Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-03-05
LEGISLATURE TO
finish SATURDAY
uch Of the Important Work VIII
Be Left UndOHe.
: TILITIES BILL IS KILLED

The Session has entered upon
Its last week Of deliberation.
While there are a large number
of bills pending on the calendar
'ot each House, and while there
have been comparatively few mea
ures passed, the time is about
up. and an adjournment will like
ly be taken Saturday evening.
There is some talk now that the
Governor will call an extra
session, to begin Immediately af-
ter the adjournment of the reg
uiar session. That is to be done.
because there is some important
measures that will likely not
receive consideration this week
and then, every member has one
or more personal bills, which he
Is anxious to have enacted into
law.
The House and Senate are at
'sthis time at ''logerheads" over
the Bank Guaranty bill. The
bill, as it passed the House, con-
Ntained some provisions that the
Senate did not like. Among then
is what is known as the Ed
wards Amendment" which pro-
.vldes, that in localities where
Banks now in existence refuse to
become members of the Guaranty
Association, that a new Bank
starting, could become a member
of the Association at once,
without waiting for the first
years business to roll round, The
Law does provide that no Bank
should be eligible until it had
been in business a. year. 9th
er amendments added by the
House were putting in time de-
posts bearing not more than 3
per cent interest and without
limit as TO amount. This clause
had been limited in the Senate
to 100000 Another amendment
. by the House was that Bank
Deposits in other banks should b,
guaranteed, and not to exceed
100000. The House Bill also
provided that savings bank ac-
counts s,.ould be included in the
Guaranty, and That Trust Com
NAMES could avail themselves OF
the Law, and become members OF
the Association. The first con-
, ference committee appointed on
the bill reached an agreement,
but said agreement was not con-
Cured in by the Senate. Hence,
the second committee was ap-
pointed. They have, at this
time, not agreed, but likely will.
The good roads law, or the dir
roads law mentioned in past cor
respondence has passed the Sen
ate, providing for the working
=. of poll tax instead Of paying it il
cash, and also reduces the age
limit from fifty-five to fifty
years.
The session last week was mos
'ly taken up with the utility prop
osition. This was a big one,
and one which caused more cro'
: feeling among members OF the
blouse on both sides Of the Char
Der, than any other measure thai
has been before the House: The
bill, as originally introduced, pro
vided that a commission Of five
men, who should have general 81
pervision and control over every
public utility, great and small
in this State, and is practically
the law which is now in force in
New York and Wisconsin. Thes
y men have control over every ut
tie water-works system and TEL
ephone line in the State subject
to this commission, and would
add thousands of dollars OF ex'
pense to the State for a certain
:. ty, and whose benefits were only
to be guessed at. After a heat
ed discussion, the bill was re-
ferred back to the judiciary
Committee, with instructions H
report a bill granting to Cities
self government, in other word'
eliminating the towns and Cltie'
Of the State from the provis
ions Of the general bill, and eaV
inc them to the commissions o
:: the various towns. When TIM
, .Sill came back, the chief promot
..ers of the general bill begal
attempting to have the genera
! bin acted upon, by offering !
\ as a substitute, and after an al