USA > Kansas > A standard history of Kansas and Kansans, Volume II > Part 54
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
After the death of Secretary Gray in 1880, J. K. Hudson was elected to the place but resigned in October, 1881. His unexpired term was filled out by F. D. Coburn. In 1882, William Sims became secretary and served until 1888. The department was now issuing weather and crop bulletins monthly from April to September, quarterly bulletins concerning soils, kinds of erops to plant, improved methods of cultivation, and the care of live stock, and annual reports of population, county by county, churches, schools, valuation of property, kinds and values of crops and live stock. One of these publications announced that it has been deter- mined that the eastern half of Kansas is productive.
When Martin Mohler became secretary in 1888, attention was just beginning to be turned to Northwestern Kansas, and the problem of the next few years was to find suitable crops for that area, as well as for the so-called arid districts of the west. In 1891 alfalfa came to the rescue in some localities, and the secretary asked farmers who had raised this crop to report their experiences. It was enrolled with other important crops in the statistical reports. The bounty for Kansas sugar in this same year, necessitated the appointment of a sugar inspector.
The Board of Agriculture held a special meeting in April, 1891, to make arrangements to have Kansas suitably represented at the World's Columbian Exposition. Although a committee was put in charge of the matter, Mr. Mohler visited a large number of the counties in person to rolleet funds and materials and create an interest in the work of the Board of Agriculture. An exhibit which placed Kansas in the front ranks as an agricultural State was the result.
1089
KANSAS AND KANSANS
With the selection of F. D. Coburn, as secretary, in 1894, a new era began in the work of the department. It was changed from an advertis- ing bureau to an educational bureau. The yearly meetings of State and county boards had gradually become farmer's institutes. Some of the most important subjects on which the people were instructed in the twenty years of Mr. Coburn's ineumbency were : the construction of silos and the use of ensilage, the advantages of raising thoroughbred stock, and the care and breeding of such stock, improved methods of feeding, improved seeds and improved methods of cultivation, methods of fighting grain and fruit pests, combating diseases of animals, road building, and sugar beet raising. The introduction of new varieties of seeds was a
THRESHING SCENE IN KANSAS
great factor in bringing the western part of the State under successful cultivation, and the pamphlets issued by Mr. Coburn carried the results of experiments in this line to the people.
In 1901, J. (. Mohler, the present Secretary of the Board of Agricul- ture, began work in the department as assistant to Mr. Coburn, and upon the resignation of the latter in 1914, succeeded him as secretary.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
The State Board of Health was established by the legislature in 1885. The act provided that the governor should appoint a board of nine physi- cians who were graduates of medical colleges and had practiced seven Vol. 11-32
1090
KANSAS AND KANSANS
years, to supervise the health interests of the people of the state. The Board was to serve without pay, but had the power to elect a secretary and fix his salary. The county commissioners in each county were em- powered to selcet local boards of health to co-operate with the state board. These local boards had power to seleet a physician in each county as health officer and fix his salary. Some of the duties of the board, as enum- erated by the law, were : To inquire into the causes of disease, epidemics and mortality ; to colleet and preserve information on health matters; to advise officers of the government on such things as drainage, water supply, waste material, heating and ventilation ; to keep a registration of marriages, births, deaths and diseases.
The following physicians composed the first board : G. H. T. Johnson, C. H. Guibor, D. W. Stormont, D. Surber, J. Milton Weleh, H. S. Rob- erts, J. W. Jenny, W. L. Schenck, T. A. Wright. They held their first meeting April 10, 1885, and elected Dr. J. W. Redden, secretary. A set of rules were formulated to govern the state and county health boards and offieers in earrying on their work. Blank forms were made out for reporting marriages, births, deaths, diseases and burials. Some of the first work undertaken was the abatement of nuisances, such as hog pens, eattle yards, eess-pools, garbage, filthy alleys, night soil, dead animals, diseased meats, impure iee, and the contamination of streams and wells. A great deal of literature was distributed and within two years prae- tically all the counties had their health boards and health officers. For some time there was little interest among the people in this work, which was a hindranee in obtaining results.
In 1888 the following standing committees were ereated by the board to take charge of the different departments of the work :
1. Legislation, Revision of Rules, and Library.
2. Hygiene of Occupations and Railroad Sanitation.
3. Epidemie and Endemie Diseases and Quarantine.
4. Topography, Meteorology, Hygiene of Public Institutions.
5. Water Sourees, Sewerage, Drainage. Disposal of Substances in- jurions to Health.
6. Especial Sources of Danger to Life and Health.
7. Adulteration of Food and Drugs.
8. Heating, Ventilation, Lighting and Hygiene of Schools.
9. Vital Statisties, Registration, Meteorological Service and Nomen- clature.
To these were added one on Exeentive and one on Finanee. With a few alterations these committees stood until about 1909, when the work of the Board was gradually separated into divisions which were created from time to time. Dr. M. O. O'Brien succeeded Dr. Redden as seeretary in 1891. He held the office until 1895; Dr. Thomas Kirkpatrick from 1895 to 1897; Dr. H. Z. Gill from 1897 to 1899; Dr. W. B. Swan from 1899 to 1901 ; Dr. Charles Lowry from 1901 to 1904, and Dr. S. J. Crum- bine from that year to the present.
The difficulties which beset health work prior to Dr. Crumbine's ad- ministration were the lack of laws, lack of money, and laek of interest on
1091
KANSAS AND KANSANS
the part of the people, and the chief efforts of the Board had been along these lines. The educational work carried on at that time had mueh to do with what has been accomplished in the last few years. The Pure Food and Drug aet of 1906 put a valuable weapon in the hands of health authorities. The "swat the fly" campaign has done much to make people realize that dirt and disease are a disgrace to an intelligent community. The common drinking eup has been abolished, and the paper towel has taken the place of the roller towel in public places. Tuberculosis sani- tariums have been established through agitation by the Board of Health, and a fight made on cigarettes. The publie has at last been awakened to the practicality of preventing disease.
The divisions into which the work of the Board have been separated are as follows:
1. Division of Food and Drugs, established in 1907. L. A. Corgdon, Assistant Chief Inspector.
2. Division of Water and Sewerage, established in 1909. C. A. Has- kins, engineer; C. C. Young, director of labratory.
3. Division of Vital Statistics, established in 1911. W. J. V. Deaeon, registrar.
4. Division of Communicable Diseases and Sanitation, established in 1913. Dr. John J. Sippey, epidermologist; Dr. Sarah Greenfield, baeteri- ologist.
5. Division of Child Hygiene. established in 1915. Dr. Lydia Allen De Vilbiss, director.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
The law creating a Public Utilities Commission in place of the Board of Railroad Commissioners took effeet May 22, 1911. Authority was given the new commission to control all public utilities and all com- mon carriers doing business in the State of Kansas. A "public utility" is defined as a "corporation, company, individual, association of per- sons, their trustees, lessees or receivers who now or hereafter may own, control, operate or manage, except for private use, any equipment, plant, generating machinery or any part thereof" for the trans- mission of telephone or telegraph messages or for the conveyance of oil or gas. The term "common carriers" was construed to mean all railroad or express companies, including street car companies.
The Board of Railroad Commissioners, the powers of which were extended by the aet creating the Utilities Commission, was organized January 9, 1911. From that time until the organization of the new commission, May 22, seventy-one cases were disposed of. Upon the order of the commission, the return goods rule was re-established, and the Kansas lines were required to make their minimum weight rules on earload shipments of hay, grain and humber. conform to the inter- state rules.
1092
KANSAS AND KANSANS
The Public Utilities Commission was organized with George Plumb, chairman, and E. H. Hogueland, secretary. W. G. Grice succeeded Mr. Hogueland, June 14, 1912. There were four hundred cases filed from May 22, 1911. to November 30, 1911. Most of them involved rates, services, facilities and securities of common-carriers, and publie utilities of the State. The sale of bonds and stoeks, the consolidating of companies, ete., are within the power of the commission, so that the publie may be protected against fake sales. The publie utilities and vommon carriers have recourse to the courts in ease they think the Commission unfair. From December 1, 1912, to November 30, 1914, six hundred and three cases were settled. The work is extensive and divided into three departments, legal, rate, and engineering. Aside from the members of the commission and the heads of the departments, there are thirteen people employed.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
STATE PRINTING PLANT
The original plan in handling the State printing was through a State Printer elected by the legislature. The Seeretary of State, Treas- nrer and Attorney-General formed a committee to decide what print- ing was necessary. The work was then turned over to the State Printer who had it done in his own shop at an immense profit. Almost from the founding of the State there was agitation to build a State Printing Plant, but the idea was unpopular with the politicians on account of the job being such a good politieal asset. The profits to the State Printer were estimated at $25,000 to $30,000 per year. The cost to the state was $50.000 to $60,000 more than at present in spite of the increase in necessary printing in all State departments, and the raise in the priee of stock. Half of this probably went to the State Printer, and the other half into useless printing. for which there is now no temptation.
In 1903, an amendment to the constitution was submitted provid- ing for the election of a State Printer by the people. It carried at the general election of 1904, and the next legislature passed a bill provid- ing a salary of $2,500 for this office, and for the building of a State Printing Plant. An appropriation of $6,000 was made to buy a site and a commission created to take charge of building and equipping a plant. The three men who served on this commission were, George E. Tucker, C. S. Gleed and E. P. Harris. The new law provided that the Secretary of State, Attorney-General, State Printer and State Print- ing Commission should constitute a committee to decide upon what printing should be done.
The first step of the State Printing Commission was to purchase lots at the corner of Tenth and JJackson streets. A building was then begun. The term of the new State Printer commenced before the build- ing was ready and the commission bought the plant of the ontgoing
1093
KANSAS AND KANSANS
State Printer, George A. Clark. This plant had been bought aud installed by General J. K. Hudson when he first became State Printer in 1895, and had passed from one State Printer to another. It was moved to the new building when that was completed, and, with the addition of typesetting machines, formed the basis of the present State Printing Plant, which is now the finest west of Chicago.
In 1913, the sum of $150,000 was appropriated to enlarge the plant sufficiently to handle the state publication of school books. These funds were placed under the management of the School Book Commission. Additional land adjacent to the plant was bought, the building was enlarged and new machinery bought. The institution as it stands cost the state $200,000, which is not a large amount eonsidering the cost of up-to-date machinery, and in the few years it has been in operation has saved the State more than that amount.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
Ninety-five per cent of the business of the country is transacted on a credit, which is based on the fact that risks of many kinds are covered by insurance on which the debtor may depend to meet his obligations in cases of unavoidable misfortune. Insurance is thus one of the largest and most important lines of business. and the State „department which regulates it. is important accordingly. The Insur- ance Department of Kansas was instituted in 1871, to regulate the companies doing business within the State, protect the people and the legitimate insurance companies against fraudulent concerns, and to enforce the insurance laws. The main provisions of the act which created the Insurance Department, were: (1) A Superintendent of Insurance should be appointed by the Governor for a term of four years; (2) the Insurance Companies should make annual statements to the Department on blanks furnished by the State, and open their books for inspection; (3) it was the duty of the Superintendent of Insur- ance to inspeet the books of a company whenever he had reason to doubt any statements made in the report; (4) the Superintendent must make an aunual report to the Governor of the condition of the insur- ance companies doing business in the State.
The first head of this department was William C. Webb, of Fort Scott. There were then twenty life insurance companies and twenty- nine fire and marine companies. The first noticeable effect of the Department was the protection of the policy-holdiers against non-pay- ment of losses. From year to year the reports of the Department have contained suggestions for adequate laws, especially stricter requirements in the construction of buildings. These efforts have lead to a great reduction in fire losses, but the losses here are still far greater than in Europe and much of the discrepaney is due to our inferior methods of building construction.
1094
KANSAS AND KANSANS
In 1895, the Fireman's Relief law was passed. It has been modi- fied from time to time, and at present operates as follows: The insur- ance companies writing fire-insurance pay over two per cent of the premiums of the policies to the State Insurance Department for the Fireman's Relief Fund. All except three per cent of this fund is turned over by the Department for the relief of firemen in cases of accident, sickness or death, and as pensions to the superannuated. In the case of cities having organized and paid Fire Departments, the fund is turned over to the City Treasurer, and expended under the direction of the Mayor, and in case of the cities having volunteer depart- ments, the fund is put in the hands of the local representatives of the Fireman's Relief Association. The Fireman's Relief Fund aggre- gated $41,500 in 1911.
In 1900 the office of Superintendent of Insurance was made elec- tive every two years. The Insurance Department is profitable to the State. The net earnings are more than $300,000 per year. There are now about three hundred insurance companies doing business in Kan- sas.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
STATE TAX COMMISSION
The State Tax Commission was created in 1907 to take over the duties and authority of both the Board of Railroad Assessors and the Board of Equalization. Extensive powers are in the hands of this body, which consist in the general supervision over the administration of assessment and tax laws, conferring with and advising assessors, boards of commissioners, boards of equalization, and others obligated to make assessments; directing proceedings to punish officers of assess- ments, or agents of corporations for failure to comply with the laws or carry out the orders of the Commission; and to appraise property and organize and put into effect a uniform system of taxation. The Commission is composed of three members appointed by the Governor at a salary of $2,500 each per annum.
The Commission, upon taking up the work, found assessment mat- ters in a chaotic condition. Very little attention had been paid to the law that the assessment be made on the basis of actual selling value. Hit and miss systems were in use differing widely not only in differ- ent counties, but in different parts of the same county or township. In some instances valnations were copied year after year from old books. Inequalities in assessments ranging from 31/2% to 80% of the sale value of land have been found in the same neighborhood. In the assessment of manufacturing properties similar discrepancies were found.
The first work was that of equalization. A system was worked out and a pamphlet of instructions was issued to County Officers in Decem- ber, 1907. A meeting was held of all the County Assessors of the State. January 28, 1908, and plans discussed and agreed upon to insure nni-
1095
KANSAS AND KANSANS
formity of assessments. The members of the Commission also attended State meetings of the County Clerks and County Commissioners. One of the important results of equalization was the general lowering of the apparent rate of taxation. The low valuation placed on property had made it appear to outsiders, especially prospective investors, that taxation in Kansas was very high.
In regards to Railroad assessments, the Commission made tours of inspection over the various railroad properties with a view of deter- mining the correct valuation. Careful examination is made of the returns of the different companies as to gross and net earnings.
Appeals from the county boards of equalization, or County Com- missioners, on tax matters are taken to the State Tax Commission. In case the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of that body, recourse may be had to the courts.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
SCHOOL TEXT-BOOK COMMISSION
The first effort in the way of uniform text books for the public schools was made in 1885. A law was passed giving the separate coun- ties the privilege of adopting uniform text books for the entire county. The matter had to be put to a vote of the people and seldom failed of passing, but as it was not popular with book people, it was not sub- mitted in many of the counties. In 1897 a State Commission was cre- ated by the legislature to select text books for use in the public schools. The first commission consisted of eight members appointed by the Gov- ernor as follows: William Stryker, State Superintendent; Chairman, W. J. Hurd, Secretary ; S. W. Black, A. V. Jewett, S. I. Hale, D. O. MeCray, N. McDonald, S. M. Nees and A. H. Lupfer.
The principal provisions of the law were, that text books of a cer- tain standard, and not costing more than certain prices, should be adopted for a period of five years, that bids should be received from publishing houses and individuals to furnish books, and that if none of these bids satisfied the demands as to quality and price, the Com- mission had power to buy manuscripts and publish the books. Provi- sion was also made for the optional ownership of books by city or district.
The law was a good one, but as years went by violations were flagrant and numerous. Supplemental books, some of them of a very inferior quality, were introduced until text books were a burden to the poorer classes. Agitations for various changes had been going on since 1901, and in 1913, the State School Book Commission was created to take over the work of the State Text-Book Commission, with additional powers and duties. First, to acquire by purchase, or condemnation proceedings if necessary, the ground requisite to build an addition to the State Printing Plant, also to purchase the necessary machinery to print and bind school books. Second, to contract for the right to pub-
1096
KANSAS AND KANSANS
lish books, either by outright purchase, or on a royalty basis. It was made the duty of the Secretary of the Commission to collect from the school patrons of the State, the actual cost of the books. Supplemental books, if used at all, must be supplied by the district or city. This Secretary is selected by the Commission to attend to the details of the work. His salary is $2,000 per year.
The School Book Commission is made up of seven members of whom two are appointed by the Governor and the other five are the presidents of the State Normal, the Agricultural College and the State Board of Agriculture, the State Printer and the State Superintendent.
In 1915, the high schools were included within the scope of the duties of the Commission. Authority to adopt books from publishers in cases where it is impractical to publish them, was conferred.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Civil Service in Kansas is of recent origin. The first official mention of it was in 1905, when the legislature passed an act to apply civil service principles to the employees in the State institutions under the Board of Control. In 1908 the fire departments of the cities were placed under civil service, and in 1909 a provision was made for a city Civil Service Commission to be appointed by the Mayor and Commis- sioners of cities of the first elass.
The State Civil Service Commission was created in 1915. Three members appointed by the Governor comprise the commission, but the law provides that one member shall be the State Accountant, one a member of the faculty of the State University, and the third a State officer or member of a State board or State commission. The law went into effect July 1, 1915, and the commission is organized as fol- lows: J. L. King, president; J. E. Caton, secretary; W. L. Burdick, chief examiner; and Daisy F. Seiler, clerk. The purpose of the Com- mission, as expressed by the legislature is to engage services and pro- mote officials and employees on basis of their ability to perform the duties assigned to them. The officials and employees of the State are divided into unclassified service, exempt service, and classified service.
The unclassified service does not come under the provisions of the civil service act. It includes all officers elected by popular vote, all heads of state departments and members of commissions and boards, heads and instructors of educational institutions, military officers, leg- islative employees, election officers, judges and clerks of the Supreme Court, assistants and principal clerks of the several constitutional execu- tive State officers.
In the exempt service are certain positions which may in the dis- eretion of the Commission, be deelared exempt, one secretary of each department, board or commission, one clerk of each principal executive officer, all officials of State institutions who are required to be physi-
1097
KANSAS AND KANSANS
cians, employees of special commissions or committees of the legisla- ture, and "all other offices or positions for the filling of which com. petitive or non-competitive tests shall be found by the Civil Service Commission to be impractical."
The classified service includes all positions not mentioned in the two foregoing classes, and all such positions are subject to the civil serviee law, and the duty of the Commission is to make rules govern- ing the examination and appointment of applicants to these positions. to hold examinations, grade papers and certify the successful candi- dates to the officials having the power of appointment.
ELIZABETH N. BARR.
LIVE STOCK SANITARY COMMISSION
The dangers from stock diseases due to bringing Texas cattle to Kansas prompted the legislature of 1884 to make quarantine laws and to create the Live Stock Sanitary Commission to enforce them, and to protect the health of all domestic animals within the State. In a separate act a State Veterinarian was provided who should be secre- tary of the Live Stock Commission, and whose duty it was to investi- gate all contagious or infectious diseases, study the cases, make pre- scriptions and enforce such sanitary measures as would be necessary to stamp out the disease. Under some circumstances the Commission was allowed to order the killing of animals, but before the first year was out it became apparent that no one man could possibly investigate all the cases reported to him by the owners of diseased animals and hundreds of owners went without proper instructions. Assistants were employed to the extent of the funds available, but it was not until 1901 that the legislature provided for live stock inspectors. In 1905 the Commission was discontinued and the department was placed in the hands of one man known as the Live Stock Sanitary Commis- sioner. He is assisted by the veterinary surgeon of the Agricultural College, and by inspectors and patrolmen. The Commissioner has authority to call on the sheriff's of the counties for assistance in enforc- ing the laws governing diseased live stock.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.