The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-24
TWIN BILLS.
Railroad Bill to be Accompanied
by an Insurance Bill
Which is to Tax the Insurance
Companies
SOME 100000 OR MORE
This is What the Secret Cau-
cuses Were Considering.
A "Dummy" Railroad Bill to
Be "FiIled in'' Afterward.

The PopuIists caucus held two long
sessions yesterday, one in the afternoon
and the other in the evening. A new
course of procedure was agreed upon
which was first to introduce a dunn
my" railroad bill in the house this morn
ing and at the same time to introduce
a bill for the taxation of insurance COM
panies along with a lot of minor bills.
The object of having these measures
introduced is to advance both along to
the place where they can be put on
final passage and when the railroad
measure comes up the regular caucus
bill which will have been discussed and
agreed upon in the meantime will be
substituted for the dummy or fake"
railroad bill and passed and the insur-
ance bill can then be taken up by the
caucus. By doing this both measures
will be ready for action early in the ses-
sion.
The insurance bill will provide for a
tax on all the premiums received by in
surance companies in the state and is
one of the measures relied upon by the
Populists to show the people of the
state that this extra session will be OF
more benefit to the state in the way of
revenue than it will cost in taxes. The
law may be expected to raise $500, 900 or
$500, 900 in revenues.
When the caucus had considered sew
eral questions in regard to the railroad
bill the plan of introducing the insur-
ance bill was proposed and it was eX-
planned to the caucus that owing to the
ruling of Speaker Street yesterday it
would be necessary to have each bill
read on three separate days. It was ar
gued that a dummy railroad bill could
be introduced today (Saturday)and that
it could not reach the third reading un-
til Tuesday Of next week. The steering
committee informed members of the
caucus that they could probably finish
the consideration of the caucus railroad
measure some time Monday and have it
ready to substitute then and that by
that time the insurance tax bill would
have been read a second time and could
be taken up and considered by the eau
Gus. 1t was also determined that a rea.-
sOnable Humber of special and minor
bills should be introduced this morn
ing.
one of the members said casually to a
friend in a hotel corridor last evening:
I want to see some bill introduced to
produce revenue so that the people back
home will see that we are doing some
thing in regard to raising revenue"
The tax to be levied will in all prob
ability not be less than 2 per cent,
which is about the amount levied by
similar laws in other states.
Three points in regard to railroad
legislation came up before the caucus.
They were: Whether the caucus meas
ure- finally to be introduced should pro-
was not finally decided. Whether the
members of the board of railroad COM
missioners should be elected by districts
or at large in the state; this was decid
ed in favor of electing them at large.
The last proposition was as to what the
length of the term and when it should
commence. At first it was proposed that
the caucus measure should provide sep
arate terms and have the commission
ers elected in rotation. 1t was pointed
out by party leaders that off, years
were bad ones to the fusion party in
this state, and so it was finally agreed
by the caucus that the bill to be pre-
sented should provide for the appoint
ment of the board to serve till after the
election in 1900. Then a full board
should be elected at that election and
every four years thereafter, which will
always throw the election on presi-
Dental years.
No action in regard to giving out re-
ports of the proceedings of the caucus
to the newspaper men was taken. When
the caucus met the day before a motion
to admit representatives of the press
found some support but was defeated.
Some members promised yesterday to
bring UP a measure to instruct the sec
retary to give out an eXpurgated report
of the proceedings, that is one in which
all scraps" as one member called it,
were eliminated Nothing of the kind