The Topeka state journal., 1905-02-15
BIG DEBATE OPENS.
LeavenwOrth Man Wants Reffn-
cry at Lansing.
Thinks Buildings Might Be Used
for Other Purposes.

This afternoon the house is engaged
in the big fight OF the session. Sena-
tor Porter's bill providing for the ap-
preparation of $4,000 to build a
new penitentiary and state oil refinery
at Peru, ChautauQua county, Kansas,
IS being considered in committee of
the whole.
The biggest crowd of the present
session was present in the house to
hear the oil debate. Galleries were
crowded. and all the available space
on the floor of the house was oc-
cupied.
Speaker Stubs was obliged to re-
mind the visitors that smoking is
against the rules of the house. There
were several hundred ladies present,
and the speaker said smoking would
not be agreeable to them.
On motion of D. @. Jones Of Norton,
the house went into committee OF the
W. Y. Morgan of Reno, was called TO
the chair. Morgan is popular with the
house and the members applauded
when he took his place.
Frank Ohlhausen of LeaVenWorth
moved as an amendment to section 1
that all reference to the location of the
refinery at Peru, in Chautauqua be
refinery located at LeavenWorth, in the
penitentiary. He thinks that the oil
men will build their own pipe line to
Leavenworth.
the oil men want the state refinery at
Peru, where oil is plenty and of good
quality.
Mr.. Ohlhausen said: 'The STAN
dard Oil company has a pipe line 25
miles from Leavenworth, and it will
be easy to connect with this pipe line
! if we make pipe lines common car
riers- If the oil refinery proves fall
ure, we would have our buildings at
Lansing to use for something else. We
would not have white elephant on
our hands,
J. w. Adams of Sedgwick said he
had decided to support the state re
finery, but thought it ought to be right
in the oil country. Many states of
this size have more than one peniten-
tiary,'' said Mr.. Adams.
S. S. Glasscock of Kansas City said:
Eve will have to use Standard Oil pipe
lines if we locate the refinery at Lam
sing. Then let us simply say we VIII
esta ablish an oil refinery, if the STAN
dard Oil company does not object L
am opposed to the amendment. Let
us either build refinery or not DulIo
it. Don't let's go half way
Geo. Allaman, of Atchison county. spoke
for the Ohlhausen amendme9int; ne sa5q u
Leavenworth would be very light owing
to the fact that convict labor could be
q a Stannard, of Lyon county. said
that amendments should not be made to
the bill. as they would have the effect OF
killing it.
sition is an outrage and that the plant
should be located at Lansing where there
is plenty of labor.
c. B. Beekman said that Cowley county
would furnish enough convicts every year
II. w Grass, of Rush. said: 1T is a
business proposition: whether it is cheap
er to take fifteen men down there to the
oil fields, or to pipe all the oil TO Ian
Bert Stickel of Barton: eve ought to
pass this bill just as it is, and we will
get oil cheaper than we ever got it in our
lives
The amendment offered by Mr. OIL
hansen was defeated. It's support was
very scattering and the may" vote came
like crash of thunder. The house. was
dead in earnest and there was no doubt
about the sentiment on the oil PROPOSE
tion.
When section 2 was read, Mr.. Brandon,
of Butler. moved to appropriate $4,000
with which to erect the buildings to be
used for the refinery, instead of $4,000
IF we are going into this thing at all,
let's go into it right he said. 7 make
this motion in good faith and will vote