The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-11
RECORD Is HERE.
What the Legislature Has Done
This Session.
Reform Measures Have Had
Hard Time.
LOBBY DID IT'S WORK.
Nearly All Square Deal Measures
Are Crushed.
Senate Proves a Burying Ground
for These Bills.

general importance nave oeColi0 "a"
Unless the legislature takes action
on the 2-cent fare and the primary
election bills, these measures are dead.
and the only one of the square deal
bills to be enacted into law is the anti
pass proposition. which will certainly
have to be counted as one of the most
important legislative acts of recent
years
The reduction of freight rates.
which was one of the Republican plat
form pledges, and was used as an Off
was given a black eye. The only re-
duction which the railroad lobby
would permit the senate to make was
Is per cent horizontal cut in grain
and grain product rates and the house
was compelled to accept this or moth
ing Grain is one of the most impor-
tant commodities, but 1T is not the only
commodity, which reduction
might well have been made. The
campaign pledge has fallen rather
fiat. st -S
One of the best legislati tive acts ever
put on the statute books is the new as
sessment and taxation law. This law,
while it may need revision and amend
ment in the future, is the biggest step
in the right direction which the pres
ent legislature has made, with the pos
sible exception of the antipass law
Some of the other general bills of
enacted into law were these:
State pure food law, similar to ma
tional law.
Grain inspection law.
Requiring railroads to maintain
freight terminals at Kansas City. -
Substituting commission system. Of
government for mayor and council in
cities of first and second class.
Increase in salaries of supreme and
district court judges.
Proposition to increase pay of mem
bers of the legislature. 20,
Prohibiting the making of exclusive
contracts, aimed at harvester trust.
Amending and strengthening the
present law relating to state board of.
railroad commissioners.
Law to protect the holders of west
ern Kansas school lands.
Revision and amendment of present
laws relating to the formation of cor
porations.
License imposed on vendors of pat
ent medicines.
State board of veterinary examina-
ton created.
Providing for examination of-the
sanitary condition of Kansas streams
Inspection law forpstock foods and
fertilizers.
ternities in high schools. 49,
Requiring Associated Press to fur
same. -,-.-1r. 800 s.-----' 49,
Providing for the appointment of
probate judge pro tenn.
Authorizing county commissioners
to submit court house building pro-
position to electors of any county.
Among the hundreds of bills which
were killed, many were good bills. and
were killed for that reason. They were
too good TO the people,. and not pleas
ing to the Interests"
For example. there was the bill re-
n he n
time of arrival of trains: the bill re-
curing railroads to build hog-tight
fences at certain places; the bill reduc-
ing sleeping car fares In Kansas all of
which were killed by. the railroad lobby
The manufacturers of adulterated paints
sent q lobby here and killed the pure
paint bill. an absolutely honest and de-
sirable measure. The anticigarette bill
was killed by the lobby, which seemed
to be in the employ of the tobacco
trust. The Trickett bills, intended to
give the governor more power in en-
forcing the prohibitory and gambling
laws, through the appointment of as
sisIant attorney generals, were killed
by the senate because the senate want
ed to slap Governor Hoch, who asked
for the passage of the bills
The following is a list of some of the
leading fatalities. and the place where
the death occurred:
AntiSunday baseball, senate.
"Mulct taxa local option scheme.
house and senate.
Women's suffrage amendment, house. |
Anticigarette bill, senate.
Reduction in sleeping GER rates, SEN
ate.
Requiring railroads to bulletin truth
fully at derots ti~.Ie of arrival of trains, |
senate.
Requiring railroads to build hog
fences on right of way at hog pastures,
senate.
Providing effective system of state ac-
counting. senate.
Trickett liquor and gambling bills
senate.
Pure paint bill. house and senate.
Changing maximum rates on crude !
oil, house.
Horizontal cut of IS per cent in coal |
ties, house.
State publication of text books, house. |
Legislative reapportionment, senate |
Revision of civil code, house and SEN
ate.
Tubercular sanitarium for state. |
house and senate.
State salt plant, house
The senate also killed the stock yards
legislation, but this was because the
Missouri legislature had failed to act
when TIE house became involv-
ed in its struggle about the primary
election and dropped everything else 1t |
will be seen that the senate did some
very artistic work in killing bills aimed |
at the railr DAD companies.
Who is the leader of the house?
The railroad crowd asserts with
great JUNCTION and sorrow, that the |
house had no leader. and this true of
the friends of the railroads in that
body. No one has shown any great
ambition to be recognized as the lead
err of the railroad crowd. The job has
been offered to w. L. Cunningham of
Cowley, to E. A. Enright of WAN
dotte. to ]. w. Holdren of Montgom-
cry, to Sheffield Ingalls, of Atchison.
n har7 rcd 70. n
title. Enright had been closer To the
lob than ANYBODY else nrnhn biz c.,