The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-18

ANTI LOBBY BILL.
Passes the House With Little
Opposition.
Signed by Governor and Be-
comes a Law.
UTILITIES BILL UP.
Shortage of Copies Stops Con-
sideration of Measure.
House Gives an Exhibition Of
How to Work.
UTILITIES BILL UP.

| lobby bill in hurry late Wednesday
| evening by vote of 95 to 10 without
amendment and with very little debate
The Davis bill suited the members bet
ter but they took up the senate bill for
| the purpose of saving time. So the
anti-lObby bill only lacks the gov
ernor's signature to become a law.
The following members voted against
the bill: Boyd, Landrey, Maxwell, Nc
Cormiclx, Morris, Ravenscraft, Rogers,
Snyder. Stone of Sherman, Walker.
The house looked back over its days
work and saw that it was good. The
utilities bill. coming next on the calen-
der. was seized upon with aVidity and
the grind begun on the measure in d
most business like way but Stone of
Shawnee, author Of the bill, discovered
that there were not enough copies of
the Dill to go round among all the
members so he moved that the bill be
laid over until Friday morning at
which time additional copies of the bill
will have been reprinted. 1t is under
stood that the bill will be printed this
time in such fashion that the numerous
committee amendments follow each
section Of the bill that they affect. 1t
seemed unfortunate that the bill had
to be withdrawn at time when the
house was in such a great good humor
for hard work.
There are no sections to the main
utilities bill and it's companion bill
creating the commission is not a short
measure by any means. 1t will require
a good many hours of hard work to get
through the bills even if there was not
a particularly hard fight ahead, which
there is. The utilities bill has lowered
just ahead of the outStretched hands
of the house for a couple of weeks like
a flying Dutchnan. Still there is no
loss without some gain-the anti-lobby
bill will have become a law by Friday
and the large and devoted band of lob
byists who have been working against
this bill since it was introduced in the
house will have to register or disperse.
The bill was signed and published to-
d..
The house, scared over an imaginary
bertson bill preventing marriage be- |
tween Caucasians and Asiatics or ne !
groes. The members did not want to |
invite trouble with warlike Japan or |
Roosevelt's big stick, or at least they |
gave that reason for killing the bill |
How Kansas could enter the Nevada |
and California class of firebrands by |
passing this law was not made clear in
the debate. Some of the Democratic |
members were uncharitable enough to !
say that the negro vote of the state
and not fear of the Japs was the buga-
boo that scared the Republican MEM
bers into killing the bill.
At the night session the house
went into committee of the whole for
Grafton of a few of the 1S6
bills now under general orders
The first bill to come up for con-
sideration was the measure by Davis
of Bourbon, providing for bounty
of cents each on crows and 1 cent |
each on crows eggs. Some of the
members started out to amend this
bill. but Davis took the floor for his
bill and put it's enemies to rout. +
questioned the ability of
any one not an expert to distinguish
crows eggs from the eggs of other
birds whereupon Davis read to the
man from Cowley lecture on bird
ology that was a settler. The bill
was recommended for. passage after
the penalty had been graded down
from a felony to misdemeanor.
The bill by Hutchinson of Wyan-
dotte providing that no minor under
the age of Is years shall be per-
mitted to enter or engage in pool or
billiard game in any pool or billiard
hall without first having procured a
license from the county clerk and Sc
cured the parents permission to re-
eeive the license was recommended
FOR passage. The object of the bill
IS to keep young boys away from
places where they learn most of their
meanneSs.
The Lauder bill prohibiting betting
on horse racing was also recon-
nended for passage.
The Buck bill relating to the prac
ice of attorneys in the courts was
read to the house by its author and
The house enjoyed little fun at the
Judges expense before it recon-
nended the bill for passage. There
8 not a younger man in the house
han the judge in spite of his three
score years and ten and his dignity
md his learning. He took the pranks
IF the boys of the house in good
part and smiled serenely a t the efforts
20 amend his bill.
Brown of Kingrnan is a hard fighter |
and a game loser. He got even with |