The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-01-13
KANSAS LEGISLATURE.


Jan. 5rThe senate, by vote OF Is
to 1s, defeated the supplemental rail-
road bill. The bill was intended to
strengthen and make the visitation
court law operative, and was drawn
up after the visitation court bill had
been passed, and prominent lawyers
had expressed the opinion that 1T would
not stand the test in court. Several Pop
ulists voted against the supplemental
bill. As the matter now stands the
visitation court law seems Ineffective
without the passage of the supple
mental bill. The principal objection
was the strike clause. The Senate IN
executive session, after two hours de-
liberation, refused to confirm the NOM
nation of Carl Vroomau as regent of
the State Agricultural college to sue
coed George.
Munger resigned This gives the Re-
publicans majority of the regents OF
the board of agriculture. The house,
by vote of 50 to A. defeated the
Bredenthal guarantee fund bill for
the protection of depositors. The dis
cussion lasted nearly all day. The
Gray bill, creating a state fire insur-
ance department, was defeated.
Jan. 4.-Both houses passed the bill
reducing telegraph rates and placing
telegraph companies under control OF
the court of visitation. The vote in
the senate was 81 to 5; in the house 70
to IA The senate passed the Breiden-
thai banking bill by a vote of 25 to 10;
Hanna's bill providing for the election
of state superintendent of insurance
! by direct vote of the people; Kings
! bill for 20 per cent reduction of the
state printers fees; house bill repeal
ing the board of railroad commission
law. The house passed the bill
giving the court of visitation jurisdic-
ton over express companies as well as
railroad companies; appropriating
s., 600 more to pay expenses of the ex-
ira session; senate bill creating state
society of mines to be conducted on
the same plan as the state board of
agriculture; bill making the text book
commission a perpetual organization.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. -Four details
stand out conspicuously as the result
of yesterdays session of the legisla-
turc. They are these:
Messages from Governor Leedy, con-
veying his approval of the railroad
law creating the court of visitation
and the insurance law taxing compa-
MES per cent on their gross Kansas
premiums.
An attempt in the house to give the
people chance to vote again on the
prohibitory amendment to the consti-
tuition, first, by resubmission direct,
and, second, by means of constitu-
tional convention. Both of these at
temptsfaied through the necessity for
a two-thirds majority.
The passage of the most important
supplemental railroad BILL one for
bidding compulsory prepayment of
freight and giving the court of vista
ton power to sit as a court of arbitra-
ton. 1t required a call of the House,
lasting all the afternoon, to rally
enough votes to the measure to pass
it, 1t afforded the Populist majority
its first scare since the extra session
convened.
The passage by the House of an act
placing fraternal beneficiary societies
under the control of the state depart
ment of insurance and knocking out
wildcat or bogus fraternal orders.
Jan. "A resolution was adopted
by the house to adjourn next Friday.
The introduction of all bills, except
appropriation bills, closed at o'clock
tonight The house passed the senate
bill providing for the taxation of in
surance, guaranty and accident COM
panies not organized under the
laws of Kansas. By the act, domestic
companies will be required to pay 2
per cent, and foreign companies per
cent, on the gross premiums received
on business written in Kansas. Other
bills passed by the house were: An
act to prohibit counties, townships or
cities from voting bonds to aid in the
construction of railroads An act au-
thorizing fifty or more farmers TO or
ganize a mutual insurance company
against the destruction of property by
hail An act repeating all laws Great
ing and governing the present state
board of railroad commissioners.