The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-18
HELPING IT ALONG.
Senate Billto Force Commission
Form Of Government.
Would Make It Compulsory for
Second Glass Cities.
TO MAKE NO RECORD.
Effort to Consider Initiative and
Referendum in Open.
"U'nfaithful Public Officials
Bill' Reported FayorabIy.

Se H. Hodges today introduced
IN The senate a bill making compulsory
the adoption of the commission form
OF government in cities of the second
class. There has been ciamor for
the commission form in many of the
second class towns and number OF
them are now operating under the new
plan, but an act of the legislature
looking to compulsory adoption of com
mission government is new and was
unexpected Hodges declares he will
I1ght the Dill through the senate and
believes it will pass the house. s
I believe it is a mighty good thing"
declared the senator from Johnson
county, land I do not believe the meas
ure will meet with any very serious
trouble in either house"
Since the new form of municipal gov
eminent became popular. it has been
adopted in every Kansas city of the
first class with but one exception
Atchison-and should the Hodges act
become a law, would make uniform
government under the plan in every
town of consequence in the state.
Az administration concurrent reso-
luton was offered this morning by Sen
ator Quincy of Salina, calling for an in
vestigation of contingent funds and an
investigation of all state offices and
charitable institutions. The resolution
is in accord with the tone of the mes
sage sent to the senate by Governor
Stubs in which he discussed the ex-
penditure of his contingent fund.
When the initiative and referendum
and recall resolutions were reported to-
day, Robertson of Rawlins county,
made hard fight to have the resolu-
lions considered in the open senate,
but he lost when the ,insurgent MEM
bers gathered enough. votes to have the
discussion fought out in the commit
tee of the whole. Robertson urged that
no record could be had of votes in the
committee consideration and declared
that the fight on the constitutional
amendments should be open and above
board. Stannard and other insurgents
insisted that they were not trying to
dodge the record but said that the mat
ter could be reported from the commit
tee of the whole and due record made
in the open senate The inSurgent men,
bers did not oppose the printing of L.
900 comics of each resolution and were
willing that. the copies be distributed
Friday morning. Under the motion of
Robertson. consideration of the resolu
lions was placed on the calendar for
1920 o'clock Thursday January &C.
When the administration forces got
under way they changed this plan and
consideration is now in the air and will
probably not come up for discussion
short of two weeks.
The Brewster bill for busting un-
faithful public officials was this morn
ing reported favorably by the judiciary
committee slight change was
made in the bill at the suggestion of
its Trainer. Brewster's act provides
that any official cited for unfaithful
conduct shall be at once prosecuted in
either the supreme court or district
court and allows the court the right
to suspend the Official pending final
disposition of the case. An appeal is
permitted, but the supreme court is
denied the right to remand any such
case for rehearing. An appeal must
be decided either in the affirmative
or negative and suits against public
officials may be started originally in
the supreme court. No continuances
of such cases are permitted and trial
must be had at the earliest possible
session of the trial court.
| A bill permitting travelling sales
men to vote away from home, was re-
ported favorablys by the judiciary
committee.
The senate adjourned at noon to
meet at 10 O'Clock Thursday morning,