The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-27
HOUSE ACTION.
Defeat OF the Amended and
Compromise Bill
Providing for a Utilities Com
missfOn-VOte Close.
FIVE HOURS DEBATE.
EIoquence of Various Support
ers of Amended Bill
Fails While That Of Opposition
Wins.
NEW BILL SUGGESTED.
A Simple, Clean Cut State Utili-
ties Bill
Eliminating the Local Utilities
Is Proposed.
Fails While That of Opposition
Wins.
NEW BILL SUGGESTED,
+ A Simple, Clean Cut State Utili-
ties Bill
Eliminating the Local Utilities
Is Proposed.


amended and compromised, was
beaten in the house last night by the
close vote of 81 to SO.
There is a possibility that a clear
cut straightforward bill covering
general state utilities outside of local
utilities may be yet brought up and
passed
After the bill had been read early
in the afternoon Mitchell of Doug
las moved that the original ad-
ministration bill as amended and
compromised be substituted for the
committee bill.
After five hours of debate the roll
call vote on the motion was as fol-
lows:
Yeas-Buckman. Dryden. Amrine,
Carpenter, Clay. Cline. Cranston,
Crawford, Finley, Cunningham, Davis
of Bourbon (Dem.), Deacon (Dem.),
Dolley, Dennis, Fisher, Eadie. Foley
(Dem.) Flagg Gray. Grabbe (Dem. },
Harbaugh, Griffin. Hopkins of Jack
son. Hopkins of Finney, Krehbiel
Jewett of Sedgwick. Lander, Kyle,
I-ouderbach (Dem.). Laubach. Nc
MILAN. Matson. Mitchell, Mercer, Nor
ton of Osborne, Moore, Parker. New
lin Schlichting, Ravenscraft (Dem.)
Shoemaker. Shideler, Stockton, Stan
nard, Watson, stone OF shawnee
White, Westgate, YoxaH woods.
Nay-Allen. Ashcroft CDem-),
Banker, Beckett, Berke of Jewell,
(Dem.) J. Bonnet (Dem. }. Brighton,
Boyd (Dem.), Burke of Saline (Dem.),
Clark Cole (Dem.), Crarey, Cron,
Crumiey, Davis of Kiowa, Darling
tDem.) Ely (Dem.), FEEDER (Dem.),
(Dem-), Guilbert, Harmon (Dem-),
Hines (Den-), Hutchison (Dem) |
incl (Dem.). Jackson, johnson. Ken
nett Kelly CDem.), Kuoni (Dem.),
Lennen (Ind.), Loofburrow. Malone
(Dem.). Maxwell (Dem.), McNair,
Meek (Dem.), Merrill, Miller, Morgan
of Hodgeman tDem.), Morgan of
Phillips. Penwen (Dem.), Reeder.
Pyle, Rhodes of Marshall, Rhodes of
Anderson, Rogers (Dem), Ryan,
snyder. stone of sherman, (Dem.),
Stout (Dem) Veatch Walker
(Dem), Westcott-61.
The eloquence of Mitchell the ap-
peal of Hopkins of Jackson. the argu-
ments of Foley, the logic of Stone, the
protests Of Dolley. the wit and learn
ing of Buckman, all these were with
out avail. The enemies of the utili-
ties bill were as determined as fate to
defeat that measure, and they were led
by Morgan of Reno and Davis of
Kiowa, two of the ablest men in the
house.
The insurgents put forward the
plea. which they made effective that
under the bill home rule would be
eliminated and struck the bill with a
sand-bag.
The administration forces presented
mutilated bill which was intended
to concede to most of the demands of
the men who sent it back to COM
mfttee last Tuesday. but all to no avail.
The Republican insurgents and most
of the Democrats wouldn't stand for
it,
Control of utilities has only been
, postponed.
AThe result of all these discussions
and amendments, mutilations COM
promises home rule propositions and
various sops to the different interests
with view to getting an amalga-
mated bill that would generally please
ought to show the importance right
now of a simple, clean cut. plain
utilities measure, which shall elimin-
ate any attempt to control city or To-
cal utilities and provide for state
utilities commission which shall con-
slider state. that is. inter county and
inter-city utilities, and leave the city
utilities to home control. unless the
cities desire to come under state law
That is really the proposition. and the
effort to permit the state just now to
regulate by a utilities commission, To-
cal utilities. is one which has many en-
ernies with good motives.
Now if the legislature will promptly
frame and adopt bill which will con
troll these great utilities. like the rail-
roads traversing this state. the express
distance telephones traversing the state
the gas companies traversing the state
the oil compa nies traversing the state.
the interurban companies to traverse
the state great good will be accom-
plished and fairness likely to be secur-
ed to both the corporations and the
people.
a bill of this kind might be one
which would simply add say, two
commissioners to the present board
of railroad commissioners and in
crease the duties of the board to
cover the other utilities doing state
or inter-county business. and give
the board power and authority to act |
as a utilities commission should act
A detailed history of the plan of the
control of public utilities was present |
ed to the house by Mitchell of Douglas |
in a mastery manner. He declared that
Attorney General Jackson was as anx-
ious for the bill to be passed as was
Governor Stubbs. as it would be of
iuestimable value in the prosecution of
cases against corporations that went be-
yond the law.
Hopkins of Jackson, told of the pro- |
fits Of a few corporations of this state.