The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-10
GOVERNORS SPEECH



Continued from Page oue.S
will Fave for the tax totals.
DeleVe that we should find as relief
measure Tor the taxpayers who must pay
than the infinitesimal saving we may make
oy legislative perjury. We can only do
this by adding sources of taxation which
rolls.
Tax on Oil.
The most reasonable opportunity exists
IN tax on oil production. There is pro pro
thirty million barrels of oil and over eight
hundred thousand barrels of gasoline and
kerosene This valuable production has
yielded little or no tax 1t is one of the
most prosperous of all our interests. II
Pald into the treasury of Oklahoma last
paid the tax willingly and Oklahoma con-
sumers paid no more for oil than we did In
Kansas l am told that upon the same rel
alive tax, Kansas could secure from this
dollars per annu@ fs n amounts infs to nearly
poses. We could produce from an auto
tax, OF the same relative proportions as
those In our neighboring states. three mil,
sources of revenue which alone would pro-
duce annually as much money as was APP
Premium and met by the already over
burdened general property tax.
BY reduction of our exemption OF
seyenty-five thousand dollars to direct
heirs In our inheritance tax law, we could
secure an added amount from this source
estimated at one million dollars per annum.
by liberalization of our constitution
along the line of effort suggested by the
constitutional amendment defeated in No
vember. we could make possible the add
ton OF millions of dollars worth of in
tangible property now escaping taxation.
In federal taxation, the introduction of
the numerous tax exemption securities has
created the most effective system of tax
lodging wealthy investors haze ever en-
- 1oyed. 1t has withdrawn large investment
these endeayors of financial strength by
making It more difficult for them to OBJ
rates. which in turn increased costs of man
ufacture and effected finally the cost of liv-
ing
The Court of Industrial Relations.
No legislation ever placed upon the stat
ute books of this state has attracted more
general and friendly interest from the ma
ton than the court of industrial relations
act. 1t is the first constructive effort to
make government bear the responsibility OF
protecting the public against the waste
and danger of industrial warfare and at
the same time guarantee equal and i'm
partial Justice to labor and to employers.
1t was believed, when the law was
passed, that its beneficient purposes would
soon attract the sympathies of both labor
and capital and that the law wonld gam
rapidly the confidence of all Whlle me
court has made excellent progress in the
decisions it has uttered upon the. actual
Industrial eases brought before it, 1t has
been handicapped by lack OF time TO give
The few decisions it has made in indus
trial matters have established valuable
background for the future operations OF
the court III the way of precedents.
Undoubtedly the idea of the industrial
court has gained favor with nelgh1 ,1 TN.
ness the introduction of laws in their
forthcoming sessions fashioned inter the
Kansas plan. In Nebraska, at speciai,
amendment providing for the adoption OF
an industrial tribunal, along the lines OF
h w
It was unfortunate, however. that the
special session of the Kansas legislature,
in creating the court, gave to 1t the burden
of administering the old public utilities
law. One section of our bill provides that
the Industrial court shall give attention
and study to the industrial conditions and
be prepared to apply Its Intelligent un-
Outstanding of the situation to all indus
trial matters. Practically no work OF this
character has been attempted. by reason
of the fact that the demands upon the time
of the court by public utilities has alb
sorbed practically its entire attention.
To give an idea of the relative time spent
by the court upon Industrial and utility
matters, it is interesting to note that there
have been only twenty eight Industrial
cases doeketed. while there have been 81, SIX
hundred and fifty public utility cases. Inc
court has had only time to give attention
to the acute Industrial cases.
The court was established as an indus
trial court to protect the public in emer-
gepcies. 1t was never meant to be public
utilities court. The administration of the
Incidental. However, it has come about
that the phase of the work, which was TO
be incidental, has become paramount, and
the big, real purpose of the court has be-
come incidental in its operation. For this
reason the court has had no opportunity to
stand upon its own merits in an effort TO
gain the confidence of the public or TO
demonstrate the full possibility of its use
Turning the duty of administering the
old public utilities law over to the court
has dramatlZed public utility regulation
IA N1ly L. wr-HNh
the establishment of the industrial court.
They do not realize that it has been going
on. in this state -or thirty years.
1t has seemed wise to the members OF
the court to increase the rates of a great
many public utilities, and every time an
increase mas come to any community, that
community has Immediately declared war
upon the Court of Industrial Relations act,
not realizing that the real purpose and
spirit of the law had no connection what
ever with the increase in public utility
rates.
tion meeting was held by telephone users,
because a commissioner of the Industrial
court had recommended an increase IN
telephone rates. A resolution was passed
demanding the repeal of the Industrial
court law. The community did not realize
that the rate making incident of when
dustrial court act but under the old public
utilities law. which has been upon the
since 1855.
point out this instance merely to en-
phasize to you my belief that if the court
of industrial relations must continue in the
future TO be emphasized a body which
spends % per cent of its time in the regu-
lation of public utilities, 1t will have no
opportunity to establish itself in the con-
fidences of the people, whose interest IT
was created to study and for whose Justice
it has made ample provisions. 1t should
also be remembered In this connection that
industrial problems are going to increase
and the need for the attention of this court
to industrial cases will multiply.
The industrial court law is the most con-
structive dream Kansas has achieved for a
long time. 1t will be absolutely destroyed