The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-28
TALK OF REFORM.
Senators Shy at a Measure to
Limit Employees.
Committee on Employees Will
Report on the Measure.
PORTER'S NEW BILL.
Would Permit Second CIassCfties
to Subscribe to Stock.
Applies Only to the Natural Gas
Companies.

The senate. or rather some of the
solons. Monday afternoon shied at the
bill introduced by Senator Young to fix
the clerkships in the senate and the
salaries to be paid.
The bill had been hastily drawn and
introduced and referred to the commit
tee of the whole.
A motion was made by Senator Fitz-
patrick that the bill be referred to the
committee on employees. The motion
carried.
I wish to announce right now that
the committee on employees will meet
tomorrow morning al 9 o'clock" an
nounced Senator Peck, chairman Of the
committee who doesn't propose to allow
the bill to die in the committee.
The bill provides that: AT the organ
ization of the senate there shall be
elected the following officers and en-
ployes: A chaplain, a secretary and as
sistant secretary, four senate stenog-
raphers. a journal clerk and two assist
ants, a docket clerk and one assistant,
a document clerk and two assistants. a
reading clerk and one assistant, post
master and one assistant postmaster
and mail carrier. a sergeant-at-arms
and five assistant sergeants-at-arms, a
chief doOrkeeper and five assistant
assistant janitors, a guard to the cloak
room and one assistant guard, six
pages, and not less than sixteen COM
nittee clerks, a messenger for the pres
ident of the senate. The secretary of
the senate shall receive for his services,
in full the sum of six dollars per day,
the assistant secretary shall receive the
sum Of four dollars per day, the read
ing clerk shall receive the sum of four
dollars per day. the pages and messen-
gers the sum of two dollars per day.
All other officers and employees shall
receive the sum of three dollars per
day; all of said officers and employees
to receive pay for the time actually en-
ployed during the session of the legis-
1ature. and no more
The section referring to the house IS
similar but provides specifically for
clerks and stenOgraphers as follows:
-Four house stenographers. one
speaker stenographer, stenographer
for the ways and means committee, a
clerk for the ways and means commit
tee "a stenogra ph er for judiciary COM
mfttee, a stenographer for local judi
ciary. a printing clerk, a bookkeeper-'
The senate committee of the whole
passed Senator Smiths. of Franklin,
bill to repeal old sections under which
the county surveyors work, and to
establish a new basis. The bill was
amended to limit the salary of county
surveyors to $4,000 and the turning of
fees in excess of that amount over to
the county treasurer.
The senate committee of the VIII ole
Monday afternoon considered Senator
Samuel POrter's bill to provide that;
Whenever twO-fifths of the resident
taxpayers, as shown by the last assess
ment, of any city of the second class
in the state of Kansas shall petition in
writing to the mayor and council of
such city to submit to the qualified
voters of such city a proposition to
subscribe to the capital stock of any
or o. 90
posing to furnish natural gas to such
city and its inhabitants for domestic,
public and industrial or manufactur-
ing and other purposes, such rnavOr
and council shall cause an election to
be held to determine whether such
subscription shall be made
The mayor and council of such city
may appoint an agent. duly empower
ed. TO attend all meetings OF the stock
holders of such company, and to vote
tn stock of said city at such meetings.
and to act for and in the name of and
on behalf of city as a stakeholder"
The bill was recommended for
passage.
The senate committee of the whole
recommended for passage Speaker pro
tenn Clark's house bin to prevent mo-
nopoly of corporations. The bill pro
vides that Gin the charter of any pri-
vate corporation hereafter to be or
gained. it shall be lawful for the or
ganizers to have inserted in such
charter a provision to the effect that
no stakeholder of the corporation
shall ever own, or vote as owner by
proxy. or both, to exceed a certain
minority per cent. of the capital stock
OF such corporation, which per cent
shall be stated, and such provision
shall be binding upon and may be
enforced against all stockholders in
such corporation"
The senate committee of the whole
.e,T7|rl 1H mas
Samuel Porter's bill to authorize cities
to issue bonds for water, light. and
heating purposes
Considerable of a stir was occa-