The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-01
HAD A CLOSE CALL
State Fair Bill Saved by a Mar
row Margin.
House Agrees That Legislature
Shall Fix the Location.
MANY SPEECHES MADE
Importance of a Big State Show
Emphasized.
Motion to Table Is Lost By
Vote Of So to A.

first one on the house calendar this
morning and was passed for the time
being while the house considered ana
recommended for passage a number
Of unimportant bills. The house then
returned to the state fair bill and the
discussion has been hot and heavy
since that time between the friends
and the enemies of the bill with the
odds in favor of the supporters of the
state fair proposition.
w. Y. Morgan was called to the
chair by Speaker Simmons and the
trouble commenced as soon as it was
announced that the state fair bill was
to be considered. 1t seems to be the
sentiment of the majority of the mem
bers that a state fair should be held
some where in the state, but the loca-
ton of the place of holding 1t is al
most as varied as are the districts rep
resented by the members.
The demand for a state fair seems
to come from all quarters of the state
and from all classes and the members
have been petitioned by the cattle
breeders, the horsemen, the hog rails
ers, the farmers and the business men
asking them to vote for measure
which will provide for state falr.
II move that section be so amend
ed that it will read in the place left
vacant for the location of the site or
the fair in the bill Richf1eld, Morton
county Kansas" said Representative
Craddock of Morton county, and While
the motion was considered as joke II
might have carried had not namend-
ment been offered, for the house was
not really awake as what was trans
piring and when a member does not
understand the motion ne uSudllS NoIes
aye.
The motion of course was not con-
seriously even by the autnor
who represents Morton county, for
ut a nAnV
voters as are usually found at lodge
meeting Richfield has not in the past
ten years boosted of more than hal1
hundred inhabitants and the county
has neither a stream nor railroad,
and the motion was lost in the laugh
ter which ensued. though the motion
was afterwards amended by Ryan OF
Brown.
He said: ST think that we need
state fair in the state and that it would
be a good thing for the entire state,
but I find that it is being urged by
two cities in the state that the fair
should be located within their bounds
and it seems to me that this a selfish
stand for them to take. 1t seems that
the fight for the location of the fair
has sifted down until it lies between
Topeka and Wichita and between the
two cities would rather see it located
in Topeka, and 1 move that Topeka
Kansas. be substituted for the blanks
in the bill as reported by the COM
mittee."
1t is claimed that this motion, in
nocent as it seems, was intended to de-
feat the bill and that had it carried
there would not have been POSSIBLE
ity of passing state fair bill this ses-
sion though the author of the motion |
denies this intention.
Cyrus Leland said Il think there is
a demand for a state fair and that this |
bill should be passed without designat- |
ing the location, for if the place is
49, It'll I.
killed"
Bird of Shawnee said: at don't think |
the amendment of the member from |
Brown county should carry. 1 am in |
favor of this bill and being from Topeka
want to see the fair located in this CITY, |
but if We cannot have it here 1 am in |
favor of wichita or anywhere else, but |
I feel that Kansas should have a state !
fair somewhere within the boundaries |
of the state
Cunningham of Cowley moved as |
motion that the bill be |
amended so that the designation of !
the location of the state fair be decided |
by this legislature in joint session
This motion was for the purpose of |
whether the house favored |
a state fair. The result of the |
roll call showed that the motion carried |
by a vote of So ayes and so noes.
Thompson of Reno moved to have |
the bill amended so that the control |
and management should be under the |
Street supervision of the state board of |
agriculture with power to select di- |
-ectors and an executive board. The |
amendment carried by vote of so to |
49, Section l was farther amended |
so that the terms of the directors shall |
be two instead of four years.
Representative Stone OF shawnee |
said: CT want to see a state |
'a1r held in Kansas and think it will |
De one of the biggest advertisements
he state can have. While 1 would |
ike to see it held in Topeka. if we can
1ot have it here, let's have it some
where else. but let's have a fair and |
ct the outside world know what we
are doing.
his bill should become law and
why the fair should be held and 1 do
not think that the location of the fair
should be considered in the passage of
he bill. Let's pass the bill and the |
house and senate can decide upon the
location.
Just a few moments before the
noon hour w. A. Morgan of Hodge
man county moved to lay the further
of the state fair bill on
the table and the result of the vote
was so close that a roll call was de-
manded by those opposed to the bill |
as it was conceded that if this motion
carried 1t would mean the death of the
bill. There was plenty of wranglinR |
after the vote was announced and a |
cailof the house was asked for, but |
the opponents of the bill We're not able
to muster strength enough to lay the |
feated by a vote of So to Al.
RCHANGES ONCE MORE