The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-23
AWFUL BLUNDER.
Legislature Is Called to Time BY
"Omcial Organ"
Attempted to Save Money in
Publishing Laws.
DONE BUT ONE DAY.
Leaders Respond Readily to the
Demands.
Now Perfectly Willing to Let
the State Pay.
DONE BUT n DAY.

A very serious blunder was made by
the legislature one day last week. 1t
tried to economist on its bill with the
Official state paper by striking out the
publication clause in no less than four
bills in one afternoon. Probably the
official state pape lost $50 in that one
afternoons disastrous work, and it
would not stand it. 1t yanked the boss
buster leaders u with n jerk, n in
formed them that that system Of econ
omy must be stopped without any de-
lay.
I'VE are willing TO stand up and hur-
rah for economy" said the boss buster
organ tc the chief boss busters. land
we are willing to applaud you for chop
ping down the list OF employees, but we
want you TO distinctly understand that
it is decidedly UnNise TO change these
bills so that they will all be published
in the statute book instead CT in the
official state paper"
The boss buster chfeftainS made their
apologies and promised 70 be good.
They said they didn't think; that they
had become so accustomed to making
the economy play that it was almost
like second nature TO them.
We didn't ave q bit of hard feeling
for the official state paper they SAID,
and we Will see to it that you get all
that is coming to you"
Probably this is the reason that all
of the bills since that time have been
going through without changing the
official state aper' clause OF course
IL would save the state a good many
hundred and probably thousand dollars
to publish its laws in The statute book,
and with about go bills out OF 100, TINS
plan is just as satisfactory as publish
ing them in the official state paper But
sad to state, the official state paper
gets no revenue from the statute book.
It strongly insists that every bill posi-
bic be declared Of great emergency, n
pushed into the official state paper, De-
cause the official state needs the
money more than does the state
The four house bills which, one
after another were enasculated by the
committee of the whole were Nos So,
90. 81 and SO, none of them being very
long bills, and consequently not of
very great value to the state paper
The paper gets space rates for what It
prints. What was worrying n state
paper was the fear that a bad prece-
dent would be established, and the
members of the legislature would get
the foolish idea that it is legitimate to
economic on the official printing bills.
There may be later on a state printer
bill. or a taxation bill, or some other
I9-chapter of several hun-
dred type written RACES to be printed,
and such bills viii be worth Wnlle get
tins. for there is several hundred dol
lars d clip i'm it for the state
It will be interesting to observe. in
the future whether any or the boss
buster leaders Will q to fly in the
q c Of their instructions and, adj
dressing the speaker a
Il move to amend in the last sec
ton by striking out the words official
state paper ana inserting statute
book"
Robert Stone, of Shawnee. has
dubbed the house judiciary committee
a slaughter house" and the name
promises to stick. Any member who
has a bill which he wants to have
passed, Will shy violently at the sug-
gestiOn that it be referred to the judi
ciary committee
h session is very young, n the
committees have hardly gotten down
to work, and yet the committee on
judiciary has b amazing record of
having killed "a bills. Only 10 Of the
bills which have gone before it have
escaped alive. Some of these have
been entirely changed, most of them
have been amended until their own
authors might have difficulty in recog-
MIXING them.
Judge a. w. ems is chairman of
the judiciary committee, and the
members are as follows: w. P. Hack
ney, Cowley county, c. D. Jones. Nor
ton county, G.. w. Adams. Sedgwick
COUNT l. H Seaver. Ellsworth coun-
Y. C. Leland, DOniphan county. w. z.
Ham, Rocks county, J.. w HOIdren.
Wilson county. J. T. Pringle, Usage
county, A D. Mead Mitchell county,
p J. Potts. Norris county, c. A. Stan
nard- Lyon county, w. F.. Peter. Riley