Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-01-19
KANSAS LEGISLATURE.

When the house of representatives assem-.
bled Secretary of State Osborn called the
roll by districts, gathering squads of twelve
members each before Chief Justice Horton,
who administered the oath. This was finished
in twenty-five minutes.
Organization was then perfected and COM
mittees sent to the senate and the executive
to convey the information that the legisla-
ture was ready for business.
At the afternoon session seats were chosen
the populist members were granted their re-
quest that they might select seats in body
on the north side of the hall.
In the reorganization of the senate the
populist caucus list of officials was not OBJ
jected to by republican senators excepting
Ben G. Rich for reading clerk. He went in,
however.
The first really business session of the leg
islature developed desire to be in the ad-
vance line with bills; 46 were introduced i'll
the senate and A in the house.
One of the house bills, by Hackb busch, of
Leavenworth, repeals the Metropolitan po-
lice law.
The first action taken ON any bill in the
house was upon Mr.. Cubbison's house bills
l and relating to the suppression of lot
teries, which were read the second time and
will 60 direct to the committee of the whole.
1t took Charley Martin two hours to read
the governors message and he is a reader
with a record. too.
Frazer, of Harvey, got a bill in for redis-
tricting the state into eight congressional dis
tricts making the eighth district comprise
the counties of Harvey, Sedgwick, Butler,
Kingman, Sumner, Cowley and Chautauqua.
In the senate four amendments to the con-
stitution were proposed; one by House
holder regarding woman suffrage; by
billiard, for a constitutional convention,
by Brown, to prohibit senators from Feceiv-
ing gifts, and by Shearer, for the referendum.
In the senate Sterne, of Shawnee, intro
duced bills to limit the age at which a child
may begin work; to protect railway en-
ployes from incompetent companions and
for creating and regulating Kindergarten
schools.
The senate amended its rules so as to take
away from Lieutenant Governor Troutman
the power to control the appointment of
such new members of committees as may
be ordered by the senate; by placing his ap-
pointmentS under the approval of a major
ity vote.
Senator Tandis is urging bills to place
express and telegraph lines under control of
the railroad commissioners.
Senator Householder'S bill to reconstruct
the system of control of the state charitable
institutions has been introduced.
Senator Browns resolution instructing
congressman and senators to work for ma
tional aid for irrigation was passed.
In the house Trueblood proposed an
amendment to the constitution providing
for biennial county elections.
The house passed Cubbison's two bills
about lotteries ard gamb bling.
A resolution has unanimously passed Civ
ing the governor the power to order coal, at
his discretion, to be sent from the state
frontier, and for a committee to act with
the railroad commissioners to secure free
transportation of such coal by the railroads.
Merideth has bill to provide for the COM
pletiOn of the Hutchinson reform atOry, ap-
propriating $107 ,000, $57 900 the first year
and $4,000 the second year.
Notice of contests have been fled from
Haskell, Greeley and Pawnee counties.
Benefiel has bill to permit natural gas
companies to lay pipes along highways.
Rorhbaugh provides for a revision of the
statutes by five commissioners, to b9 ap-
pointed by the supreme court he also has
bill providing for fish wardens in each coun-
ty, to be appointed by the fish commissioner.
There was an effort in the senate by
friends of the Cubbison lottery and gam
bling bills to rush them through rapidly
as the house did but it was decided to hold
them long enough for consideration.
Changes were made in standing commit
tees by adding four to the COMMITTEES on
agriculture and irrigation: Senator'S Cooke,
Leeds, Brown and Wilcoxson.
Senator Taylor offered resolution for a
committee to investigate published charges
against certain state boards.
In the house bills are introduced locating
state normal schools at Fort Scott and at
the employment as teacher any relative of
any mem Der of the school district board.
Frazer, of Harvey, has introduced a bill
to regulate the salaries of county commits
sloners. Salaries are to range from SlOO to
$500 year, according to the population of
the county.
One OF Representative Cubbison's bills
provides that in counties having over 25,000
inha bitants the county commi ssioners shall
meet once month in regular session and
that claims shall be allowed monthly.
bill introduced by Mr.. Sheafor. of Cloud,
gives to city councils the authority to levy
and collect occupation taxes.
An amendment was offered by Senator
O'Bryan to the law holding stockhold srs of
corporations liable for double the amount
of their stock in case of failure. The amend
ment repeals the law as regards all private
corporations except trusts, loan or banking
institutions.
Senator Parker has presented bill which
confer5 probate jurisdiction on district
courts, whenever the probate Judge is in
sane, sick. absent or disqualified.
Senator Parker has bill which aims at
the increase of the number of days for which
county commissioners may be paid from
nine to twelve in counties of from 1900 to
5000 inha bitants.
Mr.. Fitzgerald. of Ford, introduced bill
to encourage the planting of trees. For
each acre of forest fruit trees planted on
a 160 acre farm his bill would give an ex-
emption of $50 on the assessed valuation of
the farm. The exemption is to continue
for fifteen years.
bill introduced by Mr.. Allen, of Wyan-
dotte. makes the fact that government
liquor license has been issued to defendant
prlma facie evidence tn the defendant is
engaged in the business of selling intoxicat-
ing liquors at the place and during the en-
tire time mentioned in the license.