The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-06

BY the house Then a conference com
mlttee Wag asked for by the senate
Inc readi4sE OF the bill during the
afternoon session occupied less than aa
hour and half although there were 166
printed pages of it, Representative
Tucker and King of Ottawa spelled
the reading clerks in the task. During
the reading of the Bill nobody paid any
attention TO it. II e members left their
seats and stood around in the
aisles, smoking and telling stories. At
one time Bale Waggsner raised the
question Of no quorum but Chief
Clerk Mason managed to count IS
members in sight. just a quorum Some
of them came in from the cloak rooms
for the purpose Of being counted.
The bill was read in a monotone not
distinguishable ten feet from the read
ing clerk, and not half of 1t was act
uaily read The reader would read per
haps the first sentence of each section
and then pass on to the next one. That
is why it was finished so quickly
The reading of the bill was completed
shortly after o'clock in the afternoon,
and the roll was Immediately called.
The first man on the list explained his
vote and rebably a third of the mem
bers followed his example.
Adair said what the people want is a
plan which will reduce their taxes. and
the proposed bill creates over hundred
new offices instead. The bill is too
radical" said Mr.. Adair. 1T is unsat-
isfactory to my people. If I had said
in the campaign last fall that I would
support this bill | would not be here
now I am Republican, but we should
not railroad a measure through without
fair discussion. / vote no."
Adams of Butler: This bill is theo-
retical, impractical and Utopian. It is
too radical and drastic. 1t would bring
/ irretreivable disaster to the state. / vote
no."
Barnd of Ness: .'The present system
of taxation as practiced is the most
IL
to believe the statements made by mem
bers of this house it has made this a
commonwealth of thieves, taX-dodgers
and perjurers. We can't get a worse
system. L spoke for this bill IN every
township in my county last fall. and I
vote aye"
Francis of Allen: 1T is needless to
say that I was on the comm ission which
framed this original bill I do not say
that the bill is perfect, but [ do say
that it is a good foundation on which to
build new tax system. It may take
three or four years to find out how it
will work and to better it, but if it were
to take a dozen years it is better to do
something to bring about a change in
our present system. In fourteen years
the personal property valuation in this
state has increased only ten million dol
lars, and of that seven million has been
in railroad valuation. My constituents
sent me back here to help get this bill
through, and doubt if 1 would be here
had it not been for that. I vote aye"
4 RoughtOn of Hodgeman: There IS no
demand ia my county for revision Our
people pay their taxes and we have no
trouble in collecting them There IS a
big Republican majority in my county,
but they sent me down here and they
made a special request of me TO vote
against this bill I vote no.
This is the way the explanations ran.
Brown of Labette first voted no, but
then changed to aye. Einsel did the
same. So did Hill. Jones of Norton.
Lewis and Taylor; Hensel changed
from aye to no Fisher changed from
no to aye. and then back to no
That made the vote stand SO to 50. The
bill lacked three of having enough to
pass and its friends could not get an
other vote Waggener Leland and
others were doing their utmost against
i the bill while Morton Albaugh was on
+ the floor of the house working for it. It
was a funny combination The vote at
/ that time stood as follows.
Ayes-Barnd, Belts, Bevington. Bill
lings Brown of Labette, Campbell of
! Bourbon. Campbell of Meade. Dougher-
ty. Dunn. EinseI, Emmons Enright,
Evans FaTris, Finley. Francis, Friar,
f Godshalk. Hawkins. Hayden. Hill, Hon
nell Hugos, Hunter, Husey, Jeffries,
+ jerks. johnson of Sheridan, Jones of
Norton, Jones of Trego Kinkel, Kirk
patrick, Kramer. Lewis, Linton, Lock-
wood Mead. Mendenhall. Miller Muir
dock. MustOe, Nation, Peck. Pollock,
Pralle, Robbins, Schermerhorn. Schmidt
Tucker. Van Trebra, Watkins. Weldon,
/ Whistler, Williams of Shawnee, VIII
liams of Stanton and Woodhouse.
Noes-Adair, Adams Of Butler Adams
of Sedgwick. Baird, BeesOn, Bowman
4 Brandon, Broadbent, Brown Of Brown
/ Bucklin. Burke, Chandler. Dolley, Fish
er. Focle. Gale GOebel Griffin. Hale
/ Hallenbeck, Harris. Heusel Huteheson.
Jensen, Jones of Cove, Keith. King OF
Lane, King Of Ottawa, Kinnisons kirt-
land. KOst. Langneld Laughlin, Law
Leland Lynn. Martin of Morton. McIn-
tyre Mckee of Clay. Mckee of Mar
shall. Mclaughlin, Nixon. O'Donneli.
Parish. Perkins of LeavenWorth. Perk-
ms of Wyandotte, Roughton, Sims.
Stavely Tannahiu, Tatum, Upton.
+ Waggener. Wilson. WyckOff.
Absentees-Ballard, Barker, Crocker,
johnson of Decatur. Martin Of Woodson,
Sarbach, Sehlyer. Smith of Sherman.
Starr. Speaker F'ringle-
The friends of the bill could not get
another vote in the affirmative. but they
hoped to get Barker, Sarbach and
SDea ker Pringle to vote for it. Barker
was in Lawrence Pringle was attending
the funeral Of his mother in Wabaunses
county. and it was not known where
Sarbach was
The call oe the house commenced 1t
$50. For the first hour or two the two
Continued on Sixth Page)