The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-12

actually used S121. 661.1s; in 1918, 60 coun-
ties reporting, S627, 91s.76 were collected ana
reporting shows s., 1e4, 226.0s collected as
against $oSS,524.12 expended. Reports for
1920 are not all filed. but from a counties
! reporting there is shown to be 5000. $50. 10
collected as against S297, expended.
i The reports for 1919 being the most COM
county engineers, show that four counties
spent more than was collected three coun-
ties used their entire funds; and three
other counties used none of their funds.
1t Is practically impossible for some OF
our more populous counties to spend Ju-
the money that they collected under the
present auto fee. would, therefore. recon-
mend that in considering the amount of
money that is to be retained in the county
for dragging purposes the unexpended
funds In the past be taken into considera-
S3.75 per car be retained in the county for
| drag purposes. In order to insure the use
of this fund, provision should be made
! in the law that the money can be expended
| for dragging of earth roads or for mainte-
nance purposes in connection with improved
| roads, such repairing of the surface, the
upkeep of shoulders, bitches and side
| roads, the removed of snow and the trim
ming of weeds and brush. At the end of
| the year all funds not expended should be
4 deducted from the amount allotted to that
county as state aid for the coming year.
Comprehensive Traffic Laws Needed.
By reason of the constant increase in the
! number and size of commercial motor
vehicles and in order to protect the roads
that are built against excessive loads; suit
able laws should be passed to limit the
size Of the load and speed OF the motor
vehicles.
Statistics show that one person is killed
| in the United States every thirty-five min
utes in an automobile accident. More
definite and adequate traffic regulations
tached for the violation of such reguia-
! tons. which regulations should be uni
k state country na
| The Lapd-Tenantry Amendment.
| The adoption of the land-tenantry
amendment makes possible in this session
of the legislature the beginning of an i'm
| of land tenantry in the state and strength
ening the agricultural conditions TO
later communication 1 shall ask the legis-
lature to consider some plans which relate
| to this program.
| state Banking Laws.
1t is generally realized, and has been for
some time, that there should be additional
legislation affecting the state banking de-
/ partment- L believe no question more i'm
l portant will come before this session of the
Legislature than the amendments to the
peculiar period of reconstruction, and this
period demands that our banks shall have
| the strength of supervision to meet the re-
quirements of the new period.
| At my request, many individual bankers
and the legislative committees of the two
studying the situation, and have made what
1 believe to be important recommendations
as to amendments for the consideration OF
| this session of the legislature. Among the
| recommendations which strike me as having
| peculiar merit the following:
The Administration of the Department.
First, that the banking department shall
be administered by bank commissioner
appointed by the governor, and banking
board consisting of three practical bankers
| of ability and experience, who shall not
only serve in advisory capacity to the bank
| commissioner, but with him exercise super
vision. The members of the banking board
hall n INN aeic MAJ
as often as is necessary to give the bank
commissioner the benefit of their counsel
and supervision in the matter of granting
bank charters and other important prob
| lens which come before the department..
The recommen da tons differ somewhat as
| charge Of the granting of bank charters,
| but it is my opinion that the granting of
bank charters should be under the super
vision of this charter board. The presen,
system lays an undue burden upon the at
torney-general and the secretary of state.
| These Officials summoned from their
other busy activities to pass judgment
upon conditions which they orten nave had
| which they are asked to consider do not
| relate to any of the other functions of their
official work, and it is my Judgment that
| the granting of bank charters would be bet
ter safeguarded if the function were left eX-
clusively to the bank commissioners office,
regul a,so 6y the 6a1 tbnt board
| should be made. in the law regulating the
tenure of the bank commissioner: The
passed during the days of Commissioner
Breidenthal, when there was bipartisan
fight, and the end sought to be gained
missioner, but the protection of a partisan
issue. In my judgment it should not be
necessary, in order to change bank COM
missioner, to prove that he is dishonest or
corrupt. proper showing from the record
Of his work tia he is Incapable of per
forming the duties of his office in wise
and constructive fashion ought to be all
that is necessary to justify his removal.
/ Increase in Capitalization.
| The bankers generally united upon
capital of all banks which may be created
in the future shall not be less than $25 .OOO
a smaller capital be given reasonable
time to come up to the suggested capital
ization, It is reasoned that, the banking
dously increased If all banks now unincor-
porated with less than $4,000 were raised
An interesting suggestion is also made
by leading banker. but not part of the
general recommendation, that every bank
should have blanket bond covering its
banking force which would be sufficient
to guarantee the bank in the total sum of
its cal itaf and surplus.
/ For Better Examinations.
| I believe that one of the wise recon
mendat lions upon which all have united is
that the civil service law of 1915 should be
SO amended as not to apply to the banking
| department. so far as it relates to the quail
ifications of the bank examiners. It is
well pointed out that no civil service com
| mission may establish examination
broad enough to cover all the highly i'm
portant qualifications to be possessed by
a bank examiner. He should possess. OF
course. the necessary qualifications which
are technical, but in addition to that the
chief of the department should be given
freedom to pass upon the other points of
eligibility which would make examiner
peculiarly adaptable to the work. All the
qualificaf lions which enter into this ques-
ton of ~adaptabilfty are not all subject to
the possibilities of fixed examination.
4 There is practical recommendation also
that the salary of all bank examiners be
made upon graduated scale aud gen
orally increased. The minimum recon-
mended in $500 a year and the maximum
5000. 1t is perfectly obvious that our
| banking department should be equipped
with better machinery for its inspection
work. and competent inspectors can not be