The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-22
MUD AND MARBLE.

talks garrulously and indiscreetly. Still
il is positively asserted that he runs the
labor committee entirely. The other night
he attacked Elder on his attitude on the
payment of railroad employees wages
weekly, determining that he should have
worked for it. He used all his select bill
ingsgate on the old man from Franklin.
and received in turn similar metal. lie
threatened to ostracise Elder from the Al
lance, to which, of course. the speaker
objected
But more to the point The labor com
mittee is composed OF men not particularly
distinguished for brain in any quantities
This is shown by the fact that while Nor
rison himself is not very well equipped in
this line, he has enough TO manage these.
y railroad employe who has been IN IG-
peIa recently acting as chairman OF a
grievance committee OF railroad employees
was relating his experience yesterday. he
said when a bill came mp for consideration
in the committee. Clerk Morrison would
arise and say: Gentlemen, this bill is
very righteous one to the laboring man,
and feel sure that every man Of this com
mittee viii vote for il" Not dissenting
voice is heard: not one man protests or
offers a slight amendment; the edict has
gone forth-the clerk has spoken; the bill,
however foolish and unconstitutional, is
recommended for passage unanimously by
the committee If on the other hand Nor
rison says nay the bill is killed forthwith.
This is the style of committee from which
the laborer is TO expect equity and Justice.
They press help on him that he does not
ask nor want
The other day a bin was considered. the
provisions of which are veritable curl
osity. 1t provides that five railroad com
missioners shall be elected who shall fix
the salaries Of all the officers of the rail
roads in Kansas and all the wages of the
employees 1t provides also that no officers
salary, from the president down, shall ex
coed $1,000 1t provides that no railroad
employe shall work over sixteen consec-
utive hours, and presents as a penalty for
the violation thereof, fine of not less
than $40 nor more than 500 for the vio-
later, or any man under his charge; and it.
makes each man Of the train crew who is
party TO the violation "A subject Of spe-
cial penalty 1t also fixes a penalty fro
The railroad that will allow any of it's men
10 work longer than sixteen consecutive
hours. 1t also provides that a statement
Of the salaries paid out, of the fines, etc,
shall be published by the railroad commits
soners in paper of considerable circula-
tion at specified times.
Under this act, if the engine breaks
down, the train crew must suspend work
in fear of violating the law, and this
would of necessity block the whole system
and endanger life and property.
Notwithstanding the palpable ridic-
ulcusness of such law, John
Davis, the Alliance congressman
is publicly known to be the author
of it. OF course neither the railroads nor
their employees desire any such enactment.
A railroad employees committee was to
appear before the labor committee to argue
against this one evening last week. but
Morrison, who is almost always on the
alert for the benefit of the laboring man,
slipped around and got the committee to-
gether and before the railroad committee
knew anything about it, had the bill
recommended for passage.
APPORTIoNAIENT.
The congressional and legislative appor-
tionments will have TO be decided upon
soon, if at all this session. 1t is rumor, !
which is not without credence that the
Eenate will refuse point blank to act upon
any of the houses legislative apportion-
ments. If this is so, there is little need
10 comment on the possibilities Of what
might be if il could be. There is every
reason to believe that the senate will take
the very action mentioned towards the Al
liance's apportionment schemes
Notwithstanding the dark prospect for
anything definite in legislative appor-
tionments. the congressional redistricting
at this time bids fair 10 come to some
conclusion before the gavel shall fall be-
fore the final adjournment. A special
committee has been appointed in the house
90 look after this congressional apportiou-
ment
Everly has introduced a bill which !
creates a new district called the Seventh !
il includes Butler, Cowley, Harvey, King 4
man, Mcpherson, Reno. Rice and Sumner,
with a total population of Isl, OIL Through /
r clerical error or the ignorance OF the |
,lrafter of the bi /, Sedgwick county is left |
entirely out. If it was intended 10 put it (
in the new district, which is probable, with /
its 49, 400 people, it would raise the popula- |
tion of the new district to over 22j 900 peo- /
which is the proper end to be aimed at in |
this matter. There are several other objec- /
tions to the bill, and it will not be acted
upon in its present shape. Another bill 7
OF more perfection and satisfaction, will be (
introduced soon. 1t makes the following
districts:
First Doniphan, Brown, Ncmahs. Mar /
shah, pottawatOmie. AJchisou. Iaayen-
worth, jefferson, Jackson-popuIaJion (
$50, ,l9l
Second-Bourbon. Douglas, Franklin. /
johnson, Linn, Mama, Wyandotte-popu- |
lation zoe
Third Cherokee. Crawford. I.sbette,
Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, Allen. An
dcrson. Moodson-popuation l7S.0oo
Fourth-Butier, Chautsuqua, Cowley,
Elk, Harvey, Sedgwick, Sumner-popula- /
tion .0Oo
Fifth-Chsse, CofTey. Greenwood, Lyon. |
Marion. Norris, Usage, Shawnee. Wa
bauuSee.
Sixth-Clay, Cloud, Geary. Dickinson. /
Ottawa. Republic, Riley. Saline, Wash
ington. McPhersou--poDulsti lSi. .OeO
Seventh--Ssmc a. present Sixth. ex- |
oepting Lincoln ana Ellsworth counties.
EiGhth-Same as present seventh. pX- |
cepting Harvey. SedSw.cl, Mcpherson |
and Sumner counties
The bill makes the new diStrict the /
Fourth, and, as n reference TO the map /
will show. the most compact anu symmc,- I
rical in the STATE.
SENATE NOTES.
Special Dispatch 20 tie Daily Fs-e
TOPEKA. kan, Feb. Among the 4