The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-21

with any person, company or corpora
ton to maintain a n-competitive
price of coal, or limiting or restricting
for such purposes the operations and
output of said mine in any manner
whatever, then and in that event the
right hereby granted shall revert to
the state of Kansas"
H. c.. Cowan, chairman of the
house committee on mines and mining,
and himself an experienced miner,
argued that the Atchison people do
not offer enough for the coal. He
said that from 5 to 10 cents ton is
the ordinary royalty down in his coun-
try. He declared that the offer of $40
an acre is ridiculous; that the coal
rights are worth about $275 an acre.
D. c. Jones of Norton said the
Atchison offer is fair: that the coal
belongs to Atchison by right of dis
covery.
Speaker w. R. stubbs said: ct am
in favor of dealing literally with these
people at Atchison, but do not be-
ieve we have the right to give away
state property. We should see to it,
first, that the state gets a fairly rea-
sonable price for the coal, and, second,
that the company should take out
certain amount of coal each year. We
do not want to do anything here for
which we can be criticised; which we
cannot justify on a business basis"
The vote on the ALBANIAN amend
ment was close, but the speaker pro
tenn declared the amendment carried.
A. w. Benson, of Franklin would
like to know how the state could collect
for its coal as it was taken out when
the bill provided a rate per acre.
Mr.. ALBANIAN thought 1t could be ar
ranged to pay at this rate.
After the passage of the ALBANIAN
amendment, Speaker Stubs made a
speech against the bill. He said:
This bill is not a business PROPOSE
ton 1t is giving away a fortune which
is not to be despised by any one. We
miles long and half a mile wide. 1t is
an action which we cannot justify on a
business basis
Mr.. ALBANIAN said in reply: The
speaker misrepresents conditions which
exist, and he does not know anything
about the Missouri river at Atchison-
The river is not a mile wide at Atchi-
son-it is not over 175 yards wide, and
Kansas bank the whole distance along
this right which we desire"
Mr.. Stubs said: 1T has been my ex-
perience that the Missouri river is from
half a mile to a mile wide, including
Mr.. Bird, of Shawnee, said that the
state should let AtchisOn have the coal.
THE bill provides" he said, that this
combine or trust. That ought to be
enough to insure the passage Of the
BILL
out OF combines does not amount to
anything 1T does not justify US in
giving away valuable property
Judge Benson, OF Ottawa, said the
state would never get anything out of
the coal on the acre basis.
Mr. Fisher, of Crawford, said he had
been in the legislature two terms and
had never explained his vote Forty
dollars an acre for water he said, is
twice too much. I have a notion to vote
no on that ground, but will vote yes
Feb. % the Limit
The house unanimously concurred in the
senate resolution fixing Wednesday, Feb-
ruary p, at noon, the limit for the IN
PRODUCTION of bills
The bill giving to the University Of KAN
sas medical school the right to hold elm
les at all state institutions, such as the
insane asylums hospitals, deaf and
dumb asylum, etc, was passed this after
noon by the house and will become a law
upon the signature of the governor
T3v a vote of 81 to q the bill introduced
by Senator Smith requiring the county
superintendents certain blanks, circulars
and other printed matter such as the state
superintendent of public instruction may
direct, was beaten. The bill received II
votes less than a constitutional majority.
There was considerable opposition to the
bill on the ground that it was putting the
county superintendent on a different foot
ing from other county officers. The defeat