Show A KANSAS SCHEME People have come to look to Kansas for novelties In legislation and when hey look they rarely meet with disappointments dis-appointments It is in dealing with the most Intricate problems that the greatest novelties are produced questions ques-tions of finance having a peculiar fascination fas-cination for Kansas legislators This fascination has led to the introduction in the legislature of a measure for the issuance of state treasury notes to pay for the employment or otherwise idle labor by towns and townships The measure is to provide that the governor shall have lithograph plates made with which to print on silk or linen paper circulating notes for 1 2 3 and 5 to bear 1 per cent interest principal and interest to be payable at maturity at the state treasurers I office the notes to be exempt from taxation and the governor to be empowered em-powered to call to his assistance an official to be designated the state loan commissioner under a four years appointment at 5 a day and expenses while at work By the provisions the commissioner Is to visit counties where loans are contemplated and the county commissioners are to receive the notes in sums not to exceed 1 per cent of the county valuation The notes having been signed by the commissioner and countersigned by the county commissioners commis-sioners will become promissory notes and are to be apportioned among the h L 1 r towns and townships It Is contemplated I contem-plated that the notes shall run ten years and that interest shall cease dt maturity For redemption the state board simultaneously with levying state taxes shall assess the counties sufficiently to redeem the notes but no greater levy than 3 per cent shall be made in any year and the treasurer may redeem any notes before maturity by giving six months notice in any official state paper interest to cease at the expiration of that period or the treasurer may in his discretion redeem re-deem any notes on presentation before maturity and hold them as cash In the treasury If the bill shall be enacted en-acted townships or towns shall use the notes at not less thaiv125 a day for otherwise Idle labor employment on roads streets or public works The notes are to be received at par for taxes and for official salaries and maybe may-be retained up to 30 per cent in the reserve re-serve funds of corporations required to maintain such funds Recording bj the state auditor Is to be required The penalty for discounting the notes is to be a fine between 50 and 500 for each offense and not less than 60 days in jail It is a utopian scheme in many respects re-spects The imposition of a fine for discounting the notes would prove futile fu-tile they would have to pass current at their market value or not pass at all probably the latter How wild and visionary men become when they undertake un-dertake to deal with financial questions ques-tions |