The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-18
ONE ROAD BILL.
Passes the Senate After Lively
Debate.
Senator Potter of Marion Leads
the Opposition.
VOTE is ONE SIDED.
Provides Sixty Per Cent of Land
Owners May Petition.
Mortgage Fee Bill Also Passes
Upper House.
VOTE is ONE SIDED.

After a heated and prolonged debate
the senate late Wednesday afternoon
passed the Hodges rock road'' bill by
q vote of 26 to 10. Senator Potter, OF
Marion, led the fight against the bill
and Senator Hodges, the author, de-
Tended the measure, being vigorously
supported by Senator Brady.
Nearly all the senators had remarks
TO offer relative to this bill and in or
: DER to get 1t to a vote Senator Price
moved the previous question, which
when adopted shut off further debate.
This was the first time during the
present session that this privilege has
been invoked in the senate to bring a
If the previous question had not been
moved. some OF the senators would
probably be talking yet.
Senator Stavely. chairman of the COM
nittee on assessment and taxation Sc
cured unanimous consent to make
seven bills relating 20 assessment and
taxation special order for 1890
Thursday morning. The bill providing
for the appointment of an honorary
commission to investigate the question
of state publication of text books, was
eideration of the assessment and taxa
ton bills, and the house bill relating to
roads and bridges was advanced on the
calendar for consideration succeeding
the other special orders.
The senate then proceeded to the pas
sage of bills on third reading. The bill
increas sing the salary of Secretary F. D.
Coburn of the state board of agricul-
ture, from s., 500 to $1,000 a. year, was
the first on the calendar. The judiciary
committees amendment making the in
crease in Mr.. Coburn's case, constitu
tional, was adopted.
Senator Hodges then offered an
amendment increasing the salary OF
Jake Moh1er. assistant secretary. from
81, 500 to g, 900 year. Senators Hodges
and Hamilton mentioned that Mr.
Mohler has been in the office of the
board of agriculture for II years and
they praised his work. The amend
ment was adopted. The bill was then
passed by a vote of 29 to z.
Senators voting against the bill were
Brewster. Denton, Hodges, Murphy,
Myers, Robertson and Stavely.
In explaining his vote Senator Hodges
said: 'I do not believe $1,000 year is
a proper salary for the secretary of the
state board of agriculture. L do not
think he should receive a. salary equal
to that of the governor Of the state.
1 therefore vote no. +"
Senator Myers also explained his
negative vote by stating that the
farmers in his county are opposed to
increasing Secretary Coburn's salary.
Senator Hodges rock road bill pro-
viding for the improvement of country
roads costing over $1,000 a mile, came
up for consideration. Senator Potter
moved that the bill be laid over until
Wednesday and considered under spe
cial orders.
The author of the bill opposed post
ponement of its consideration. He ex-
plained that roads such as are contem-
plated under the act. Will average in
cost not more than $,SOO mile. In
order to secure such improvement a
majority of landholders along the road, |
TNafifi0u the o0Tl1T1iS SSinn-
ers for the construction of the rock
roads,. and the Improvements must be
determined of public utility by the |
county commissioners. Three-fourthS
of the cost of such Improvement shall |
be assessed against the tracts of land |
adjoining the road, and one-fourth shall |
be paid by the township in which the
road is located. Bridge and culverts |
along the road shall be built at the ex-
pense of the county.
Senator Hodges was interrupted in his |
speech on the bill, by a point of order |
by Senator Potter and the question of
postponement of the bill was put to a !
vote. The senate decided to proceed |
with consideration of the bill
Senator Myers desired to amend the |
bill by requiring 60 per cent of the land /
holders rather than a majority to petit
tion for the Improvement, and Senator |
Glenn offered an amendment to the |
effect that a majority Of the land along
the road. as represented by the land |
owners, be necessary for successful
petition.
A vehement speech in opposition to |
the bill was made by Senator Potter I
In a voice quavering with emotion he |
urged the senators not to pass the
bill. He thought the bill would per-
NIT few men, who owned a few pieces |
of land to have an expensive road |
built and the cost of the improvement
assessed against other owners who did |
not desire the improvement.
Senator Hamilton spoke against the
Glenn amendment and in favor of good |
roads.
When finally put to a vote the senate |
rejected the Glenn amendment, but |
Senator Myers amendment, requiring 1
so per cent of the land owners on a pc |
tition, was adopted. The senate also |
adopted Senator Careys amendment |
that the 60 per cent of the land owners |
on the petition should own at least 25 |
per cent of the land along the line of |
the road
With section l amended to suit the |
senators, the remaining sections We're
adopted without discussion until section |
was reached. To this section Senator |
Porter offered an amendment provid- |
i~- s71at only one-fourth of the cost of |
the improved road be paid by the own
ers of land abutting on the road and |
the remaining three-fourths of the ex- [