The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-06
Kansas Legislators Are Facing
a Financial Crisis.
House and Senate at Logger
heads Over Appropriations.
A SLAP IN THE FACE.
Upper House Didn't Like Re-
Election OF Lower Body.
Objectionable Language Not
Eliminated-NO Cash.

Ine Kansas legislature is in the Do
slIlon OF q house divided against it
self" None of the r1en,b..-s - -.
legislature nor the employees OF either
branch have drawn their nav for Il
days and the result is that there are a
number OF members and employees Who
are IN nnauciaI distress. Just how Ionx
1nls condition viii be maintained is a
in@SIer OF conjecture. as one body has
SAID tnat II viii not receds from its
kOsLIlon until Hades freezes over and
IlS Sther branch is equally determiu-
Cd 10 maintain its position.
Inc senate blames the house and thar
Oooy says the senate is responsible for
cne existing conditions and there the
iaIeef rests JeaIOusies have existed
ever since the legislature convened and
Ihe pos has repeatedly referred to the
color OF the kettle and conditions have
grown worse from day to day.
The house Of representative consists
Of 10 members and the payroll fudf-
cafes there are but "a employees in rtfs
branch At the other end Of ne br7fT5
ing the senate consists OF 40 r1e1,bs--
ana being considered an zrfstocratis
BODY II has employed - pages sreuoG-
raphers, assistant doorkeepers. ser
geantS-at-arms and general assistants
OF all kinds
The present legislature is supposed
70 De a reform body, and il NAV Be-
-slLlls N tnat the senate employees
exceed those Of the house which has
over three times as many members
The members Of the house have erDvrI-
ed about the extravaganc OF the sen
aIe ever since the two bodies cOuveu-
cd out the climax came last week
when the appropriation bill for the ten
days ending January 81 was under con
SideEarion-
ing funds for the payment OF the mem
oers OF the house and senate but vfo-t
lated precedeuts and enumerated the
number Of employees IN each depart
menr- The senate took this as A di-
rect anFOnt and when the bill was re-
ferred TO that body amended il in such
a way that the Objectionable section
was eliminated The house declined to
concur and asked for a conferences
committee
Three members from the house and
two from the senate were appointed on
this committee and they met fmmee5f-
atelyr but were unable to agree That
Is the situation at present with respect
to the appropriation bill and in the
meantime the members Of both bodies
as we'll as the employees have been OoIfg-
ed 10 get along without their salaries
Senate slapped Back
There is a little side issue TO the
story OF this legislation II will be
remembered that shortly after the
Piled itself with a new carpet at a
cost OF nearly 81. 600 and new desks at
an additional expense Of over $4,000.
When this bill was presented Repre-
sentative Brown of kingman protest
ed and finally asked that a commit
tee be appointed to investigate ths
miSapprOpriatiOn Of funds. alleging
that the funds from which the pay
propriated for other purposes In
spirit Of bravado the house passed
the bill and it was referred to the sen
ate for final consideration
Speaker DOIIey of the house IL is
said beat the bill to the senate and
asked that it be held up and that body
tabled the measure When the senate
heard OF the action Of the house in
reference to the appropriation bill it
Immediately resurrectsd the iuvestf-
cation resolution and passed IL. but
the members OF the probing com
mfttee have not as yet begun their
inquiry into the charges OF cOrrup-
ton
In the meantime the members OF
the house are borrowing from each
other and IT is said the bankers in
the senate are doing a land Office
business loanfng money to the repre-
sentatives- who are shy on funds.
The financial condition Of many OF
the employees is decidedly strin gent and
in some cases absolutely diIapidzted-
However, everybody is hoping for the
best and executing touch where
A bootbIack in the senate il Is re-
ported is reapiug a harvest from the
present condition Of affairs as he is
lending money to some of the hired
help and charging a Shylock rate OF
interest His loans however are con-
fined to the members Of the working
force and do not include the senator's
In the house it IS different for there
are number Of memb bers who have
been compelled TO negotiate loans
The feud is on and until either the
house or senate recedes from its pres
eut position the members OF these
bodies as well as the employees viii be
without their pay checks Al the pres
ent IL seems there may not be an
other pay day until the end OF the ses-
sion when the final appropriation Dill
is passed
This being the case there will be a
long financial drouth for the members
Of the legislature, and the boarding
house-keepers VIII have to feed and
lodge the members Of the legislature
as their star guests and trust to the
ultimate payment OF their bills.