The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-24
NO JOURNALS PRINTED
Want Them on Their Desks
Every Morning.
Committee Is Appointed to Sec
About 1t.


today during the course of discussion
that took up more than an hours
time on the proposition of having the
Journal of the senate proceedings
printed daily and placed on the sena-
tors desks. and later on in the debate
in which the state printer. Tom Nc
Neal, was not handled with gloves,
Senator Getty said: at looks to me
as though the state printer is entirely
too able for his job, and that he is not
only trying TO run the state legislature
but all of the state departments as
Well"
Some days ago Senator Simons in
troduced concurrent resolution di
recting the sergeant at arms of both
branches of the legislature to see that
copies of the senate and house jour
nails We're printed daily and placed on
the members desks on the morning
following the day when the transac-
tions occurred. This resolution pass
ed the senate by a unanimous vote but
was killed in the house and the
charges were made on the floor of the
senate chamber today that it was kill
ed in the house through the activity of
a lobby engineered by the state print
er. When the house reported that it
had failed to concur in the resolution
Senator Simons offered another reso-
luton that the sergeant at arms
of the senate be directed to have the
senate journals printed daily and
placed on the senator's desks. This
resolution was passed the day before
Yesterday and Senator Simons today
received a letter from Mr.. McNeal. tn
state printer, enclosing a report from
Foreman Brown of the plant. stating
that it would be impossible to get out
these journals daily because of the
great amount of work on hand, with
the plant equipped and forced it is.
This report of Foreman Brown was
read to the senate and then the sena-
tors got busy. The report in brief
stated that the state printing plant
was tied up with all sorts of work in
getting out the biennial reports CT the
various state departments. the ieglsla-
tive bills and a variety OF other work,
and that therefore it would be 1mpos-
sible to print the senate journal each
day with the present equipment ana
force of employees on hand. ana that
if the journals must be printed the un-
finished work must be passed. A1tSr
discussing the pros and cons of the !
printing business from the STANDPOINT
of the state printer and from every
other standpoint. resolution was
adopted which was introduced Dy
senator Simons providing for the ap-
pointment of a special committee or
three senators to investigate the con-
ditions at the state printing plant and |
see If it is acticable to have the |
journals printed. Lieutenant Cover |
nor FITZGERALD appointed Senators 81 !
mons. Getty and Noftzger. ana thls
is to report the result OF
its Investigations at the session tomor- |
row.
Foreman Brown had been read and |
the Simons resolution, which f1nally |
prevailed. had been presented Senator
Cettv took the floor and said:
s'If the state printer cannot do the
work of his office, we ought to get a
state printer who can. We've put IN
between sixty and seventy tnousaho
|
the senators will look over the old
senate and house journals they Will
find that the average days work In
each house can be covered in hve or
six printed pages. Is it possible that
we have spent all this money for
printing plant and then are
not able to get this much necessary
printing done daily. The house turned
down this proposition because they
were urged to a principle of economy
bv lobby headed by the state printer.
''The Journals were not printed daily
ast year and the result is that II you
pick up the senate journal for the last
session vou will find that it is an alb
,oIutelv incorrect record. Many sem
ators are credited with voting on pro-
positions directly opposite from the
way they actually voted. Why, you
IAN take up the senate journal of the
asst session and prove almost anything
rou please about the record of any
senator it is SO incorrect This is the
1nIy legislature in the country, so far
IS / know, that does not have it's jour
lals printed daily. We either ought
o have them printed daily or the
Journal should be read and corrected
Zach day.
''It seems to me that the only reason
We cannot have them printed is that
Mr. State Printer wants to make
-ecord for economy. He wants to GO
before the people as a great money
aver. This idea to make a fine record
lot be made at the expense of the in
erests of the members of the legis-
ature and the people of the state. We
ire the judges of what we need and
he state printer should be compelled
o get out our journal daily"
Senator Tucker defended the state
printer He said that he was undoubt- ,
div using his best efforts to keep
within the appropriation made for the .
unning of the plant for the year end
ng July L, 1907, and that he would
lave to finish all the work on hand to
,eep within the appropriation. !
do you think it is more important ,
O get out a lot Of state department !
eports with pictures of state institu- ,
ions and the like than to have our :
ournals printed each day? asked !
senator Getty. )
81 do not believe" replied Senator
tucker, that the equipment of the +
liant or the present appropriation is
efficient to add to the present amount ,
f work in the state printing plant" !
senator Tucker added that as long as
e had been in the legislature he had |
ever seen daily journal of the pro-
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