The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-07

The situation which was presented at
the last session will be exactly reversed.
Instead of joining with Stubbs and the
radical square dealers to pass pr1-
mary law, the Democrats will join with
the machine to defeat a primary law.
The secret ballot amendment which
the Democrats forced the Stubbs crowd
to adopt provided that a man present
not need to declare which party he
would support. All parties were on one
ballot. The Stubbs people consented to
this amendment because it was the
only way to get the bill through the
house, and their expectation was that
the senate could be forced to cut out
the amendment and send the bill back
to the house in it's original form. This
the senate refused to do, and adopted
the Fitzpatrick bill instead.
F. r. Wheeler of Pittsburg a radical
anti-primary man, and representative
of Crawford county in the house, is in
Topeka today. Il got here too late to
use my influence against the session" :"
he said. But in my judgment. there
will be no primary law enacted. There
will be a deadlock just as there was
before"
What May Be Done.
Here are some of the things which
are likely to be dragged into special
session of the legislature.
Guaranty deposit bill.
Primary election bill.
Amending the taxation law.
Bill fixing freight rates under
schedule proposed by railroad COM
mission.
Bill repeating the mileage book law
and substituting fiat 2-cent fare.
Legislative reapportionment bill.
Bill repeating the anti-pass law.
Amendments to prohibitory law.
Appropriation for new engines at
power plant.
Increase in appropriation of $4,000
for rebuilding east steps of state
house.
The guaranty deposit bill and the
primary election bill will probably be
passed in some form.
The amendment desired in the
taxation law is a provision limiting in
some way the levies to be made under
the increased valuation. In West Vir-
ginia the legislature enacted a law
similar to the Kansas law, and pro-
vided that for the first year, the board
making the levy must so limit the levy
that not more than per cent more
money shall be raised than during the
year preceding; that during the sec
ond year. the limit of increase should
be per cent. After the second year
it was thought that the legislature
might have sufficient knowledge of
the situation to pass a law fixing
definitely the limit of the tax levies. A
similar law will probab bly, be passed If
a special session is held here.
There is not much doubt that sew
eral members will try to push through
bill adopting all the freight rate
schedules which the railroad commits
sioners have drawn up and are now
trying to force the railroads to adopt.
This may precipitate a general fight
on the freight rate proposition. The
railroad commissioners will probably
not like to have their schedule
brought before the legislature, be-
cisnn and attack
The bill repeating the mileage book
law and making a fiat 2-cent a mile
rate will probably not meet serious
opposition, as the railroads have al
ready adopted the 2-cent fare, pend
ing a test in the courts.
There are several prominent
amendments to the prohibitory law.
Attorney General Jackson wants to
restore the old inquisitorial powers
of the county attorney. which he still
possesses concerning gambling but
is also expected that a bill will be
presented prohibiting druggists from
selling liquor except on a druggists
prescription.
The legislative reapportionment bill
is not likely to make much stir, though
tnere is a StrOnS demand Tor II from
western counties.
The appropriation FOR a general
overhauling and reconstruction of the
engines at the state heating plant is
necessary. The executive council has
exhausted its funds in patching up
the old plant, and it is still SO crippled
that the elevator at the state house
can not be operated.
The $4,000 appropriation for re-
building the east steps of the state
house was held to be insufficient, and
it is still in the state treasury. The
legislature would probably be asked to
reappropriate that $4,000 with $4,000
more, making a total of $4,000 for
rebuilding the steps to conform to the
north and south steps. 1t is possible,
but not probable, that an appropria-
ton would be made for rebuilding the
entire east wing of the capitol building
to conform to the newer portions Of
the building.