The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-15

RENI FOLDlNG CHAIRS AND Ia
I a resolution which grants the use OF
citation of Labor for an open session
| on the night of February 1. There
are $50 local unions represented in
this association which holds its an
month. Parsons. Representative
Cranston's home town, is a labor
stronghold.
A story is going the rounds of the
| committee rooms that is tinged with
romance and Senator Mitchell plays
a leading part in the cast. When I'm
derwood's name was proposed for
chaplain of the senate that gentleman
was not conceded a possible chance
to win the place and he would prob
ably not have been a serious contender
but for the fact that the name I'm
derwood" awakened long dead thoughts
in the mind of Senator Mitchell 1t
seems, that in his youth he had a
sweetheart named Underwood. In
quiry developed the fact this candi-
date for chaplain is the father of that
girl of girls in the long ago. Now
Senator Mitchell is married and had
not seen or thought of the Under
WOOD girl years, out 1Or- ola I11n6S
sake he hustled around and got eleven
votes for Underwood. These decided
the contest in favor of the father of
the girl of long ago. Strange things
change elections Blaine lost the
presidency because he applied the
strut" to Conkling's style of walk.
A resolution introduced by Lennen
would submit to the voters of the state
the proposition to amend the constitu-
tion by raising the pay of members
of the legislature from So to So per
day for SO days of regular sessions
and allow -$5 per day for special ses-
sions not to exceed 20 days in length.
a similar resolution by Hopkins of
Jackson would amend the constitution
to pay legislators 50 each for regular
and 81 each for special sessions and &c
per mile for travelling expenses.
In commenting on these resolutions,
which will doubtless be passed and
checked up to the people to vote on
at the next election, Speaker Dolley
declared that it was great injustice
to legislators to require them to come
to Topeka and devote all their time
to state service for the paltry pay of
SO per day. The question of a raise
was voted down at the last election
by 10000 majority. but he did not be-
lieve the voters understood the JUS
tice of the question at issue. He be-
lieved that if the question was proper
ly explained and again presented the
people would pay their legislators a
fair remuneration for their services
Dolley is right, ten times right. 1t
is ridiculous. miserly, to require leg
islators to serve Kansas for about half
the sum paid by Missouri to her law
makers.
Mccormick OF Crawford has intro
duced resolution which calls for the
in ~ i've 4 60
Kansas law. This proposed plan of
direct legislation would refer all i'm
portant laws passed by the legislature
back to the people for ratification at
the polls by merely getting up a pc
tition containing the names of per
cent of the voters of the state. Elec-
tions would likely cost a million dol
lars under this plan, require books for
ballots and occupy a week in voting
and month in counting the votes.
Here is most important resolution
by Hopkins of Jackson: THAT the ex-
istence of the right of eminent do
main shall never be abridged or so
construed as to prevent the legislature
from taking the property and fran
chise of incorporated companies and
subjecting them to public use, the
same as the property of individuals.
The house adjourned Thursday at
O'Clock until this morning out of re-
spect to l. W. Lambert of Emporia,
who lost his life in the Copeland ho-
tel fire Mitchell of Douglas introduce
ed the adjournment resolution which
referred to Mr.. Lambert as a leading
citizen of the state and former mem
Der of this body" Sympathy was ex-
pressed for the family and it was
ordered that copy of this resolution
be spread upon the records and an
other be sent to the family"
Three railroad bills have been intro
duced UP to this time out of the 100
bills placed in the files of the bill clerk
None of these bills are what could be
of them. by Loufborrow. requires all
locomotive engines to be equipped
with electric headlights of not less than
l, 500 candle power.
Another, by Merrill. requires railroad
to have the noxious weeds
provides in case of failure to comply
with this act the county through which
the road passes may do so and assess
the costs to the railroad in the shape of
taxes.
The third bill. by Buck of Lyons. pro-
vides that in case of bringing action
for damages against a railroad COM
pany for injuries received, contributory
negligence on the part of the person
injured shall not bar recovery of dam
ages sought, but shall merely diminish
the amount of the same. Also that en-
pioyeS can recover damages from the
railroad in case of injury and that the
known hazard of their accepted occu-
patton shall not prevent this liability
on the part of the railroad Also that
any contract, rule, regulation or device
on the part of a railroad company with
a person injured, or the latter's agent
the purpose of which is to enable the
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