The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-28
ARE WIDE APART.
House Members Divided on
Mortgage Registration Bill.
Real Estate Men Raise Their
Voices in Opposition.
CHANGEPRIMARYLAW
Make Shift in Printing Candi-
dates on Ballot.
This Will Apply to Cities as
Well as State at Large.

The senate bill providing for a reg
istration fee of fifty cents per 500 on
mortgages in lieu of taxation occu-
pied the house during most of the
Monday and today's session and scenes
of wild disorder marked its course to
| a final riot. The committee of the
whole arose to report progress after
having passed three sections of the
OIL. 1t Will come up at the next ses-
sion of the house in committee of the
whole for final disposition.
rms is the measure that was vetoed
by Governor Stubs two years ago
after 1t had passed both houses of the
legislature. The house members who
are real statesmen opposed the bill.
some banker members were for it and
some against it. The farmer mem
bers We're also divided against them
selves, and SO were the lawyers. Party
Ines were shattered. The money
lenders and the money borrowers
made themselves heard and after their
views had been expressed the confu-
sion was greater than before. Not
since the tower of Babel was built
| has there been SO much of a mixup
OF expressed opinions under one roof.
Brown OF Kingman led the fight on
the Dill and he is real estate man.
Davis of Kiowa was for the bill. He
| is weSterner. Case of Dickinson.
who drew up the same bill in the
| house at the beginning of the session.
was for the measure, of course, and
so was Wettack of Montgomery. Jack
| son of Comanche was for the bill
and declared that the west was for it
and that the demand for this measure
was as great in his section as for the
utilities bill. The main point made by
| the opponents of the measure was the
charge made that the borrower would
| have to pay that registration fee in
every case. Cassin of Crawford de-
| clared that he wanted to see money
as free as water and the house heart
| lily agreed with him.
The Republicans of the house took
| the bold course Monday afternoon on
| the Orr resolution to investigate the
state departments. They tabled it on
an almost strict party vote 81 to 81.
After the vote had been announced,
| Mr.. Orr said in reply to a question of
how he felt about it. L think the Re
publicans showed a woeful lack of po-
| litical sagacity when they stopped that
proposed investigation Mr.. Orr voiced
the opinion of many other Democrats
who declared that the Orr motion would
make a great campaign document next
year and that the Republicans had
| made no attempt to make the document
null and void by showing up the de-
partments under fire as above suspic-
ion.
LeavenWOrth, was called to the chair in
the house today in committee of the
whole in the hope that he could con-
| troll the house in it's further consider
! alton of the bill providing for a regis
| tration fee on mortgages. But the trou-
| BILE was. the worthy doctor drew too
| tight rein on the turbulent house.
Monday afternoon the house had too
| loose rein while considering this bill
and there was a rough house most of
, the time. But today the chairman was
! too arbitrary to suit many of the
members in his ruling against allow
| ing division on the vote recommend
| ing the bill for passage. The chairman
| declared the bill recommended for pass
| age on yea and nay vote There
| was a lot of quibbling over this rul-
| ing as the members opposing the bill
wanted a division and a count of noses
! for and against the measure. When
| the comes up for final passage on roll
! call it is doubtful if it receives a con-
| stitutional majority.
When the Allen bill providing for a
pension for school teachers in cities of
! the first-class came up for final dis
| position after debate the real rioting
began The chair decided the senti-
ment of the house on the bill on
yea and nay vote and at first refused
| a division. Then the war broke out
in the high and low places. Veatch of
| Washington pranced up the middle
aisle with blood in his eye. He was
after a division peaceably If he could,
| forcibIy if he must. The things he said
/ to the chair took the varnish off The
| division prayed for was granted. The
| bill was defeated by the close vote OF
| 40 to As.
house action in committee of the
| whole when the bill for registration
fee on mortgages was recommended
| for passage, the house today took a
l - nat apfi n
roll call 65 to As. This vote would
indicate the final passage of the bill.
The bill was amended so this measure
will have to go to conference.
Many Republicans explained their
votes for and against the Orr resolu-
ton Those who voted for it declared
/ that such resolution should be car
ri ID through in the interest of the
party even though they knew full well
| that there was no foundation for the
| charges so made. Those who voted
against it declared that it was an in
suit to the integrity of the state Of
| ficials mentioned in the measure. AS
| to whether or not the Republicans
MADE a mistake in stopping the inves-
/ tigation remains to he seem There is
a wide difference of opinion among the
leaders of both parties and factions on
| the question.
Worn out by the strenuous session
of the afternoon, the house members
were meek and quiet at the Moncay
night session. and as a result accom-
plished a lot of business Quite
grist of bills most of them relating
to cities of the first and second class,
We're turned out of the hopper Among
these were the bills by Kelley of
Shawnee amending the primary cleo
ton law as regards cities of the first
class. One of these bills provides for
Of nn oil mt districts
order that the names of candidates can
| be placed alternately at the head of
the list as is done now with state can
dfdates so that alphabetical advantage
can be eliminated. This bill may be-
come a law in time to take effect at
1.-THE Topeka city election