The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-09
TORN TO PIECES.
House Disposes of Many Unim-
pOrtant Bills.
Amrine's Truancy Law Ruth
lessly Slaughtered.
THE RAILROAD BILLS.
Committee Recommends All Now
Before 1t.
Include Changes in the Demur.
rage Law.

The house, in committee of the
whole this morning. went through a
lot of dozen unimportant bills like
SIX cylinder auto through a small
village on the Santa Fe trail.
An act by Shideler of Crawford pro-
V1d1ng for reports to the state super
1ntendent of public instruction by
county and city superintendent was
recommended for passage; also the
bill by FEEDER of Barton providing for
the removal and care of the remains
or deceased soldiers of the civil war.
Then four bills were killed in a row
with great rapidity as follows: An act
by Brighton of Montgomery defining
the qualifications of county superinten-
the suspension of pupils from public
schools. An act by Amrine defining
the terms graded and ungraded
schools. An act by committee on by
of samples of drugs, medicines, nos
trums, ointments or toilet articles.
After this slaughter the house re-
sumed its grind of creating new laws
for this devoted state.
An act by Morgan of Reno author
izing cities to purchase land for pub
lie parks. A local bill by Wood of
Cloud. The senate bill making appro-
priation of $1,000 for the state poul-
try association, also similar senate bill
properly displaying records and relics
of the civil war. Act by Westgate
granting licenses to ex-soldiers and
sailors of the civil and Spanish wars
to operate delivery and baggage wag-
Ons.
The house committee on railroads
had a long session today and got prac-
tically all of the bills before it out of
the way. Every bill was recommend
ed favorably for passage or a substi-
tute was drawn to take its place.
Among the bills recommend ed favor
ably or for which substitutes were pre-
pared are the following:
Strengthening the powers of the
railroad commission to complete the
construction of switches along rights
of way where commercial needs re-
quire it.
Requiring railroads to keep stations
open a reasonable time before trains
are due and keeping the waiting rooms
comfortable.
Requiring improved spark arreStors
on locomotives.
Changing demurrage law so that
grain shippers and others handling
stuff cannot take all of
the cars ordered for a station. Limit
ing the number of cars to three to a
shipper when others apply for cars.
Requiring blocks in switches and
guard rails for the protection of train
men
l.
shipment is started responsible for
damages, even though the damage oc-
Cured on some other line. The ship
per collects from the company issuing
the bill of 1ading but the company can
collect from the company where the
damage occurred.
The house will fight it out this
afternoon in committee of the whole
on the legislative reference library bill
by Speaker Dolley.
A pleasant interruption of the daily
grind in the house game this morning
when Westcott of Cherokee spied the
silver head and moustache of Cyrus
Leland, the sage of Doniphan county,
on the floor and moved that he be
fined barrel of apples for lobbying
among the members. Your Uncle
Cyrus accepted the fine with a smile
Of approval.
Among the new bills introduced in
the house today was the biennial jack
rabbit bill, by Dennis of Cove county,
which provides for the payment of
cents for each rabbit scalp. but an
affidavit to the effect that the brute
was killed in that county must accom-
pany the presentation of the scalp to
the commissioners.
PenwelI of Shawnee introduced a