The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-28
BIG FIGHT COMING
Utilities Bill Will Be Bone of
Contention.
Two Measures of Different Ma.
ture Are Proposed.
AND ONE "HAS TEETH
The Other Is Denmiunated az
Harmless.
Administration Will "Back''
the "Teethe Bill.

Whiie the judiciary committee of
the senate is considering all the pub
lc utilities bills introduced in that
pody, the house judiciary COMMITTEES
Is considering only the administration
Dill. That is the bill that the com
nlttee will send back to the house.
1t Will be amended, it is true, but it's
teeth Will not be extracted, and that
IS tne main thing, after all, from an
administration standpoint
one amendment will declare for
nome rule of local utilities. MANY
other minor provisions and some i'm
portanr ones Will also be amended bi1t
the principle of the bill will prevail.
II IS only in the details of how il
Snouio De done that the committee diff
Ter from the author of the bill.
The house judiciary COMMITTEES had
q most interesting session last night.
speaker Buckman and John Dawson.
the attorney general, and E. c. Hogue-
| land, secretary of the state railroad
board, met with the committee and dis
cussed the proposed amendments. The
friends of the bill were agreed that
some or these amendments would i'm
prove the bill.
1t is predicted that the adn,;n;s-
tration utilities bill will pass the house
In Its amended form. Then the matter
VIII be checked up squarely to the
senate.
The senate judiciary committee in
its consideration of utilities hills was
entertained by legal representatives
OF tnree or the trunk line railroads of
This state and was told by these law
yerS that the administration measure
Is TOO drastic and would work a hard
snip on the roads, as it gave too much
power to the railroad board which is
10 be the utilities commission under
the provisions of the bill. But these
lawyers told the committee that the
60ogeS ana Carey utilities bills were
al! right and would do no harm.
The Quincy bill is the administra-
ton utilities bill in the senate. If the
senate adopts the minority or the
Carey utilities bill. say the admin is
tration forces, then it will have gone
on record in favor of a bill without
teeth: that is to say, a bill that gives
the railroad board but little if any
more authority over the railroads and
utilities of the state than ii now has
If, on the other hand the senate en-
dorses the Quincy bill, it will have
passed a bill with teeth.
The big fight of the session will he
over the utilities bill. just as was the
bill is practically the same as the New
York and Wisconsin utilities bills.
If the senate passes a weak utilities
bill and the house passes a strong bill.
then the closing days of the session
VIII mark great fight between the
conference committees of the two
houses i'll their effort to agree on a
| utilities measure.
! Stone of Shawnee introduced 2. bill
in the house today providing for fire
protection for the patrons of theaters
and especially picture shows. It also
| provides for adequate ventilation of
places OF amusement, and more espe-
cial1y the picture show halls.
This last provision is most important.
| Every night the picture show halls of
| Topeka are crowded with women and
| children who sit there for an hour and
almost stif1e in breathing foul and
stagnant air. There is practically no
ventilation at all provided in most of
these picture show halls. It is an i'm
port matter and ought to be attended to
by the city council rather than the leg
| islature. Every night there is COM
plaint by patrons of picture shows
over the miserable ventilation and the
heat in the crowded halls Going out
into the cold air from these places is
| people are hoping that the Stone venti-
lation bill will pass the legislature.
Thompson. Of Reno, introduced his
| Hutchinson state fair bill in the house
today. 1t appropriates 100000 for the
j $4,000. The Topeka state fair bill is
| not in yet, but it is on the way.
The house was only in session for an
hour this morning and then adjourned
to o'clock Monday. Nothing of i'm
PRODUCTION and reading by resolution
| that no new bills except those by COM
nittee would be accepted after Febru-
| ary 10.
WARM ilp tn TkET