The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-07
THIS OR NOTHING.
Senate Antiprimary Forces Are
Obdurate.
Refuse to Accept Compromise
Proposed by House.
is LITTLE CHANCE.
Hope of Effective Primary
Measure Is Vanishing.
Stillings Mulct Liquor Tax Bill
Dies on Calendar.
IS LITTLE CHANCE.

This afternoon will decide the fate
of the primary election bill so far as
the present conference committee is
concerned. Indications are that it will
be the Fitzpatrick bill or nothing.
Two sessions of the committee were
held Wednesday, one this morning,
and another is in progress this after
noon. At this afternoons meeting the
committee will probably either agree
or disagree.
The house conferees have made this
proposition to the senate conferees:
that the house will recede from the
secret ballot and second choice amend
ments, provided the senate will accept
the rest of the Stubbs bill. 1t is prac-
ticaliy certain that this will be reject
ed by the senate conferees.
1t is expected that the senate will
come back with a proposition to allow
counties, townships and cities to have
the primary law. but shutting it off for
congressional. state and senatorial
nominations. Such proposition for
compromise might be accepted by the
house conferees. but it is very doubt
full whether the house would adopt
such a report if made.
Representative Taylor of Osborne
county. who was looked upon as one
member of the house conference COM
mittee who might stand solidly for the
Stubbs bill, left town this morning. He
went to Kansas City. and the members
of the committee state that they do
not know the reason for his departure.
He has not been present at the meet
i1gs of the committee today.
W r. Stubs, the author of the
primary law which bears his name,
seemed tc be discouraged this morn
ing He said he didn't know what the
committee would do.
Rate Bill Close to Agreement.
Indications are that the present con-
ference on the maximum freight rate
bill will get together this afternoon,
and agree to recommend an Is per
cent horizontal cut in grain and grain
product rates.
This is about the only basis of COM
promise which the senate representa-
tives seem willing to consider They
refuse to accept the distance tariff
scheme 4cf the house.
The senate bill provided for a II I
per cent cut in grain rates. The ser
ate also passed a bill for an IS per (
cent cut in coal rates. The proposed I
compromise is to make an IS per cent l
cut on grain and grain product rates !
and let the coal rate reduction go.
W. Y. Morgan. the chairman of the |
house railroad committee, is under |
stood to have approved this plan of
settlement. and this is what has made
1t likely that it will be adopted.
Hit the Anticigarctte Bill
Senator Tucker. of Greenwood. mace |
another effort today to lift the anti |
cigarette bill out of the hole at the /
foot of the calendar and put it on third |
! leading.
'AT 1 ask" said Senator Tucker. is |
that you give this bill fair show OIL !
the floor of this house. 1 don't ask /
you to pass the bill; I simply want TO |
get 1t the floor where you can vCte
on It"
Senator Waggener moved as SUBJ
stitute for Senator fuckers motion |
that the bill be referred back to the /
judiciary committee. I have discov
cred decision of the Indiana supreme
court" he said. which l think renders
such a law as this VOID
The chair ruled that it would take
unanimous consent to advance the bill /
to third reading. and Senator Wag-
gener promptly objected.
Senate Had "CIeaned Up
There was not much of a rush to
clean up the senate bills on the calen-
dar today. The senate had taken care
of practically all of the bills that were
worth saving or that could be saved
Instead of stopping the clock before II,
and working for an hour late, the SEN
ate adjourned a little before noon.
One of the interesting senate bills to
expire was the Stillings "mulct tax"
bill, providing for a system of local op-
tion in spite of the prohibitory amend
ment.
There are about 200 bills on the senate
calendar, but they are nearly all house
bills.
May Pass Antifraternity Bill
This afternoon the senate will proba-
bly, go into the committee of the whole,
and start the consideration of the house
bills The first one on the calendar is
the Miller bill prohibiting high school
fra aternities.
Senator Getty. who has been leading
the fight on the bill. said this morning:
II am afraid the bill will pass. lot
Of old women have been up here, and
have got so many of the senators to
promise to support the bill that it looks
as though it would go through. 1t looks
10 me this is small business for the leg
slature to be mixed up with
The senate gallery has been crowded
with high school fraternity girls for the
past two days. waiting for the bill to
come up. They Will be very disap-
pointed ''bevy' if the bill gets a con- |
stitutional majority.