The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-14
GLOOM IN HOUSE.
Copeland Disaster Overshadows
Legislation Today.
Resolutions of Sympathy for A..
w. Smith Offered.
FIRE ESCAPE LAWS.
They Will Receive Attention
From Legislature.
h. q. Appropriation Measure Is
introduced.
FIRE ESCAPE LAWS.

When the house was called to or
der this morning the events of the
Copeland hotel fire a few hours be-
fore overshadowed all legislative mat
tiers. Nearly a score of members of
the house had escaped from this con-
Migration, among them Westcott of
Cherokee, Rich of Hamilton and
Morgan of Reno. receiving injuries.
Speaker DOl1ey referred to the mar
row escape of many of the members
in terms of thankfulness, as did also
the house chaplain in his invocation.
Brown of Kingman. introduced a
resolution of sympathy for A w.
Smith. well known and honored by
-Kansans in the important offices of
state many times. In presenting his
resolution Mr.. Brown declared that
Mr.. Smith had been his friend and
neighbor for twenty-five years and he
paid high tribute to the injured man.
The resolution was passed under
At IL o'clock the house adjourned
to 2:30 p m. Thirteen bills were in
troduced at the morning session,
bringing the total up to 50.
They Ought to Know.
Cranston of Labette introduced a
resolution comforting power on the
speaker to appoint a special COM
mittee of five of the members who
went through the Copeland fire this
morning to investigate the fire escape
laws of other states and to improve
the Kansas law covering this matter
If they saw fit.
A Million for n. L.
The appropriation bill for the State
university, introduced today calls for
million dollars for the years 1910
and 1911.
The San Jose Scale
Watson of SedeWiPLx ipfrOdncad a
bill appropriating $4,000 to be used
to fight the spread of the San Jose
scale. He got the bill advanced to
second reading and a special COM
mfttee appointed to consider it
Talk to Be Cheap.
Clark of jefferson introduced a
resolution providing that each mem |
Der be entitled to one talk per day
over the long distance phones of the |
Independent and Bell companies.
Iambert's Loss a Shock.
When it was reported in the house
that Ike Lambert of Emporia. the |
we'll known attorney, had lost his life
In the Copeland fire, Buck of Lyon |
moved that the house adjourn out of |
respect until next Monday morning |
Speaker Dolley hoped that this resolu- |
ton would not prevail until the ma
chinery of the house had been set in |
motion, as at this stage in the pro-
ceedingS an adjournment to Monday |
over again on that day, meaning moth |
ing more or less than the loss of a |
weeks time. Buck withdrew his mo- |
ton.
Amendment to Primary Law.
Kyle of Marion has introduced a |
bill amending the primary by which /
the date of holding the primary cleo
ton is changed from the first Tues |
day in August to the first Tuesday in |
June. large number of the mem |
bers are committed to favoring this I
amendment.
A Fire Escape Law.
When the Cranston resolution pro-
viding for a committee to investigate |
the fire escape laws of other states
was introduced it developed the fact |
that the Kansas legislature will con-
slider stringent fire escape laws at it's
present session.
Among other bills to be introduced |
later on this subject is one by Johnson |
of Atchison. who. as a member of the !
United Commercial Travellers, has
been entrusted with a bill embodying
the wishes and recommendations of
that organiza ton.
The Copeland fire today illustrated
the inadequacy of the state or city
laws covering this question. The fire
escape facilities of the hotel were not
sufficient to accommodate half the |
sleeping and bewildered guests, many |
of whom jumped or let themselves
down from windows or braved the