The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-04
STUBS SAYS NO
Speaker Doesn't Believe in Omni-
bus of Bills.
Tells Members That Bad Meas
ureS Pass by Such Means.
NO VOTE is TAKEN.
Question Left for Adjustment in
Future.
Bill to Keep Streams Clear APP
proved by Committee.

Stubs has put his veto on the Omni-
bus. If the speaker has his way there
will be no concert reading no Sim
Infamous roll calls and other similar
time and labor saving devices adopted
by the house of representatives this
session. Every little dinl1y local bill viii
be taken up by itself, read a first and
second time, referred to standing
committee, considered in committee of
the whole, put on third reading ana
passed or defeated.
1t is highly probable that the house
will have to stay in session day and
night to keep its calendar clear at that
rate of procedure. but Stubs is per-
fectly willing his representatives should
work overtime
No doubt Stubs is right-in theory.
He himself admits that his theory has
some disadvantages in practice. The
CRITICALLY. it is a very bad system to
run thirty or forty local bills through
at once, with clerks, members and pages
reading the various bills in concert.
But probably this system Of reading
does the members of the house about
as much good as the single nle pIan
Nobody ever listens to the reading OF
local bills anyway. They go through
on the recommendation of the member
introducing them, and he has to take the
responsibility with his constituents.
The issue over concert reading OF
local bills did not arise until FRIDAY
nee. he of the good old days of Pop
ulism. moved that all local bills on
third reading, to which there was no
objection on the part OF anybody,
should be put into the hopper and
ground out all at once Then Speaker
Stubbs arose and said:
Il don't know as we will ever have
time to vote on all these bills separate
~ but I know that some mighty rotten
things get through the Legislature IN
this way. This is a. very serious ques-
ton which you are considering right
now. and you ought to be careful
Mr.. Lupfer said: This has been
done for years and years. All have
been considered in committees"
These bills have never been dis
cussed on the floor of this house." re-
of bills which We are asked to pass in
this way one bill releasing the states
right in millions OF tons Of the very
best coal in the state of Kansas, Tor
the nominal sum of a cent ton.
think such a bill should be considered
on its merits"
my motion provides for that" said
Mr. Lupfer. If there is any objection
to any of these bills they will be laid
over retaining their place on the calen-
dar."
between Mr.. Stubs and Mr.. Lupfer,
the members of the house forgot to
second Mr. Lupfer's motion. and the
speaker pro tenn, who was in the chair,
fastened on to other business ana the
house adjourned soon after without
giving Mr.. LuDfer chance to renew
his efforts to clear the calendar Of
local bills
Bill to clear Streams.
The house committee on judiciary
has thrashed over all the bills provid-
ing for the clearing Of streams. ana
pose being to open the waterways and
prevent distractions at the time Of
foods. A summary of the committee
bill is as follows:
Section 1. Any person who cuts
down trees along the bank of any
stream shall remove from the bank all
logs. wood and brush as soon as prac-
ticable.
year the owner or occupant of land
through which a stream flows to re-
move all logs. trees and brush from
the stream.
Sec. 8. In case of failure of owner
or occupant to do this the township
trustee shall do the work and charge
II to the property. The tax, when col
aected. shall be turned over to the
township officers.
Limit City Tax Levy.
A. G.. Mead of Mitchell has intro
duced a bill calculated to be a COM
new assessment bill, which he hopes
viii become a law. If the assessment
law fails, the bill introduced this
morning will be withdrawn
The new bill cuts in half nearly all I
the tax leVies which cities are allowed
to make, and the same way with bond /
issues.
assessed valuation of property as pro-
posed in my bill this bill will force a
proportionate reduction in the tax
levy. If the cities did not reduce their +
tax levies they would get more money
on hand than they know what to do
with
The new bill proposes to limit the
levy for general revenue to mills,
instead of s, and the general improve
ment to 3 mills. instead of 6. The
levy for library support is cut, also the
levy for support of parks The bill
takes up every item of tax levy and
bond issuance which appears in the
statute book. and makes a reduction
IN the maximum.
It is the same bill which was intro
duced at the session of the legislature
two years ago as the postscript to
the voluminOus assessment and taxa
ton law then presented
Can Make a Speech Now.
At last George ALBANIAN, Of Atch-
fson, has succeeded in getting his bill
to prohibit the marriage Of negroes,
whites and Chinese, favorably report
ed from the committee on health and
hygiene. and the bill will come up in
committee of the whole on general
orders. It will give Mr.. AllamaH a
chance to make one of his red hot
speeches, which always bring in the
straggIers from the cloak rooms to
see what has broken loose.
The ways and means committee re-
ported favOrably on the bill making
an appropriation for the support of
the forestry stations at OgalIah and
Dodge City. This practically settles
the talk OF abolishing these stations,
and consolidating their work at Man
haitian under the direction Of the
State Agricultural college
FarFis' Bill Killed
e., HI - l,stlr,c. tl,o