The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-24
NOT Even A COPY
No Session Laws for General
Distribution.
Legislature Shut Down on Their
Publication.
BAD FOR THE LAWYERS
None Of Them Can Be Bought
Anywhere.
Evidently Some One Blundered
in Preparing Bill.
BAD FOR THE LAWYERS

It is important to the lawyers of the
state that they should have copies of
the 1905 session laws which are TO be
printed some time between June and
June Is, but the present indications are
that copies of the law viii be very
scarce indeed; that there will not be
nearly enough to supply the demand,
and the state printer is prohibited by
law from making up the deficiency.
All the trouble comes from a law
passed by the last legislature, which
prohibits the use of the plates or
matrices of the session laws. either by
the state printer or any one else, for
the publication Of more than the num-
Der Of session laws allowed by the law.
Section $3.50 provides that 5000 copies
OF the session laws shall be printed.
The distribution Of this entire edition
is more than provided for by succeed
ing sections OF the same chapter The
law provides that the secretary of state
shall dispose of the books as follows
Thirty comics to the state librarian,
also enough copies so that the state
librarian can exchange two copies with
every state and territory of the union.
(Total 1900.
one copy to each state officer, fnsti-
tuition and department. (Total 65).
One copy to each district judge. (Total
oAJ.
one copy to each city of the first
class. lTotal 20.
one copy to United States courts and
officials CTOtal 81.
Two copies to library Of congress.
CTotal o.
one copy to each county officer. jus
tlce OF the peace, chairman of county
and township boards. (TotaI $500.
Three hundred copies to be kept by
the secretary Of state for new counties
and townships. (Total 300).
One copy to each member of the leg
tslature. CTOta1 1861.
This makes a grand total of 6,275
which the law requires the secretary
OF state to distribute, and yet the law
at the same time provides that only
5000 copies shall be printed
In practice, however it usually works
out that the secretary has enough and
a few to spare, because some of the
books intended FOR justices of the peace
and minor officers are never delivered.
Copies Of the session laws remaining
in the office of the secretary of state
can be sold by that official at 50 Per
volume Not many copies OF the session
laws are thus disposed Of because it
has been the custom for the state print
er to sell the plates to some private con
GERM which can get out an edition of
the session laws Independent of the
state and drive the state books out of
the ring. 1t was by means OF this sup
Elemental private publication of the
session laws that the lawyers of the
state have been supplied. There are
thousands of lawyers throughout the
state who need copies of the session
laws. and now that the state printer is
forbidden from selling any of the plates
or matrices, or using them himself ex-
cept to print the books ordered by the
law, it is hard to see where they viii
have their wants supplied. The state
will have a corner" on session laws.
The new law which is likely to cause
the shortage in copies OF the session
laws was passed as house bill No. as
1t was introduced by Judge A. w. Ben
son, but the poison was put into the
bill by J. It. Pringle's committee on the
state library. The committee on state
libarary added a proviso which is as
follows:
THE state printer shall not make or
permit to be made any matrices or
plates or impressions of any book pub
lished by the state except for the use
Of the state as herein provided, and all
matrices or plates so made for any book
published for the state shall be the ex-
elusive property Of the state"
AS originally prepared by Judge Ben
son, the law did not have anything to
do with the session laws 1t related
wholly to the distribution of copies Of
the supreme court reports, and it is not
materially different from the old law
But the committee hitched on the pro
vlso, relating in a general way to all
publications of the state printer and
prohibiting the further use of the plates
or matrices.
1t is reported that if the state printer
is prohibited from selling or using the
matrices and plates of the session laws
some private concern viii undertake the