The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-05

himself had stated before the COM
mittee that the bill would apply to all
the little concernS-grocery stores,
mills. country newspapers and other
busineSses-au over the state
'I believe" said Senator Price.
that this fuss over the socaIled rnono-
poly bin has been raised by the Demo-
cratic member of the committee (Sen-
tical capital and political 'clap-trap'
out of it,
Senator Robertson, the Democratic
member of the judiciary committee,
Price. He declared that he did not
construe the governors message as a
reflection upon the judiciary COM
mfttee. He admitted that the So
called monopoly bill had been well
considered in the committee, but as
to when and how 1t was finally acted
upon in that committee he did not
know. "The first I heard of the COM
nittee's action on the DILL" he said,
''waS when I learned that it had been
adversely reported. endeavored to
get it put on the calendar, but in my
motion I inadvertently gave a wrong
number for the bill, and because of
that it was stricken from the calendar.
When / asked last Saturday that the
bill be placed on the calendar under
bills adversely reported, not a voice
was raised in opposition to my
motion. But the other morning when
L
calendar there were many voices
raised in opposition
Senator Price: "Did you at any
time during the consideration of the
press yourself in favor of the bill as
it came from the house?"
Senator Robertson: "I don't be-
lieve did. But I am in favor of the
bill with certain amendments which
intended to propose to it,"
Continuing Senator Robertson said:
"I do not believe we have adequate
laws at present to punish unlawful
trusts and see no reason why power
should not be given to the state
authorities to control corporations
which commit wrongs upon the pub
lie. am not here for politics sake;
represent the largest district of any
senator on the floor of this body and
1 am here to make laws to the best
of my ability for the people of the
state, and if supporting these bills
aimed at the Standard Oil and the
Harvester trust is making politics.
am going to make some politics.
Another member Of the judiciary
committee. Senator Stavely. arose to
defend the committees action. He
said he remembered that the attorney
general in the committee had ad-
mitted that any concern that was in
position to control trade in any COM
modify in any community, be it large
or small, would be amenable to the
bill proposed. ''In the committee"
declared Senator Stavely, "I expressed
myself as opposed to such a bill.
am opposed to any government by
bureaus, and I proposed amendments
to the bill.''
Senator Stavely said that the
original bill could be made applicable
to a single grocery store in a town.
Such a business could be declared
monopoly under the bill. He thought
there had been no haste displayed in
putting the bill through the COM
mittee. 1.-THE bill as presented" he
said, was a most obnoxious measure.
I do not believe the senate should be
criticised for what 1t has done. do
sage. I think he has been mis-
informed as to what the bill proposed.
He has a right to recommend matters
to the legislature, but not to say what
action we shall take upon any legisla-
ton
Senator Ganse, another member of
the judiciary committee, also defended
that committee against its critics. and
declared that he believed every mem
Der of the committee had acted on
their honest convictions and best judg-
ment.
Further defense of the committees
action was made by Senator Brewster,
also a member of the committee. zone
would judge from the reading Of the
governors message" he said, 'that the
other antitrust bills of the attorney
general have been ruthlessly slaughter
ed. That is not so; they have been
recommended for passage. 1 believe
former legislatures have provided am
pie laws to protect the people against
unlawful trusts. The attorney genera!
has been successful in his prosecutions
against the international Harvester
trust under present laws and I am Dp-
posed to the enactment of a law which
would permit an unscrupulous county at
torney to bring action against the pro-
prietor of a small store or mill IN a
small community and interfere with
private business by declaring the small
concern a monopoly in restraint of
trade"
Senator Potter also EXPRESSED conf
dence in the judiciary committee, but
ir view of the governors recommended
tion he moved to have the bill No 254
recommitted to the judiciary committee
with Instructions tlFat the committee
menadtions Of the governor and report
it back to the senate
This motion was ruled out of order
by President Fitzgerald, who stated that
the bill had been killed and stricken
from the calendar and that there is no
such bill before the senate. In support
of his ruling the president cited rule
No. 10.
After this ruling the entire matter
was dropped and the senate settled
down into the usual calm which follows
q. storm. and proceeded quietly with the
consideration of other business.
Senator Price presented reports of the
judiciary committee on the three house
bills Nos. $40, 81 and 987, which had
been passed by the house in the place
OF the public utility measure. The COM
mittee recommended that these bills be
passed. 1t had been expected that
friends of the administration bill would
present q minority report on these bills,
but none was offered The opposition
to these measures would probably come
up When the bills are considered in