The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-11
rate that it is better than nothing:


| made a special order fer 2:30 withou
| debate. An attempt was made L
| amend this motion by Hendricks o
| Rawlins, who wanted the two cen
fare bill taken up Immediately aftel
| the reports of the appropriation com
1 mittees were disposed OF. In eXplana
| tor of his amendment he stated tha
| he feared another deadlock such a:
occurred saturday, and that the house
| would not be able TO consider Other
| business while the absentees were be-
| i7g brought in.
The friends of the bill, however, dc
| not fear such a condition and his
amendment was voted down while
cries of vote, vote, came from all
quarters of the house. Morgan's mo-
tion was adopted and at 2:30 the roll
call on the two cent fare bill will COM
mence and will probably bring out an
other volley of explanations as it did
late Saturday night when a vote was
| taken on the bill but without a
quorum being present. While the re-
suit of the vote taken Saturday night
was not announced by the speaker out
side tally sheets indicated that 43
members voted in favor of the meas
ure and eight against it. the house be-
ing short IL members of the required
quorum. At this time Representa- tives
Stubbs, Stone and Rochester explained
their votes in writing and asked that
they be made a portion of the house
record. They were as follows:
Mr.. Stubbs This session of the
legislature will terminate within one
hour. We have no possible chance of
securing a greater reduction in pas
sengers fares on account of the hos
tility of the senate than the senate bill
which will make a 2 cent rate for ap-
proximately so per cent of the passen-
ger traffic within the state.
Il have earnestly favored a fiat rate
of cents per mile but prefer this
rate to nothing and vote aye
Mr.. Stone: Whereas the legis-
lature is convinced that it can not Sc
cure a fiat two cent rate for all of the
people of the state; whereas, the
railways of Kansas have agreed in
open session of the house of repre-
sentatives to place the provisions of
the bill introduced by Senator Noftz-
ger into operation at once and not con-
test the validity thereof in any court
and whereas the house of representa-
ing to enact a law which it believes
to be unconstitutional, I vote aye"
E. P. Rochester of. Scott: 81 desire
to change my vote on this bill from
aye to no for the purpose of making a
motion to reconsider at a later time
The report of the house conference
committee made Saturday night If
adopted will mean two cent fare under
the mileage book restrictions. The
cede from its position on the PROPOSE
tion and accept theE bill as amended
by the senate which provides that 500
mile mileage books Will be sold for ten
dollars.
Speaking from the floor of the house
where he had been called by the MEM
bers for cross examination, w. J.
Black. general traffic manager. of the
Santa Fe railroad stated that the rail-
roads would be willing to accept the
"a aS . Iaa Nv
senate. but not the house bill. Mr.
Black said Ham gof Rocks county
''If the railroads are willing to make
this rate why do they not do so with
out making it necessary for US to pass
such a law?
Il do not.think that a business man
of good sound judgment would make
such move in his private business af-
fairs and 1 can not see why a railroa
or any other corporation should do so.
We are not here seeking such legisla-
ton, but / merely say that the rail-
roads are willing to abide by such a
law If enacted"
The provisions of the bill as it
comes back from the senate are that
i've hundred mile mileage books will
be issued at two cents a mile or ten
dollars for the book. A two thousand
mile mileage book of interchangea BILE |
good on any road within the
state will be sold for $4,000 just as |
-ebate Of $3.50, when the cover is re- |
urned SO that the rate IN this in
stance will be two cents per mile ex-
,ept the extra charge of fifty cents. In |
'ase that there is unused mileage
which the purchaser desires to return |
Ill which has been used is charged to |
he purchaser at the rate of three |
,ents per mile.
1t is conceded by the members of
he members of the house that the two
n1f 70 rx-i11 lou rl,o, 10
oil is called and that the senate bill |
IS amended by Noftzger will succeed
he house bill. All attempts to get
he senate to recede from their atti-
ude on the matter have ceased and
he inevitable accepted by the house.
Cor it is either the senate bill or none
There has been considerable talk this
morning about the possibility of the |
election law bill being called
some of those who have opposed the
ill as amended by the senate have
weakened and it is intima ted that
representative Stubbs who has headed
erence report recommending the bill as
mended by the senate is wavering in
he support of his former stand.
While there is a possibility of the
he best position to know claim that il
5 mere possibility and no more, and
hat it will take manifesto from
tubbs to break the ranks of those op-
osed to the mongrel senate bill.
Representative Stubbs has had sew
raj close conferences with senators
Eho are interested in the bill but he re-
uses to say what the results of these
have been but his manner
indicates that there is something in
he air and it may be that an agree
1ent has been reached. In the past it
as been conceded that the senate will
tand on the bill as it has been amend
d and a vote taken in the house last
-eek when an attempt was made to
ave the bill accepted by the house as
mended was taken to mean that it
7ould refuse to recede from the stand
AIKEN Then it looked like the Stubs
i'll or nothing and perhaps there is