The Hays free press., 1921-03-31
LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS
After FIfty-six Days of Strenuous
Work Representatives and Sen
ators Depart for Their Homes.

| work of the session ended on Thurs
day, but final adjournment did not
come until Saturday. A few members
( and the presiding officers of each
| house remained to keep the session
going until the governor had signed
| all of the measures passed in the ses-
sion.
The session extended through fifty
six days, about the usual length of
| the legislative session IN Kansas.
The total number of bills that ac-
| tually became laws is expected to be
near 260, including the appropriation
| bills. The 1919 session passed 335
laws, and the oldest inhabitant can
not remember when the legislature
let the people escape with so few
| changes in its law books.
More bills were introduced at this
session than in 1919, but more OF
them fell by the wayside in the
course of legislative procedure.
Among the important items that
may be listed as the accomplish
ments of the present session are the
following:
Made direct appropriations of near
1y 19 million dollars and indirect ap-
propriations of million dollars, an
increase of approximately million
| dollars over two years ago.
| Separated the industrial court and
public utilities commission.
Consolidated all the various bu-
reaus and commissions Of the labor
department under the industrial court
with broadened powers.
Created a child research bureau at
the University of Kansas.
Appropriated Il million dollars for
dormitories for girls at the state
schools.
| Authorized the creation OF benefit
districts to buy and operate railroads
and the levying of special taxes to pay
the operating deficit of the roads.
Amended the primary law to require
voters in cities to register their poll
tics before the primary.
Amended the boxing law to permit
amateur boxing contests.
Authorized increased motor car IL
| cense taxes for road building purposes
but did not pass any law making eff
fective the constitutional amendment
adopted by the people last fall
| Authorized the creation of a state
school commission to rebuild the shool
laws.
Provided for a commission to revise
the general statutes of Kansas. This
has not been done since 1868
Put all public stockyards under the
supervision of the public utilities com
mission.
Authorized the creation of cooper
ative marketing association.
| Authorized the submission of bond
issue of 25 million dollars to pay
bonus of a dollar a day to every Kan
san serving in the World War.
Revised the state fish and game
laws fixed new dates for open seasons
for certain birds and animals.
Increased the amount of assess
ments to bring the bank guaranty fund
up to I million dollars cash.
Authorized the application OF the
public warehouse act to all elevators.
Authorized declaratory judgment-a
short cut through the courts on dis
puted questions.
Brought standard requirements for
nurses up to those of other states.
Made duplication of all federal
|
science training in schools and made
appropriations for normal training in
high schools throughout the state.
Authorized cities to grant franchises
| TO electric power transmission lines
for 35-year periods.
Passed nearly one hundred local
bills for cities an dcounties, particular
| ly for Kansas City, Kas., Topeka and
Wichita, and Wyandotte and other
large counties of the city.
Authorized cities and counties to
build connecting links between city
paving and county hard surface high
ways.
Prohibited oil driIIers from allowing
salt water or other waste 70 pollute
domestic or city water supplies.
Prohibited the sale or giving away
of opium or cocoa leaves OF their de-
| rivatives.
Authorized cities to establish zones
for residences, business or manufac-
turing and prohibiting encroachments
upon these zones.
Authorized free kindergartens in
schools of cities of first class.
Increased term for bank robber to
fifty years in prison
| Requiring governor to give thirty
days notice of intention to grant pa
| role or communication of sentence or
pardon of felons.
Permitted all corporations to issue
stock without nominal or par value.
Abolished civil service commission
by falling to make appropriation to
maintain it.
Prohibited courts granting paroles to
those convicted of robbery, burglary
and the theft of motor cars.
Two trunks nIIed with sample Jew
elry, said to have been stolen from the
platform of the Rock Island depot at
Topeka, were found six miles west of
Topeka later. The trunks belonged
to the c. A. Kiger Company of Tan-