460 



KANSAS. 



imported was consumed; for in 1881, 1882, 

 and 1883 the importation was still greater in 

 quantity, though the proportion of the cheaper 

 jute-butts was increased and there was a con- 

 sequent falling off of values. Eaw jute has 

 always been subject to a considerable duty, 

 usually about $15 a ton (under the new tariff, 

 20 per cent, ad valorem, which is about $18) ; 

 but jute-butts were admitted free till 1876, 

 when a duty of $6 a ton was placed on them, 



and this was reduced to $5 by the new tariff. 

 That both jute-butts and jute can and should 

 be produced here seems evident, in view of the 

 facts mentioned and the rapidly-growing de- 

 mand for them for so many kinds of manu- 

 factures. At this time, the bagging for the 

 entire cotton-crop of the United States is 

 made from jute-butts ; and all the so-called 

 "Manila" wrapping-paper is made from the 

 same material. 



K 



KANSAS. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, George "W. Glick, Democrat; Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor, D. W. Finney; Secretary of 

 State, James Smith ; Treasurer, Samuel T. 

 Howe ; Auditor, E. P. McCabe ; Attorney- 

 General, W. A. Johnston. Judiciary, Supreme 

 Court : Chief-Justice, Albert H. Horton ; As- 

 sociate Justices, David J. Brewer and D. M. 

 Valentine. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature convened 

 on the 9th of January, and adjourned on the 

 8th of March. On the 23d of January, Pres- 

 ton B. Plumb, Republican, was re-elected 

 United States Senator by a vote of 38 against 

 one in the Senate, and 89 against 34 in the 

 House. There were passed 167 bills, of which 

 the Governor signed 162, vetoed four, and 

 allowed one to die in his hands. One of the 

 vetoed bills was passed over the veto. Among 

 the acts passed were the following : 



An act to provide for the health and safety of per- 

 sons employed in and about coal-mines ; an act de- 

 claring drunkenness a misdemeanor and prescribing 

 punishment ; an act relating to the issue of stock by 

 corporations ; an act forming new congressional dis- 

 tricts ; an act concerning railroads and other common 

 carriers. 



The railroad law provides for three railroad 

 commissioners, who have power to examine 

 the books and papers of the corporation and 

 its officers under oath. Some of the more im- 

 portant provisions of this act follow : 



No railroad company shall charge or receive a rate 

 in excess of three cents per mile for the transportation 

 of any passenger who is over twelve years of age, nor 

 in excess of half that sum per mile for the transporta- 

 tion of any passenger of the age of twelve years or 

 under. 



The commissioners shall have the general supervis- 

 ion of all railroads in the State operated by steam, and 

 all express companies, sleeping-car companies, and all 

 other persons, companies, or corporations doing busi- 

 ness as common carriers in this State, and shall in- 

 quire into any neglect or violation of the laws of this 

 State bv any person, company, or corporation engaged 

 in the business of transportation of persons or prop- 

 erty therein, or by the officers, agents, or employes 

 thereof, and shall also, from time to time, carefully 

 examine and inspect the condition of each railroad in 

 the State, and or its equipment and the manner of its 

 conduct and management, with reference to the public 

 safety and convenience. Whenever in the judgment 

 of the railroad commissioners it shall appear that any 

 railroad corporation or other transportation company 

 fails to comply with the terms of its charter or the 



laws of the State, or whenever, in their judgment, 

 any repairs are necessary upon its road, or any addi- 

 tion to its rolling-stock, or any addition to or change 

 of its stations or station-houses, or any change in its 

 rates, or any change in the mode ot s operating its 

 road and conducting its business, is reasonable and 

 expedient, said commissioners shall inform such cor- 

 poration of the improvement and changes which they 

 adjudge to be proper. 



The commissioners shall, on or before the first 

 Monday in December in each year, make a report to 

 the Governor of _ their doings for the preceding year 

 and of the condition of every railroad, in the State, as 

 to capital stock, value of property, indebtedness, con- 

 dition of track and machinery, etc. 



No railroad company shall charge, demand, or re- 

 ceive from any person, company, or corporation, for 

 the transportation of any property or for any other 

 service, a greater sum than it shall at the same time 

 charge, demand, or receive from any other person, 

 company, or corporation, for a like service from the 

 same place, or upon like condition and under similar 

 circumstances. 



It shall be unlawful for any railroad company to 

 make any contract or enter into any stipulation with 

 any other railroad company running in the same 

 general direction, by wnich either company shall 

 directly or indirectly agree to divide, in any manner, 

 the joint earnings upon freight transported. 



Statistics. The State had in 1872, 2,476,862 

 acres of land in cultivation; in 1882, 11,043,- 

 399 acres, an increase of 8,566,517 acres. The 

 live-stock of the State in 1872 was valued at 

 $30,013,898; in 1882 it had increased to $83,- 

 874,539, or a permanent increase of wealth of 

 $53,860,641. Four fifths of the area are still 

 uncultivated. 



In 1883 the product of winter wheat was 

 28,958,884 bushels, with an average yield of 

 19-56; spring wheat, 1,066,052 bushels, with 

 an average yield of 13-47; total, 30,024,936 

 bushels, and an average yield of 19-25 bushels 

 per acre. This is within 5,000,000 bushels of 

 the great crop of 1882. 



The average yield of rye per acre was 18*79 

 bushels, and the total product 5,084,391 bush- 

 els. The corn-crop amounted to 182,084,526 

 bushels, an average of 39*13 bushels an acre. 



The State Board of Railroad Commissioners 

 have obtained an official statement of the 

 amount voted, in cash and bonds, by the sev- 

 eral counties of the State, to aid in building 

 railroads. The total is $9,504,385. 



The last report of the State Board of Kail- 

 road Assessors shows that there are 4,315 

 miles of railway in Kansas. 



Farmers' Convention. The Kansas State Farm- 



