Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-02-04
KANSAS LEGISLATURE


convict labor upon Kansas roads, not more
than forty nor less than twenty convicts to
DC employed for such purpose at one time
o. place, the convicts TO be sent to counties
upon requlsitlon of county commissioners
to the warden of the penitentiary by
Brown of Cowley to provide for the appoint
ment by the governor of a state board of
examiners of railroad telegraphers to ex-
anime all persons engaged as railroad tele-
graphers and to grant them certificates the
members of the board to receive salaryOf
$4,000 per annum. House committee on
printing reported Taylor's bill cutting the
fees of state printer 10 per cent
jan 29.-The Normal school question
came up for discussion In the Senate. The
committee on education reported that II
had under consideration bills establishing
schools at Wichita, Stockton, Norton and
Concordia, and asking that the sentiment
OF the Senate on the question be ascer-
tatned. To this end a resolution was
offered declaring 1t to be the sense of
the Senate that at least two Normal
schools be established. After a heated de-
bate the motion was defeated on a tie vote
II to II. The committee has not yet de-
cided what to do Hart introduced a bill to
authorize medical colleges to use for sclen-
tifc purposes, within the state, bodies of
convicts dying in the penitentiary and In
mates OF state institutions, work houses and
poor houses The medical college is to file
bond with the secretary of state for the use
of each body :or medical or scientific pur-
poses
An act to classify insurance corporations.
both fire and life, and provide for a state tax
on their premiums, was introduced by Rep
resentative Haywood of Kearney in the
House. The bill places insurance in three
fafn
nestle companies are those organized under
the laws of Kansas; state companies those
organized in other states of the Union out.
side OF Kansas, foreign companies, those of
foreign nations Domestic and state com.
panies are taxed % per cent on their net
Kansas premiums and foreign companies
8 per cent Several bills of minor import
ance were also introduced
Jan 29.-Almost the entire time of the
Senate was consumed in the consideration
of bills by the committee of the whole.
Among other bills favorably reported upon
were these: To prevent the dockage and in.
spection of hogs in public stock yards; to
dispose of the Peabody silk station by sale
to the highest bidder; to repeal the law foZ
the encouragement of silk culture; reducing
the fees and salaries of Barton and Chero-
kee county oficials; to tax al money in the
possession of persons on March / of each
year
The house, upon third reading. passed
these bills; BY Botkin making husband
and wife oampetenI TO testify against each
other in divorce cases; by Merrill, repeating
certain sections of the law relating to jury
commissioners; by Jacquins, empowering
city clerks of cities of the second and third
class to administer oaths.
Jan 27.-In joint session william A. Har-
wa a 1v INT
States Senator. Mr.. Harris briefly defined
his position on the qu, stions of the day.
Speaker Street introduced a bill to prohibit
railroads from carrying free, electors to
their homes to vote. 1t provides a heavy
fine or Imprisonment in the penitentlary for
persons who give such transportation, and
also for persons who accept such transpor-
tation Representative Ingle of Smith in
trodueed bill to declare unlawful and void
all contracts, agreements or trusts, made
with view to lessen free competition in the
importation or sale of articles or to control
the price thereof
In the Senate bills we're introduced as fol-
lows: To appropriate S125,0OO to complete
the Hutchinson reformatory; to provide for
the payment of flve-eighths of a cent per
pound bounty for the manufacture of sugar
In Kansas; to make the proceeds of the sale
of property under foreclosure proceedings
satisfy the mortgage in full; to exempt
from attachment for rent one third of a
crop raised by tenants; to elect street COM
missioner. clerk and marshal of cities Of
the second class.
Jan. 26.-Both houses voted separately for
United States senator In the House Harris
received rs, Burton 43, General Caldwell Q
Senate: Harris %, Burton 10, King /. Har-
rls voted for King. The House spelt almost
two hours in debating the various phases of
the proposed investigation of school fund
commissioners and coal oil inspector. After
a long parliamentary wrangle, Brown of
Pratt, one of the Populist leaders moved
that the resolution be so amended as to in
clude an investigation of the school fund
commissioners under Morrill, and the coal
oil Inspector under Lewelling This carried
by an almost unanimous vote.
Senator Helm introduced a bill designed
to knock out of exis tence all of the trusts
and combines that now or may hereafter
exist in Kansas. 1t provides that all agree
ments with trusts for any and all purposes
are void If the purpose or intent or effect Is
to force an advance in the price of any COM
modify by restricting its manufacture or
sale, or in any way interfering with the
natural course of events 1t does not apply
to corn and cattle when in the hands OF the
raiser. 1t provides a fine of from 300 to
$4,000 and enables the person, or persons
so damaged to recover their measure of
damage by suit Eighteen more bills we're
thrown into the senatorial hopper and the
number now in has passed the 800 mark.
Jan. 25.-Representative Jaquins of Cow
ley county introduced a bill in the House Ye-
qulring foreign life insurance companies to
invest 80 per cent of their funds or accumu-
lations received annually from Kansas pol
icy holders in bonds and mortgages on I'M
incumbered Kansas real estate worth so
per cent more than the sum loaned thereon.
Any insurance company which shall fail to
comply with the provisions Of the act shall
forfeit its right to do business in the
state, and its license shall be revoked. The
House resolution authorizing the speaker
to appoint a committee to investigate the
actions of the state school fund commits
sloners and also the coal oil inspector was
reported favora ably by the committee The
ways and means committee filed its report
killing the bill to appropriate s16500O to
erect additional buildings at the state uni
versity, and also reduced the annual appro-
priation from 500, 900 to $50, 600. The ap.
propriations asked for by the state agrlcul-
tural college were also cut down materially.
The ways and means committee made a fa- |
vorably report on joint resolution No 4,
providing for a change in the constitution
to one general election. It provides that |
state officers shall be chosen for four year
term and bars a second term; that county |
officers shall be elected every two years and |
limited to two terms.
BY vote of "a TO - the Senate denied the |
of the floor 10 d. O. McCrary, a |
well known newspaper man. The action |
was taken because McCrary had written a |
no Hoka n