The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-08
This lis the ReappOrtionment Q
Legislative Districts.
REFERENCE LIBRARY
That Is the Next Thing to b,
Fought Out.
Guarantee Deposit Measure Will
Also Draw the Fire.

J districts in such fashion that every
county should have representation. Sen
ator Glenn has the honor of having
drawn first blood in this respect There
have been $50 bills introduced in the
senate and 675 in the house up to this
time and the tidal wave in the last
manned branch continues undated. The
senate is working harder than it did
at the beginning, but at that still takes
its Saturday holiday and part of Mon
Iday The house members work like
the Trojans in defense of their city
from the attack of the Greeks. From
10 o'clock to is the present schedule
with two hours off for lunch. The house
committees are also down to their
knitting The other morning IS bills
were reported out of committee in one
batch and of these only p were rec
commended for passage.
| The house worked the greater part of
last week in committee of the whole
and ground out some 80 bills. The first
real fight of the session was started
Friday evening the legislative Il
brary apportionment bill by Dolley pro-
viding for a legislative reference libra
! ry and librarian. The library carries
with it a maintenance funds of about
| Sc 900 yearly of which sum $500 Will be
used to pay the head librarian. 1t Is
over this Office that the storm clouds
have gathered. Some of the house lead
ers want a state university professor to
! have charge of the library without adj
ditional charge to the state while other
leaders are determined to hand this job
! to certain of their friends. The bill
will come up for debate next Tuesday
and a red hot fight is anticipated at
1 that time. The Democrats will oppose
| it as a piece of useless expense. to the
state and there may be enough insur-
| gent Republicans to defeat the meas
vi nf hill that
such library in the state house would
be of invaluable aid to the legislators in
drawing up bills, as they would nave
the work of all the states and nations
before them as a guide and inspira-
ton. The bill will likely pass by
close shave and will probably have
few amendments tackled on to it.
The big fight of the session will come
on when the guarantee deposit bill is
introduced. The house committee on
banks and banking has agreed on a
! bill and it will be presented Thursday
after the bankers of the state have met
| here Wednesday and held a final dis
cusSion on the measure The bill is
radicals and provides for guarantee
fund of only $250,000. and it affords
more protection to the bankers than
any bill yet proposed, but at that 1t
appears to be bonaf1de guarantee bill
and carries with it the appreciation of
Governor Stubs. The house commit
tee considered an even dozen guarantee
bills out of which they framed this
measure. If any bill can be gotten
through the legislature this is the one.
1t comes as near satisfying all parties
as is possible where these parties are
so wide apart on the point at issue
A radical bill could never get over the
shoals and besides is not desired by
the administration: There will be a
fight on this bill, too in both the house
and the senate. but it has chance to
20 1y,,tk
that and they were making no admis-
sions at all before this bill made its
appearance.
There is talk in the papers about
the dearth of leaders in the house and
senate. There may be none who tower
head and shoulders above the rest like
Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, but
there are leaders in both bodies. Cam
bern in the senate is as bright and
able a man as Dumont Smith or Fitz-
as those worthless in the heyday of
their brief public careers.
In the house there are Mitchell of
Douglas, Cunningham and Buck of
Cowley, Matson of Sedgwick, Stone of
Shawnee and Speaker Dolley, who run
the party bandwagon with skill and
vigor. Each man is able in his own
peculiar line, and as they work in |
combination. Mitchell and Buchanan |
are both smooth and persuasive, |
speaking well on all subjects. depend |
ing on logic and the appeal to the |
common sense of the members. They |
are strong friends and dangerous enc |
mics of any bill up for consideration.
Cunningham and stone are fiery
speakers. They warm up quickly to |
their subject and always make a |
strong appeal. Both are ready de- |
baters. Matson is wise to the rules of |
the house. ready debater and makes |
a good talk. He has been very sue
cessful with all bills which he has |
championed so far this session. Speak
er Dolley is also to be considered in /
Maple Hill has the craft to make his |
speed and strength effective, as they
say of the men in the prize ring. He
always makes a raight-from-the |
shoulder talk and his fairness as
speaker and his good nature under fire |
naturally gives him prestige besides |
that accrued from his official position. |
This man Dolley is making good, and |
he will always make good. wherever
he is placed. Watch him.
Foley of Rice county is leader of
the minority and there is no ADLER |
man on the floor of the house.
The talk of a deadlock between
the house and senate over the appro-
priatfon for salaries and the con-
sequent blocking of legislation is not |
well founded. There is a deadlock, /
alright, at this time. and it looks
stormy ahead, but there are enough /
branches to iron it out before the
cloth is burned. The house placed /
the entire 112 senate employees in the1
appropriation bill alongside the fifty |
This looked bad to the senate and |
that body amended the bill by cutting t
out this section. The house refused to |
accept the amendment and voted to |
nonconcur. Conference committees |
appointed by both bodies failed to
agree, but Speaker Dolley has ap-