The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-13
IN THE SENATE.
Senator Glenn Introduces the
First Bill.
Senator HamiItOn's Public UtlI-
tiles Measure In.
IT IS COMPLICATED.
Provides for a Public Utility
Commission.
Good Roads Plan Suggested by
Senator Hodge.
IT is COMPLICATED

There was no delay in getting down
to business in the state senate today,
the members all seemed primed for
legislation and as soon as Chaplain
Underwood had finished his prayer
and President Fitzgerald threw down
the barriers and spoke the word,
there were a dozen senators at the post
eager to get away in the race for leg
tslation. Senator Glenn OF Greeley
county won the distinction of introduce
ing the first senate bill OF the session,
in fact, Senator Glenn did not stop
with one bill, but presented a bundle
OF nine bills.
Perhaps the most important devel-
opment of the morning session, was
the Introduction by Senator Clad Ham
ilton of Shawnee, of a public utilities
bill, most comprehensive document
covering many typewriter pages and
making provision for regulating and
controlling all sorts Of quasi-public
corporations operating in the state
Senator Hodges, the Democratic mem
Der from Johnson county, offered a
good roads bill and at least a dozen
other senator's introduced measures for
various purposes. During the morning
session, also the senate adopted the re-
port of the committee on senate en-
ployes and elected the persons desig-
mated by the committee.
Following the Introduction of bills
and resolutions the senate proceeded
to reports of committees. The report
of the committee on employees provid-
ed for a force Of sixty eight. The
number of senate employees for the
1907 session was 1O6. OF the sixty
eight employees the Republicans select /
ed sixty-four, permitting the Demo-
cratic half dozen to appoint constit-
uents to four positions.
List of Employees.
The list of employees for the senate
is as follows:
Assistant secretary-w W. stahl-
Assistant Sergeant at Arms. V. |
Carr. Frank Dixon, Richard Wilson, J. |
E Neighbor, Lee Stanford. Fred |
Lewis, A c. King.
Reading Clerk. A Ramsey.
Assistant Reading Clerk. W.
Docket CIerk-George Wiley.
Assistant Docket Clerk-diss Mable |
House
Journal Clerks-Mr. Lucius Moore.
Miss Merle Kelleloe. W. R. Kercher.
Copyfst-Miss Kathryn Standheld, |
Miss Amy Brown
Document CIerk-George W. Jones. |
Assistant Document CIerk-Ed /
Stone Oscar Stratford, Clayton Frank,
Miss Marguerite Saylor-
Telephone Girls - Miss Mary
Buchanan, Miss Tessie AuItz.
General Stenograp hers-Miss Tres |
sa DeIlinger, Miss CIarie Sphinx, Miss |
Selma Beronius, Miss Nettie Sohlinger. !
Miss Nell Tutcher.
Door Keepers-George J. Duncan, |
Anthony Way. Howard Hamilton. viii
liam A. Hunter. H Naylor, John P.
Hutson, H B: F. Keller, w T. Col
Inns, Charles W. SIcKaege.
Mail Carriers-Joseph Barkyoumb,
J. S. Hale.
Pages-Reed Gerardz, William Badg-
er, Harold Gaines. Charles Overton
Frank Wilson. Earl King.
Assistant postmaster-W. B. Mont
gomery.
Cloak room attendants-Mason White,
Arthur Robinson
GuardS-WiIuan Hackney Duane
Clark. Jack walker, J. F. Neigh.
Night watches-R- W. NJ. Rowe, Dan
Jones.
Janitors-Marian Butcher. Charles
Ridley, Fred Logan, W. P. Banks, John
Baker, d. F. Phillips, John H Jones.
Messengers-W. ]. Swanson, S. c.
Arnett.
The minority's selections were as fol-
lows:
Miss Mamie Robertson. stenographer:
Mr.. Robt- McClarthy. assistant door
keeper; Miss Elsie Anderson. stenogra-
pher; Mr.. Gilbert Milton. page.
Public Utilities Bill.
Senator Hamilton's public utilities
bill provides for the creation of a pub
lie service commission, which is vest
ed with power to supervise and regu- |
late every public utility corporation or /
concern in the state. Every public |
its business transactions to the com
mission. which is empowered to ex- /
anime the books of the concerns and /
acquire such information as the com
mission deems necessary concerning
the corporations affairs The public
service commission has authority TO /
regulate tolls and charges of public /
utilities. Every public utility is re-
quired to file, with the commission /
schedules showing its rates. tolls and +
charges and these rates shall not be /
in excess of those in force January l, |
1908.
The bill further provides that all in
information in the possession of the
public service commission shall be /
open to the public, excepting in certain
cases when the commission may with /
hold information for a period not TO /
exceed ninety days. No public utility
will be permitted to receive or collect
q greater or less compensation for its
services than that specified in its
printed schedules on file with the COM