The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-28
that TAX BILL.
Plans for Its Passage Are Be-
ing Matured.
Will Probably Be Made a Cau-
Gus Measures
WILL BE OPPOSITION.
Republican Leaders Object to
Making It Party Burden.
Friends Want It Adopted in Its
Present Form.
WILL BE OPPOSITION.

The friends of the new tax bill Will
try to force its passage as q Republican
caucus measure. That is why John
Francis. who IS chairman of the state
tax commission. which framed the bill.
made the motion in the caucus after the
nomination of Chester I. Long as United
States senator that when the caucus
adjourn it do SO to meet again at the
call of the chairman. as there might
other business come uD for the caucus
to consider. Mr.. Francis introduced the
new tax bill and is engineering its
passage in the house.
When the bill came up on second
reading for reference to a committee MI.
Francis moved that instead OF being re-
ferred to the committee on assessment
and taxation il be referred to the COM
T1ittee of the whole house. He gave as
his reason that II was the work of a
lature and had therefore already passed
the stage Of reference to standing
committee and was ready for discussion
on the floor Of the house. This motion
prevailed. which eliminates the danger
of the committee on assessment and tax
alton reporting unfavOrably on any fea-
ture of It
Speaker PringIe had already made Up
the committee on assessment and taxa
ton when the action was taken which
took away the tax bill from their con-
sideration. He had planned to largely
increase the committee and to place on
it some of the strong men Of the house
and those who are especially interested
in and cornptent to pass on the taxa
tion problems. but the action of ths
house diSarran8ed his plans. The taxa
ton bill would have made up the big
end of the work Of the committee on
assessment and taxation. and when the
house took the bill away from the COM
mittee it took away the necessity for a
specially large committee. SO Speaker
PTingle had to revise his committees.
He left the assessment and taxation
committee tse same size as usual, leav-
ing on #. of course, some of the men
best qualified to pass on assessment
matters. But he had planned to place
little other important work on the MEM
bers of that committee. and when he
cut 1t down he had a number OF able
men with little othsr important COM
mlttee work. so It uecessifated a re
arrangement all along the line. This IS
one thing that has delayed the naming
of the committees in the house.
The next thing will be the caucus
action on the bill Almost the irsS
thing after the legislature met Mr..
Francis asked leave to have the bill
printed. SO there will be plenty of print
ed copies for use in the house caucus.
The friends of the measure as it came
from the commission viii try to get it
through the caucus as nearly in its
present form as possible, and then when
1t comes to discussion on the floor OF
the house all that will be necessary will
be to let the fusionists say what they
want to and then call the roll
It may be that there will be opposl-
ton Ia the caucus, however. During the
campaign the fusionists attempted to
shoulder the bill on to the Republicans
as a campaign measure. but both Chair
man Afbaugh and Governor Bailey re-
fused to take it as such They said the
Republican party had never accepted
the bill as prepared. Some Of the Re-
publican candidates for the legislature
said in their campaign that they would
oppose the bill as prepared by the COM
mission. and others are known to have
been against it. Since then the COM
mission has cut out the foreign as
SCISSOR" feature and the schedule to
which there was considera BILE objection.
and this may lessen the fight against
the bill.
McLaughIin's New Joke.
Representative Mclaughlin of Chero-
kee promises to become the joker of this
session of the legislature. Following