The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-08
THEY'LL VOTE HARD
SOU HEaN AND We FERN KANSAS
MaERS AXE COUNSEL.

J voters--Railroad Legislation Good
/ Place to Begin--Kansas Breezes and Old
/ GIory--Brown's Bill for Management Of
Mines is Passed--Relief Bill in tho Sen.
ate--sundry Legislative Measures.
| Topeka, Kan, Feb. 7.-(Special)-
Everybody suddenly appeared today in
| the role of interrogaters concerning
railroad legislation. Nothing in that
line has been done yet except the pas
sage Of a bill concerning property dam
/ ages along lines Of railroad.
| In the senate the following bill has
been introduced:
An act to regulate railroads. and es-
tablish reasonable maximum charges
for the transportation of freight on the
different lines Of railroad in the state
Of Kansas, and providing for a state
board Of railroad commissioners, with
general powers of supervision over the
transportation lines within the state,
and giving to such commissioners full
| power and authority to control, fix
and regulate the charges and rates to
be collected by railroad and transpor-
tation lines in Kansas, and to prevent
unjust and unreasonabl discrimina-
tons in such charges, and providing
for the selection of such commissioners,
and the manner in which they shall be
chosen, and prescribing their compen-
sation and duties and making appro-
priatiOnS to enforce this act.
The bill is practically the same bill
introduced two years ago by Mr.. Camp
bell of Stafford.
In speaking about it today Mr.. Camp
bell said that the senate is ready to
report the bill favorably and that it will
pass that body within a very few days.
He also says that in the house he
| thinks it will be defeated in which
event the Pops will hold the Republica
majority responsible. 1t is doubtful,
however, whether a railroad bill can
be defeated in the house, if it is any
thing like a reasonable measure. There
is quite feeling among large num-
Der of Republicans, especially in south
ern Kansas, to have some good rail-
road legislation passed Nothing has
been given to southern Kansas so far.
nor is there likely to be, and the men,
bers from that section of the state are
determined to have cheaper rates of
freight. If they can't get any advan-
tages politically they propose to have
some business advantages:
The members of the southern and
western portions of the state have put
their heads together and propose to
make themselves felt in legislati if
not in thematter of political appoint
mentS.
CANT STAND THE WIND.
Old glory will not wave it's proud
folds over the little white school house
on the plains this year. Last evening
the bill to hoist the flag was defeated
INF hxro icix 20 OF
/ long and sharp parliamentary contest.
its third reading when Specknal Of
Sumner county arose and offered to
amend it by inserting that the consti-
tuition should be read at the OPENING,
of every school in the state, every
morning. and that the star spangled
banner should be sung in said schools
three times each day.
Mr.. Campbell of Stafford said that
all the talk about hosting the United
States flag over the school houses was
Sentimntal nonSenSe-mere buncOmb-
and he desiT i. to see it stopped. He
said that al - ,rnest effort had been
made by him and his neighbors to
keep a flag floating over their country
school house at their own Expense, but
that they could not get any flag 10
stand the force of the Western Kansas
atmosphere. After Mr.. CampbelIs
statement somebody moved that the
title of tn act be killed and it was
killed. Mr.. Benefiel called for the ayes
and nays and then explanation Of votes
followed. In his explanation Mr..
Wright of Kiowa county, said that he
would be glad to vote for the bill. but
it was no use He said the wind was
so strong out in his district that 1t
would not only tear down the flag but
would also blow down the flag staff
On roll call the vote stood as it was
before and the flag went down.
MAKING MINES SAFE.
The bill Of Mr. Brown Of Crawford,
relating to mines and their manage
ment. was passed today after hot de-
bate in which Mr.. Marshal of Rice Sc
cured the exemption of salt mines at
LYONS from the provisions of the bill.
AS amended the chief features of the
bill is as follows
1t requires the construction of es-
capement shafts. 1t requires that
"break-throughs'' shall be thirty feet
apart and six feet wide, and that they
shall be filled up when no longer in use.
1t requires the fire boss to see that
every room is visited every morning
before the men go to work to see that
no gas is present. The condition Of the
room is to be marked each day on the
face of the wall and also in perma-
nent book.
elevation than As feet TO every 100 feet
and the stairway is to be separated
from the air shaft by partition
The passage from the man shaft to
the air shaft is to be at least five feet
high.
In mines over 100 feet deep some safe
means of hosting the men is to be pro-
vided for use in case of danger.
The eager" is required to furnish a
cage" whenever six men apply for one
TO go to the top.
Safety maaholes are to be placed
every thirty feet along a roadway where
coal is hauled instead of fifty.
The bill requires that stagnant water
shall be taken out of the mines every
morning before the men go to work
The airway must be examined at
least twice each week.
Roadways and rooms are to be
sprinkled sufficiently to saturate the
explosive coal dust.
Drivers and all persons working in
the mines are required to burn lard or
cottonseed oil in their lamps.
The mine inspector is given author
ity to enforce the law and begin prose-
cution in the name OF the state and can
require company 10 suspend opera
tons until il complies with the pro-
visions of the bill.
The penalty for every violation OF
the law is fine of from 500 10 $500 and
| this is made to apply particularly to
the employees who open and shut the
trap doors as well as TO the company.
Reports are 20 be made 20 the mine
inspector from every mine once each
month.
BILLS BY THE BUNCH.
The following house bills have been
reported from the committee of the
whole favorably and passed their third
reading: