Free press., 1907-01-26


Simmons has been working on his
committees since he was nominated
by the Republican caucus. The com
| plete list was announced when the
house met in the afternoon. The
| surprise OF the committee appoint.
ments rrobably was Morgan of Reno
for chairman of the railroad com
mittee. Leland OF Doniphan and
Stannard Of Lyon had been consid-
cred for this place and it was ex.
| pected that one of them would get
1t. Creech Of Dickinson gets the
important craftsmanship. that OF the
ways and means committee.
The Democratic members of the
| legislature in caucus tonight nom
| mated w. A. Harris OF Chicago for
United States senator for the long
| term and left the nomination for the
short term vacant.
Senator Simons has introduced a
bill in the senate with which he ex-
poets to effect a reform in the pres
ent method OF Furnishing murderers
tried in the Kansas courts 1t abo1-
lshes the death penalty for murder.
which has been a dead letter among
Kansas laws for twenty-five years.
The measure provides that persons
convicted OF murder in the first de-
gree shall be confined at hard labor
IN the state penitentiary for life.
For second degree murder a person
may be confined in the state peni-
tentiary for not less than ten years.
Senator Griffin introduced a con
current resolution providing for an
amendment to the constitution which
Will lenethen the terms of office of
state employees to four years and
make the governor ineligible to re-
election, to apply TO the state officers
elected to 1908.
Senator Smiths resolution, intro
duced this afternoon, provides that
the gross receipts of corporations
may be taxed and for the taxation
Of the franchises of all public SER
vice corporations.
Among the bills introduced were:
Senator Getty Authorizing the
commissioners of Wyandotte county
10 macadamize a rocd from the in
tersection Of Roby avenue and Myr-
tie street in Argentine by the short
est route to the Shawnee town road.
Giving cities authority to bring suit
against corporations when they
make improper use of their fran
chiseS. T
Senator Smith-Prohibiting trusts
making exclusive contracts with
Kansas dealers.
Senator Stillings Creating the
office of state boiler inspector.
Senator Simons That the prop
erty of mutual telephone companies
where their wires do not extend out
side OF township shall be assessed
only by the township trustees.
Only few bills have been intro
duced in the house, because the
members are waiting for the appoint
ment g committees. There are only
1O5 bills in the house at tGis time,
and two years ago nearly 800 were
introduced the first week.
The appropriation bill for the
state university was introduced by
Mr. Mitchell, of Douglas. 1t pro-
vtdes that the money for the ex-
penses of the institution shall be
paid on vouchers signed by the re-
Gents. The regents are also to be
allowed to draw 1000 or whatever
sum may be necessary at the begin
ming of each month to be used in
paying Incidental expenses.
There was little business of i'm
portance transacted in the house
during the day. because there were
no committees until late in the af-
ternoon. There were a number of
bills introduced and only a few of
these were unusual in their pro-
visions.
A bill prepared by P. H. Coney,
commander of the Kansas depart
ment of the G. A r., introduced in
the house by Mr.. Leland, carried an
appropriation of $4,000 to be ex-
pended on vouchers signed by the
commander and for the purpose of
making a proper display of the
relics Of the wars in which Kansas
soldiers have participated.
Other bills introduced were:
BY Stone - Authorizing the state
agricultural college to deputize
good roads commissioners to give
demonstrations in counties where
such demonstrations are demanded
oy the county commissioners; that
a judge after sentencing a prisoner
may suspend the sentence and place
the person convicted under parole.
BY Rochester Conductors on
street cars to see that the crossing
OF railway tracks is clear before al
lowing the car to proceed on to the
crossing; another making it mis-
dsmeanor for any person to falsify
the wording Of any union card or
other recommendation of the bearer.
Representative ingalls, That
boards Of education in first-cIass
cities may purchase school books to
be furnished to the children of the
INDECENT poor.
Representative O'Shant = For an
appropriation Of $1,000 to be expend-
ed under the direction of the regents
or the state agricultural college for
the purpose of discovering practi-
cal method of destroying the weed
commonly known as the bind
weed of which there are thous-
ands Of acres in Ellis county.
Penal Institutions Control. -
Governor Hoch will recommend that
the legislature change the present
system of managing the affairs of
the penal institutions of the state.
The governor believes that the af-
fairs OF the penal institutions ought
to be managed in the same manner