The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-31
Gas Companies May Have to
Restrict Themselves.
Senator Huffman Would Have
Them Sell Gas Only.
SCHOOL BILL PASSES.
Permits Boards of Education to
Increase Their Levy.
City Commission Bill Is Acted
Upon FavOrably.

| Senator Huffman has introduced q
bill, which if it should become a law.
would seek to prevent the mixing Of
| air with natural gas 1t is short and
sweet, and reads as follows:
| Section !. 1t shall be unlaw wful for
any person. company or corporation
conveying natural gas through a oipe
| line or pipe lines, selling or oispcs-
| ing of the same, to pump or add any
air or other gas or substance to such
natural gas.
| Section ?. Any person, company or
corporation violating the provisions of
! section of this act. shall be subJecr
to a penalty of $500 for each and ev-
| cry day in which said provision shall
! be violated, the same to be recovered
/ by suit Instituted in the name of the
state of Kansas by the county attorney
| of the county where such violation oc-
ours, or in any county into or through
which said gas may be pumped after
the addition of air or other substance
| thereto.
| There is little doubt now that the
school teachers of this city, those in
the grade schools, will have their SAL
\ aries increased next year. The senate
| passed the measure yesterday which
will permit cities of the first class to
| levy d TAX OF Twenty DllllS 0dCn year
for general school purposes including
| building and repairs of school build
| ings. An exception is made of cities
| in the state having a population of ov-,
er 10000. There is only one of these
at this time. Kansas City, Kan. The
bill was amended so as to limit the
1 levy there to l Z mills.
Agitation for this measure, which
will undoubtedly pass the house, was
| started by the Topeka board of edu-
| cation. Cities of the second class in
| the state have always had the prfvi-
| lege of levying twenty mills for gem
eral school purposes. But the first
class cities have operated under spec
| ial acts and Topeka has been able to
i levy but twelve mills for general
school purposes and three mills for
| law the Topeka board of education
may levy FIVE additional mills for these
purposes and not only can the grade
! teachers salaries be Increased but the
manual training in the grade schools
| can be developed.
| Favorable action taken last
night by the senate first class cities
| committee ON the measure which al
| lows the electors of a city of the first
| class to decide at an election whether .
| or not they shall be governed by
| ommission of Eve men. Senator
| Getty is chairman Of this committee
! and a quorum of the members were
present at the meeting last night when
the bill was under consideration
There was no opposition to it on the
part of any of the members of the
committee. Mayor Davis, William
Green and Drenning. the city attorney.
were on hand last night to watch the
way their pet sch eme was handled and
they went home satisfied.
Bills were passed by the senate yes
terday afternoon follows:
BY Senator Smith-Amending the rail-
road law by taking away from the
board of railroad commissioners certain
judicial powers vested in it.
BY Senator Noftzger-Detaching
certain section of school district No. 4
in Gray county and attaching it to dis
BY Senator Conner-Changing the
name of John Samuel Fiscus to Don
Bernard Delaplaint.
BY Senator Getty-Permitting a tax
payer to bring suit to compel corpora
tions TO live up to the terms Of the
franchises granted them by cities OF
the first and second class. provided he
city authorities fail to bring such suit.
BY Senator Huffms the
name of Gertrude NJ. Shoate TO Ger
trude NJ. Virgins.
BY Senator Porter of Montgomery
Permitting cities of thc first class ID
levy tax of twenty mills each year
for general school purposes
BY Senator Hodges-Prohibiting
the hunting and killing of quail and
prairie chickens in Johnson county
for the next three years.
BV senator huSneS--CRd0Rln the
name of Clans A. Ingemanson 10
Clans A. InSman.
BY Senator Carver-ProvidinE for
the payment of the salaries of judges
OF the district court in monthly IN
stallments.
BY Senator Martin of woodson-
Compelling the construction of ex-
terror fire escapes on all public build
ings, such as hotels, theaters, halls,
and tenement houses.
Every senator present yesterday
afternoon, and there were thirty-four
of them. voted for the final passage
of the bill presented by Senator F.
Dumont Smith, which, it is claimed,
will strengthen the rate fixing powers
of the board of railroad commission
ers by stripping them Of the judicial
functions they are supposed to enjoy
under the present law. Contention is
made that the present railroad law
relative to the rate fixing power OF
the board is unconstitutional because
it gives the board both legislative and
judicial power
The bill was not passed yesterday
until an amendment suggested by
Senator Waggener had been incor-
porated in ii and which will prevent
the board of railroad commissioners
from making any classification of
rates in conflict with any classification
that may be made by the interstate
commerce commission.