The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-24
tBHnU UN HUIUOa
Country Folk Have Bout With
City 'sChaps.'
Trouble Comes Up Over Auto
mobile Bill.
DISPOSED TO BEHARSH
Effort to Tone Town the Law
Is Defeated.
Hotel Fire Escape Fill Is Also
recommended.
disposed TOBEHARSH

Another little bout occurred in the
senate this morning between "city
folks and Country people" during
the consideration in committee of the
whole, of Senator Hunters bill No
400, which had been advanced to the
head of the calendar. This is the
bill providing for the state registra-
ton of automobiles and for the
regulation of their speed and opera
ton on streets and country roads.
The country people" showed a
disposition to require autom obiliStS to
'get off the earth" and hide when
ever they spied vehicle drawn by
a horse or horses, coming along the
road. The "city folks contended
for their inalienable rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
even in an automobile.
AS finally recommended for pas
sage by the committee the bill pre-
scribes an initial registration fee of
IS, and an annual renewal fee of SO.
The fee for renewal was increased
from 81 to So on motion of Senator
Hodges, who also offered an amend
ment which was adopted, that the
state fee should exempt autos from
paying a city or other registration
Each automobile shall display a
mum bered tag, be equipped with
suitable bell or horn. and shall be-
white lights in front and a red light
in the rear.
on country roads. automobiles may
not exceed a speed of 80 miles an
hour and at street intersections and
on highways where the vision along
the same is obstructed the maximum
rate of speed shall be miles an
hour.
Drivers of autos on country roads
must turn to the right on meeting
nfH iRl
cars if so requested by the driver of a
horse that appears frightened In
case the driver of the animal is a
woman or child the automobilist is
required to assist the driver in getting
the frightened animal past the ma
chine.
The section provicing protection to
automobiles against depFedations was,
apply also to carriages, buggfes and
other vehicles.
Senator Carey sought to have the
bill amended so as to provide that
automobiles be given half of the road
on meeting other vehicles. but this
Sena tors Potter, Murphy, Leidy and
Cooke championed the cause of the
drivers of horses, mules and other
domestic animals while Senator's
Carey and Quincy sought to uphold
the rights of the automobilists-
notwithstanding the senators We're
given a blowout at local hotel last
night that did not influence the sena-
tors this morning in their action on
Representative Johnson's bill, No. 124.
providing for the regulation and in
spection of hotels and public lodging
order for IL a.
The hotel bill as recommended for |
passage by the senate committee of the !
on all hotels two stories or more in |
height, and automatic fire gongs on
each floor. In hotels of so or more
rooms a night watchman must be main
tanned Efficient fire extinguishers
must be kept on each floor. or in lieu
of exting guishers hotels shall be equip
ped with a 2-inch standpipe with ade-
uuate hose connections and hose on
each floor Each bedroom above the |
first floor shall be provided with rope,
securely fastened to a chain near the
window, of such size and length as
shall be determined by the state board |
of health. The bill also requires prop
er sanitation in hotels and that each (
bed or cot shall be provided with two
clean sheets of sufficient width and
length to cover the bed and fold back
at head and all other coverings shall
be not less than six feet in length.
Inspection of hotels is provided for,
but the fees for inspection were
The committee also recommended
for passage H. B. No. $50, by Mitchell,
better protection for persons
who assemble in public halls, school
houses, churches, family hotels, thea
.ers. tenement houses, factories. office
buildings, etc. This bill was substi-
.uted for Senator Stewart's bill No.
LAG.
H. B. No. ia, by Morgan of Reno, i
protecting trees from depredations. l.
vas also recommended for passage in
committee of the whole.
The committee arose at IL o'clock
md the senate adjourned until p. m.
A bill was introduced at the morn
ng session by the committee on state
affairs, providing for an appropriation
o construct a driveway at the state
school at Hutchinson.