KANSAS 813 



minerals were: salt, 1,390,168 bbls. ($608,666), Kansas ranking 4th; zinc, 6,843 tons 

 ($780,102); lead, 2,522 tons-($226,98o); building stone, $803,222, mostly limestone; mineral 

 waters (from 18 springs), $63,063; and a little pumice from Phillips county. 



Manufactures. From 1904 to 1909 the number of establishments increased from 2,475 

 to 3,435; the number of persons engaged in manufacturing from 42,057 (including 35,570 

 wage-earners) to 54,649 (44,215 wage-earners); the capital invested from $88,680,000 to 

 $156,090,000; the value of products from $198,245,000 to $325,104,000. The larger separate 

 industries in 1909 were: slaughtering and meat-packing, $165,361,000, 50.9% of the value 

 of all products, the state ranking 2nd only to Illinois in this industry; flour and grist-mill, 

 $68,476,000, 21 ii % of the state's total product-value and ranking Kansas 3rd in this industry; 

 repair of steam railway cars, $11,193,000; zinc smelting and refining, $10,857,000, ranking 

 the state 1st in this industry with nearly % the country's total product value. Among other 

 important products are cement, $4,682,000, Kansas ranking 4th; glass, $2,037,000, Kansas 

 ranking 8th; and salt $1,106,000, the state ranking 4th. The principal manufacturing 

 centres were Kansas City, $164,081,000 (50.5% of the state's total); Wichita, $22,564,000 

 (200% more than in 1904); Tooeka, $17,821,000; and Leavenworth, $4,875,000. 



Transportation. Railway mileage, January I, 1912, 9,150.40. 



Legislation. The regular session of the legislature was from January 10 to March 

 1.5, 1911. On March 6th it ratified the proposed income tax amendment to the Federal 

 Constitution. An amendment to the state constitution providing for woman suffrage 

 was adopted in November 1912 by 175,246 to 159,197. The legislature recommended 

 (1911) the direct election of United States senators. Public utility corporations may 

 not contribute to campaign funds. United States senators are to be voted for at primary 

 and general elections and the candidates for the legislature must sign a pledge, as in 

 Oregon, either to follow the choice of the people in a primary election or to consider it 

 as a recommendation when they choose United States senators. Electors who are 

 unavoidably absent from their election district on election day may vote in any other 

 district, and the ballot must be forwarded to the home election officers. 



The I2th of October (Columbus Day) was made a legal holiday. From funds received 

 from Congress in 1908 ($97,466) and 1909 ($425,065) to reimburse the state for expenditures 

 during the Civil War an appropriation was made to continue construction of the Memorial 

 Hall, Topeka, for the use of the Department of Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic, and 

 the Kansas State Historical Society. The board of railway commissioners was converted 

 into a public utilities commission; it is to regulate the issue of bonds and stocks and only 

 with its permission may corporations consolidate or may any corporation purchase the stock 

 of a competitor. Unless the commission decides that it is a public necessity no public 

 utility or common carrier may operate within the state. Public utility companies and 

 common carriers wholly within the limits of any city are controlled by the municipality. 

 The U.S. Supreme Court, December 2, 1912, held invalid for interstate commerce a state 

 law requiring foreign corporations trading in Kansas to file annual statements. 



The office of live stock sanitary commissioner was created, and a state fish and game 

 warden is to be appointed under an act which is practically a new game code. 



The cities which have more recently adopted the commission form of government are: 

 Chanute, Council Grove, Manhattan and Pratt in 1911 ; and Arkansas City, Holton, Junction 

 City, Olathe and Parsons in 1912. 



A law providing compensation for workmen injured in an accident is elective and applies 

 to especially dangerous occupations (enumerated), regularly employing 15 or more work- 

 men. An employer must file his choice of action under the law. The act abrogates the 

 defence of assumed risks and of fellow servant, and requires contributory negligence to be 

 measured, but not if an employer who has chosen the compensation system is sued. Suits 

 for damages in lieu of compensation are permitted and certain approved schemes may be 

 substituted. There is no compensation for disability of less than two weeks. For an 

 employee's death the compensation is set at a maximum of $3,600, but $100 is the maximum 

 if he leaves no dependents. For total disability the compensation is 50 % of the injured 

 man's weekly earnings, not less than $6, and not more than $15, and the payment of this 

 amount is not to be continued for more than 10 years. If the beneficiaries of the compensa- 

 tion are nOn-resident aliens $750 is the maximum unless they are residents of Canada. An 

 act makes railway corporations liable for accidents to their employees, abrogates the fellow 

 servant rule, enumerates insufficiencies of railway equipment which places the liability for 

 injuries on the employer and makes it impossible for liability to be avoided by contract, 

 but permits an employer to offset any contribution or relief that he has made to the injured 

 man. The U.S. Supreme Court, January 7, 1912, upheld the constitutionality of a state 

 law regulating the sale of black powder. 



Desertion by a husband or parent is punishable by a maximum imprisonment of 2 years 

 at hard labour in the reformatory or penitentiary. 



