The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-18
Will Come Up Again in House
Tomorrow.
DOLLEY MAKES REPLY
Representative Morrison Ac-
cuses Governor Stubs.
Charges Appointments Are Held
Up for Legislative Reasons.


having precedence over the guaranty
of deposits bill.
The agents and attorneys Of the
utility corporations have been boasting
that they have the utilities commits
sion bin beaten. but they are not quite
go confident as they were
If the members Of the house yield TO
the terrific pressure of the corporations
and defeat the administration bill IN
the interest of the people the part play
ed by each member for and against
the bill should be laid before the peo-
PIE of the state.
The agents and attorneys Tor the
utility corporations are stating openly
to friends and members that its all
fixed" and the impression seems TO be
gaining in the house that II is hardly
worth while to spend much time over
the bill as it Will be killed When II
gets to the senate. The senate seems
TO be dead set against the bill. accord
ing to the corporation agents Ihese
men are claiming to have pledges from
at least % senators and several believe
that there will be 50 votes against the
bill
Every pressure that can be brought
by the corporations to prevent the pas
sage Of the bill is being used Letters
are being sent to stockholders OF the
utility corporations in Kansas, asking
them to write TO their representatives
passage of the bill There is verita-
ble flood of letters from constituents
right now. These letters do not come
from the corporations themselves Dut
the corporations are sending the let
tiers 10 the stockholders and telling
them that if the utility measure Is pass
ed il viii cut down their revenues on
the stock This affects the pocket
book and when the wallet is touched
the owner thereof is sure TO set up
long loud vail That is the plan adopt
ed by the corporations and their agents
here are telling of these letters to
show that there is no demand for a
public utilities bill, that fact the de-
mand is all against the bill Then il IS
urged that the measure is not a party
pledge and it is not necessary to pass
the biz at this session
The Missouri & Kansas Telephone
Company's agents and the electric light
companies are the most active about
the state house now and II Is the rep
resentatives OF these companies that are
claiming that the utilities bill is dead.
The anti-lobby bill was signed to-
day and this fact is going TO seriously
handicap these agents OF corporations
who have thrOnged the legislative
chambers OF both branches of the
legislature for the past two weeks
the guaranty of deposits and utilities
bills. especially the latter measure
These lobbyists must either register
and observe the new law or get into
trouble
1t is believed that if the members
of the house will pass the utilities bill
If let alone 70 follow their natural
incIinations and protect the personal
interests of a large majority of their
constituents
There is not the slightest shadow of
a doubt that an effort has been made
to organize house lodge for the pur-
pose OF blocking legislation, forcing
an early adjournment and prevent
consideration Of the utilities bill at
all This effort has failed. The next
move of the enemies of the utilities
bill Is awaited with interest. Look
out for battle royal Friday and
Saturday
The bill by DoIley consolidating the
separate boards of control into one
general body consisting Of three per
sons was placed on third read ading in
the house this morning, subject to
amendment and debate There is ev-
cry promise of plenty of the latter be-
fore the bill reaches roll call The
. first objection TO the bill came in the
form of an amendment to change the
bin in that particular where it for
bids the appointment of any commits
sloner who lives in the same county in
which any Of these institutions are
located, and no two of the commits
eiOners shall come from the same con-
EressionaI district. The amendment
was defeated
Then some of the members wanted
the commission increased from three
to FIVE members. but the friends OF
the bill Outnum bered the supporters
Of the amendment
There was a sharp tilt early in the
debate between Morrison of Neosho
ard Speaker DOlley- Morrison started
the trouble by intimating that Gov.
Stubbs was attempting to lobby the
house by holding up appointments.
Dolley came back like a cannon shot
from a battIeship with the declaration
that the gentleman from Neosho was
making a false statement without any
grounds whatever for his assertions
DoIIev was on the floor of the house
at the time and had on his fighting
clothes
The bill has a majority support in
the house and will likely pass without
amendment in the face OF minority
opposition
Davis of Bourbon wanted to amend
the bill with provision that all the
commissioners not be from one poIiti-
cal party in order to get Democrat
The senate prohibition bill comes
next on the calendar under head of
EpeciaI orders and Will likely be dis
posed before night
Some of the Democratic leaders of
the house discovered what they al1ege
to be a violation of the rules by
sneaker DoIIey in the appointment of
his committees They say that some
of these committees have too few and
others 100 many members and that
therefore the action of these COM
r-tittees on bills is illegal Some of
the minority members go even further
and declare that the speaker has
devtated from the rules in regard to