The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-25
THE BALL OPENS.
Railroad Bit Appears In the
House.
Modelled Closely After the Texas
Law.
RIGHT TO FIX RATES.
This Is Given to Board Of BAIL
road Commissioners.
Expected That 1t VIII Pre-
cipitate Big Fight.
TO FIX RATES.

Kansas railroads can now put on
their fighting clothes and get into poll
tics, for there was introduced in the
house of representatives this morning
a railroad bill, endorsed by the fedora
ton of commercial interests, which if
passed will bring about a revision of
the present unjust freight rate discrim-
ination which exists in the state, and
make untold trouble for h railway
companies.
The bill was introduced by Geo.
Flump OF Lyon county, and will be re-
ferred to the committee on railroads.
Inc committee on railroads, it is be-
Ileved, VIII stand pat, and refuse to
SuDmlt TO the tremendous railroad in
Huence which will be brought to bear
to Kill the bill. This committee has E.
y. Schermerhorn of Cherokee for its
chairman, and the other members are
Potts, Fraser, Jeffries. Brown of Brown,
Glasscock, Stannard, Geobel, Berry
man, Landergtn, Grass, Oshant, Guyer,
Hal n Haskins.
One of the members Of the committee
said this morning: I'VE are going to
pass h a bill. I kno all about the
bill, and IT is a good one. The COM
mittee will stand pat"
Mr.. Plumb said: Il don't NOW waht
the committee will do. 1t will require
considerable determination for the
of tina committee to with
stand the railroad influence which will
be brought to bear to defeat the bill"
The bill provides that h present
board of railroad commissioners shall
continue to exist, but gives h board
the right to employ at a salary of
$4,000 a special attorney, whose bust
ness it will be to fight the battles OF
the board. The board shall also en-
ploy a secretary, who shall be an ex-
$4,000 a year salary. A stenographer
at a salary of $1,000 is also provided
for, and the board is authorized to en-
ploy any additional expert help which
ton.
The part Of the bill which too close
ly resembles the Texas railroad law
to suit the railway companies is the
part giving the commissioners the
right to fix rates.
XIII F~umigation Bill.
The bill providing for the fumiga-
of all railway cars was killed
this morning by the committee on
health IN hygiene. The committee
This is the bill which has been char
acteriZed as a graft for the urpos
of holding up the Pullman company
passes It was endorsed by the
state board of health.
S. s. G~lasscoclz. chairman of the
committee on health, said this morn
This bill as proposed we could
not f~avorably recommend. It goes too
ALA II - LCO SAkGSIlG. IL. somehow
will introduce a more rational bill,
railroad companies to fumi-
gate all cars in which a constructive
has ridden, or something like that, we
would be in favor of it. but in its
present form we do not think it should
be passed.
The fumigation bill was introduced
by Geo. b. Cones, of the Meade
seward district.
Postage for Coburn.
The WAYS 1Qd n7aar- nnro r1s44Ao +bs-l
morning introduced a bill allowing
Secretary F. D. Coburn of the state
board of agriculture, h sum of 81
zoo to pay the postage and express
charges on his biennial report.
A number of important bills were
reported this morning by various com
mitteeS.
The hygiene and public health com
bill be not passed. h is the
bill creating a board for the examina-
ion of eye doctors.
W. b Hams bill giving to the state
university all of the islands in naviga-
bic streams now owned by the state of
Kansas was favorably reported. The
Brady bill, which gave the state uni
medical school the right to visit
any of the state aSylumS and hospitals
and use the patients therein confined
as subjects for their medical SchOO
clinics, was adversely reported, but that
of the bill asking permission to
Il BALL Ol 1dIlU lIOIl LII. olI1l6OD
Bell of Kansas City was favorably rec
ommended.
Brady's bill repeating the law which
the city court of Lawrence was
favorably reported.
j. T. Pringle this morning introduced
1 bill providing for the appointment of
1 school land commissioner, and, If
necessary, two assistants, who shall
make an investigation of the present
of handling the school lands.
1t is drawn along the lines of the Prin-
gle resolution adopted Tuesday. The
school land commissioner and his as
sistants shall systematic records, col
ect delinquent rents and look up titles.
The bill also provides that for the pres
ent all school lands shall be withdrawn
rom h market.
Fred Vandegrift has a resolution at the
instructing the Kansas members in
congress to vote for the bill allowing the
construction of a dam across the Mfssis-
sippi river at KeOkuk, Ia. This morning 1
he house did not seem disposed TO help
resolution along. 1t refused to de
,lare an emergency and put the resOlu-
on third reading. Il
After finishing up the first and second
of bills this morning the house
-ook up the local bills On general orders
md passed eleven of them before dinner.
There is a good deal of delay in getting
bills printed fast enough for the house.
house is working too fast for the
department. It will be necessary
either for the house to slow down or the
printer to speed up.
aAA- ~aAR RRRHR