Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-02-23
Monday.

Monday.
TOPEKA, KAN, February 17.-At the morn
| session an Invitation to attend the Mardi
Gras in Pueblo next week was read.
There seemed to be bat very little interest
! in the procee dings this morning. Only one
bill was introdu led, and no committees re-
ported. There was only q bare quorum
| present. Third reading of bills was post
poned till the evening session. The evil
arising out of hasty action, in passing bills
without consideration, showed itself to-day.
On last Friday night mass of bills were
agreed to In committee OF the whole without
even reading. This morning q senator
found that one bill hal been 50 reported
which was not right. 1t took half hours
talk to inn out how to correct this error,
and then did not do it. The senate got int
| q middle, and finally laid it over till to-
morrow.
By some break, caused, we suppose, by
the small number present, both the house
and senate bills on judicial apportionment
were got onto the calendar for third reading,
one of them subject to amendment and de-
bate and the other not. This shows that
senators who have measures in which they
are interested should not 60 home to spend
the Sabbath, bat always be on hand to watch
the proceedings.
The senate. at 11:3o, went into committee
Va tu0 WuOlo Ou d u6lI OOZou Olllb f6l6tlu&
insurance. 1t took ten minutes to get at
which bill to take up. 1t provides that there
shall be no pooling by insurance agents;
that is, that it shall be crime for agents to
fix rates for which business shall be done.
That is, each agent shall make a rate for
himself, but he cant agree with other agents
a. TO what the rates shall be. Itwas recon-
mende for passage.
Another bill came up providing for q
"'value policy" that Is, tina. companies shall
pay the fnll face value of a policy when q
building is destroyed, whether it is worth
that or not. It was recommended for pas
sage.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The work this afternoon, or at the outset,
shows the bad policy of making special Or
ders. There has not been one this winter
but has resulted in delay instead of prog
ress. In the forenoon the insurance bills
were the special order, but the consideration
of it was not through at the time of the ad-
journment. After dinner the interest bills
we're up for special order, and it took until
nearly O'Clock to extend the time for their
consideration one day. Then, tee move OF
this morning to place bills on third reading
this evening was reconsidered, and the SEN
ate went Into that order and considered
them till the time OF adjournment.
\ HOUSE.
4 After the preliminary work the houss at
tackled the usury bill. The bill as reported,
was to make the legal rate 6 and the con-
tract 10 per cent. and all exces, be forfeited
and besides that 10 per cent. of the excess be
taken from the principal For instance, a
man loans another 800 and takes 500 for
one years interest. The lender is liable to
an action for the return of the SO and 81
more, or 10 per cent of the excess.
A motion was made to add punishment
of thirty to sixty days in the county Jail for
taking any usury. 1t was stated that this
motion was made on purpose to kill the bill
by loading it down 80 heavy that the senate
would not pass it.
The amendment it was said would not
hurt the banks but the men from abroad
Who would be driven out of business.
The debate on the bill cont naed till ad-
tournament without any definite result.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The house again took up the usury bills
and continued at them till 3 p. m. when the
time for another special order arrived, 1t be-
ing an act providing for the inspection OF
live cattle. Tho committee arose and as
soon az the latter special order was extended
till to morrow morning the mouse went
unto committee of the whole again on the
usury bill. The pending amendment was to
make it Q criminal otfense to take interest
above the Rates presided by the bills to 10
Ger cent. The talk was long and parici-
pat in by large number of persons.
The whole question of usury. the action OF
the republican party in declaring in favor OF
such q Law IN convention; assembled the ques-
ton whether or not il would drive capital
from the state, etc, etc, was discussed with
great deal of ability all the afternoon
vithout coming to any definite result