm tenantry situa-
ton in its present form. He did not
mention the constitutional convention
in the first fifteen minutes of his talk.
Instead he talked of Kansas-Kansas
conditions and Kansas needs.
There has been some discussion as
to how far my farm stenantry plan
goes. There has been some misrepre-
sentation-honest n1isre presentation.
believe the gravest problem in the
rapid growth of Kansas is in the lands
held for speculative purposes. Do you
realize that 10000 farmers-one-half
of all the farmers of the state-live on
rented lands. That means $50, 600
agricultural people live on lands not
their own. Thirty years ago 80 per
cent of our people owned their own
lands. Now the tendency is in the
other direction.
Encourage Land Ownership.
kansas should establish some sys-
tenn of extending aid and encourage
ment to her people in the ownership
/ of the lands. Some form of building
and loan under state guarantee would
| give a chance to the man who now
| has no chance. 1 am not here to adj
vocate that the man who owns lands
shall have them taken away from him
and given to the man who has no
| lands. Nor do 1 want to take lands
| from the man who homesteaded them,
who titled and developed and loved
| those lands. I am for him.
/ Il realize we cannot take from the
man the right to speculate in lands.
| But if you will legislate to help the
| man who has no start, who has but
| limited capital. you will lend credit
! to the state and be on the right track.
You can encourage the man who
wants to own a small farm You can
| discourage the nan>who believes Kan
sas is a good place to come to specu-
/ late in our soil
Square Deal to Energetic.
| 1.-THE first thing you must do is to
extend constitutional freedom in
classifying property for taxation. You
must perfect some form of state aid
! for the man with limited funds.
st is unjust that the tax assessor
puts a penalty on the man who loves
| and tills and develops his land and
i give. e benefit to me who speculates
| in lands-me who has abused my
| alton. not all, but portion of the i'm
| provements of these lands. You must
| give the premium to the man who
| loves his home, who betters his soil
| and who makes for the better state.
| You must give the man with energy
| and love of home a right deal. Dom
penalize him because he has improved
his land. Kansas must straighten up
her taxation system SO the poor man
| has a chance. Then you will give a
] new leadership, new hope for the
saan who today feels the tendency OF
the state is in the other direction.
Tax System Inadequate.
Allen, after referring to the fact that
two taxation amendments had been at
tempted and had failed of their pur-
pose because of the old constitution
called attention to the fact that 10 per
cent of the taxes are paid upon visible
property while fully one-half of the
total property of the state is tied up
in invisible assets and that one halt
of this escapes taxation.
| Briefly the governor touched on the
necessity of changing the constitu-
ton to enable the state to engage in
the construction of permanent high
ways.
What I want to impress upon you, Is
he said, lis that We must retain the
good features of the old constitution
but at the same time we must have
-
legislative freedom to go ahead with
the progressive work that must be
done. tell you, and 1 think most OF
you already realize it, that a consti.
tutional question involving the change
| of the whole constitution will receive
i more intelligent consideration thar
any amendments that are submitted
to the people when their minds are en-.
crossed with other things and wher
| they do not take the amendments tt
I lIT a Oh
is true we have passed some very i'm
) portant amendments. We passed the
| prohibition amendment and in thi.
J Kansas was leader; we passed the
| equal suffrage amendment, and Kan
!. sas also was a leader in this But yot
must remember that these were prob
lens of such a dramatic nature tina
| the voters could but give them theil
earnest consideration. We also have
: passed the mill tax amendment, bu
this was an amendment that was urged
. by every educational institution ir
the state. and was desired by ever,
| family with children that have at
q tended these institutions
Urges Home Rule for Cities.
Y The governor then took up the neet
cities to have home rule. He pointed
out how under the present constitution
it is impossible for a city to even fl.
the salaries of its policemen withou
Y getting Legislative sanction. The cry
ing need for judicial reforms wa
dwelt upon at some length and tn
| fact brought out that the State Ba
| association at its last meeting passe'
a resolution asking the legislature t
; permit the submission of a constitu
| tional amendment that would permi
| badly needed judicial reforms
V I'VE are eager to bring about gov
eminent reforms he said, "but in on
efforts we have been continuall
spending our time doctoring skin dis
eases We have said that<we wante
" a budget system like other progress
' sive states have adopted. Finally W
have gotten a budget system but b
your own attitude you have shown yo
do not have much confidence in il
y We need real budget system whic
will carry with it some aufhnritY,