Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-23
FOREIGN INSURANCE TAX MEASURE
NAY LOSE.
DEMOCRATS ARE NOT IN LINI
STATE FUND MUST DE AUGMENTED
OTHERWISE.
Amendment to Jones Bill May Solve
Question of DivertinS County
Funds to the State-FiGht
Against state Beard
of Charities.

JEFFERSON CITY. March 22-(special.)
The action Of the house to-day on the bill
introduced by Jones. OF Howell, to appro-
pirate to the counties one-half Of the for
eign insurance tax for the years 1897 and
1893. provided in the law OF 1895. indi-
Gates that the administration will not be
able to keep the Democrats In line for the
Seibert plan to save the credit OF the state
by appropriating revenue belonging by law
to the counties. This plan contemplated
diverting the insurance tax and 500 on each
dramshop license from the counties to the
state. II tho present alignment II main
tained both measures will be defeated.
When Jones' bill came up for engrossment
to-day. Murphy. Democrat. Of Pulaski. Of
fered an amendment appropriatinR to the
counties the insurance tax for 1888 and 1900
as we'll. This appropriation made. 1t would
then have been impossible to use tho coun-
ty moneys to relieve the state treasury
deficit. The administration forces did not
appear to realize this until after the amend
ment had carried. Then the administr alton
woke up. Whitecotton played the role OF .
Democrat and moved a reconsideration Of
the amendment.
II want to KNOW" he asked tragically.
eff the Democrats are going to allow the
Republicans to mold the revenue legislation
Of this house?'
Slate, Democrat, Of Maries berated White
cotton for surrendering to the administrA-
tion and endeavoring to make q party issue
out of q matter which struck Democratic
as well as Republican counties.
Huck, of Ste. Genevieve. and Coltrane.
of Greene, attempted to defend the pro-
posed inroad upon the county revenue. but
DR.. Tubbs, Of Usage; Johnston. OF st. Louis
county, and Kiskaddon, of Franklin. pune
tured their arguments.
Kiskaddon admitted that the treasury was
in a deplorable condition. but he was amax-
ed that some scheme of taxation could not
be devised, without taking money which
legally belonged to the counties.
Whitecotton's motion WAS defeated by .
vote of 80 to 50. The Republicans and .
few Democrats voted s0lidly to protect the
funds Of the counties. The amount which
the bill will save to the counties Is estimat.
ed at $250.000 g
Bohart moved to lay the bill over inform-
ally. 70 as to allow the Democrats time to
get Light from the governors office. The
motion was declared to have carried by 70
vote of 6 to G.. Jones. Of Howell. served
notice that he would call up the bill to.
morrow morning.
With all hope gone OF passing the dram.
shop and insurance revenue measures. the
Democrats will be forced to fall back on .
bill or Q franchise tax measure. The spe-
cial calendar committee tonight advanced
the beer inspection bill. and 1t will soon
come up in the house for passage. This
bill antag0nixes the breweries which con-
tribute heavily to the Democratic campaign
fund. This IL causing no little worry.
AS stated In The Journal to-day, the
house committee On sleemosynary institu.
tons decided last night to report favor,
ably the kneisley bill. abolishing the state
board Of charities and corrections. The GOV.
| eraor heard OF the proposed action and thil
| morning some Of the Democratic members
Of the committee received invitation to caf
at the governor . ONCE.
II was easy for the governors emissaries
to get DR.. Murphy. Of Pulaski. to hold up
| the report OF the committee. although the
right OF q chairman To do this Is question.
able The governors private secretary and
brothe r-in-law. Paul Moore. took a seat be.
hind Murphy to bolster him up. This Wal
not a hard task even for Mr. Moore. DIR
include that the board Of CHARITIES bill
He called meeting OF the committee fol
| O'Clock and the action of last night was
reconsid4ed. A minority of the committee
however. Cashion and Thielsnius. Repub.
Leans. will report the bill favorably to-
morrow. a light win then be precipitafed
Slate. Of Maries and knrisley. OF Carroll
Grave charges will be made against DR.
]. I. Coombs. superintendent OF the Ful.
ton asylum. and the record made by the
Thomas J. Akin, chairman OF the stat.
Republican central committee. was In the
city to-day comforting with the Republican
members Of the house and senate. He says
that the record made by the Republicans
has Keen admirable and that II the Re.
UP their good work the state p bound 10 "a
Republican In 1910.