The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-13
TAX OR NO TAX
House Is Torn Up Over Ques-
ton of Exemptions.
Shall the Fraternal Societies Be
FaVOred9
FOR FIREMEN'S FUND.
Matson Bill LegaIizes Payment
by Insurance Companies.
Plan to Make Terms of State
Officers -Four Years.
OR FIREMEN'S FUND.

The house went into committee of
the whole this morning and spent the
day grinding on bills of a minor i'm
portance. The weights and measures
bill was recommended for passage.
The anti-Iobby bill by Davis of Bour-
bon will come up for consideration
Monday The utilities bill, which had
been set for that day, has been side
tracked to Tuesday.
The guarantee deposit bill will be
introduced in the house the hrst OF
next week, so there will be big doings
in the house during the next few days
The house got into stubborn argu-
ment this morning in committee of the
whole over the bill by Brown of King
man which exemptS from taxation all
buildings used exclusively as places
of worship, school houses, parsonages,
literary, educational, scientific, benevo-
lent or charitable organizations. I'm
der the provisions of this act the old
and much discussed question of wheth-
er or not the property of fraternal or
CARNATIONS shall be taxed or not came
up for discussion. Two cases have
already reached the supreme court
bearing on this matter, one from To-
peka and the other from Wichita, both
Instituted by the MaSons who refused
to be governed by the recent ruling of
the state tax commission that all lodge
property should be subject to taxation.
The house could not agree on this
bill and it was laid over to be con-
sidered again at the next session of
the committee of the whole.
The bill introduced today by Mat
son of Sedgwick makes legal the Gus
tom of paying money by insurance
fund. The illegality of these pay
ments have been found to exist in all
cities which have full paid fire de-
partments and includes nearly every
city in the first and second class in
the state. The legislature in 1905 re-
pealed the section making payments
to fire departmen that were full paid
legal and allowing these companies to
participate in the fund. No one had
discovered this phase of the law until
a few days ago and yet the payments
have been made and received since
1905. The insurance companies pay
a certain per cent of the premiums
collected for fire insurance in each
city each year to the superintendent
of insurance. That official each year
divides the money among the towns
according to the business and value
ofthe fire fighting apparatus. The col
lection of the money has been legal
but the payments to towns with full
paid departments has been illegal. The
bill corrects this defect in the law
and also provides the payment of a
pension to all firemen who have been
in service twenty years in the shape
of a half pay allowance for life.
Davis of Kiowa today introduced a
resolution which changes the terms of
office of state officers from two to
four years and makes it impossible
for state officer to succeed himself.
A bill was introduced today in the
house abolishing the present board of
medical registration and examination
and transferring the work of this board
to the state board of health. 1t pro-
vides for an assistant secretary of the
state board of health at a salary of
$500 per year and adds 81, 900 a year to
the salary of the secretary of the board
of health because of the additional
duties placed upon him by this bill.