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

TOPEKA. February l5.-At the forenoon
session II took nearly an hour to get through
with the routine business.
The hour of II having arrived the senate
went into the committee of the whole on the
usury laws and co tinued on that subject
until the hour of adjournment without COM
ing to any definite conclusion.
The bill as introduced reduces the rates OF
interest to 6 and 10 per cent and provides
/ certain penalties where any excess Is
charged. The fight in the COMMITTEES is to
decide just what thai penalty shall be and
the views of senators vary very much.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The proposed usuly laws we're again up
for q third or fourth time. It creeps out
that the bankers in the senate. instead of
being opposed to usury laws as it has been
supposed they would be, are the strongest
of any of the senators for them. 1t is in
the main the bankers who advocate not
only usury laws but they wan not only a
forfeiture of the excess but a forfeiture of
the primo pal and some of them 60 80 far as
to make the taking of interest in excess of
that allowed by The bill should make the
person so taking it punished by imprison-
ment.
The reasons in the main given by the
bankers are, that the banking business Is an
honorable one, and those engaged in it are
perfectly willing to take such rate as is
allowed by the bill, but they want to reach
the curb stone brokers, the men who loan
take as security chattel mortgages. These
men are called tiends, thieves and danger
GUS to tn community. Another class OF
enators argue that usury laws are a dead
letter on the statute books, aud that money
is like any other commodity, worth what it
will bring. This bill has called forth more
eloquence than any yet before the senate.
The whole afternoon was spent on this
bill without any results. Amendments
we're offered fixing the price of making q
coat and to charge any more would subject
the tailor to fine and imprisonment. Also
another amendment to fix the price of at
torneys' fees and 30 on, with amendments
of q similar nature.
EVENING SESSION.
The senate this evening went through
great Rrist of local bills and did some other
work. No final vote was reached on the
usury bill, although considerable time was
scent on it. The senate did not adjourn
till 1920, a. m.
As soon az the usual routine business was
concluded the house went on to the third
reading of bills and spent the whole fore
noon thereon.
There is nothing whatever to report of IN
terest to the general public on such occa-
slons, except when a bill of importance has
been reported by the committee of the whole
and it Is evident that 1t is doubtful whether
it Will pass on third reading or not and then
it should bs reported. There were no such
bills to-day.
The ladies who had been coaching the girls
reform school were jublant on its final
passage went in q body to the senate
chamber to see that it did not fall by the
way. The most important bill passed was
the one providing that no mortgage shall be
given on personal property exempt from
execution without it is signed by the wife
a. we'll as the husband.
As q take off on j. V. Admire's bill to
change the name of Kansas City, Kan, one
of the representatives from Wyandotts
county brought in bill to change Admire's
name to John Valentine Whltecrown.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The house again went on TO third reading
and had enough members present to give
constitutional msjorities TIL thsy reached
the proposed amendment to the constitution
allowing the Legislature to hold session for
seventy days and the members to receive
s. per day. This took two-thirds
vote. There was call of the house which
took up considerable time, but it did not
result in getting vot-s enough to pass it So
the vote was reconsidered and It viii cone
up again when the signs are more favorable.
Without get ng through with third read
ing of bills the house won't into COM
mittee of the whole on the calendar and
then took action which this reporter con-
siders very vicious. On motion about sev.
enty-fve bills were recommended for pas.
sage without any consideration vhatevee.
They we're put on tho calendar for third
reading subjoct to ameodmant and debate.
Il ~ stated that they vsse a