The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-04
THIS IS STRANGE.
Senate Insurgents Turn Back
on Utilities Bill.
In House the Progressives Voted
to Accept Report.
THE DEMOCRATS ALSO.
Upper House Minority Opposed
the Measure.
New Committees Will Be Named
in Both Houses.

Inc roll call vote of the house and
senate today on the proposition to
adopt the report of the conference
committees on the utilities bill offers a
strange paradox, and study of the
two roll calls will give rise to much
speculation
The house voted to concur in the
conference report by the overwhelm-
ing majority of 101 to Is. The senate
voted to nonconcur- by the decisive
majority of 81 to Is. The points of
| difference and the compromise agreed
to by the committees are set forth IN
another column of this issue.
When the bills were passed by the
| two houses some days ago it was re-
ported that the administration was
more favorable to the senate bill than
the measure passed by the house The
conference report practically embodied
the senate measure, the house yielding
more points in the conference than did
the senate Yet the house endorses its
committee, while the senate rejects the
work of its committee. That is strange.
In the house the administration lead
ers and followers talked and voted for
| the adoption of the conference report
| as a good measure. In the senate the
administration men and insurgents
voted solidly against the adoption of
the conference report. That is strange.
In the house all the 81 Democrats
with two or three exceptions voted to
adopt the conference report, and Orr
| of Atchison, minority leader, talked
| for the bill. and FEEDER, Carney, Davis
of Bourbon, Brown of Kingman and
all the Democratic leaders, voted for
the adoption of the report. In the
| senate the five Democratic senators
| fn ho n
the conference committees. That is
strange.
In the house the so-called machine
or regular Republicans split up, about
half voting for and half against the
conference report. In the senate the
thirteen dyed-in-the-wool regulars
voted solidly to accept the report.
That is strange.
The conference bill as reported to
the two houses this morning is admit
| ted to be a good bill, with teeth, and
embodying the principal points of the
senate measure, the measure said to
have been favored by the governor,
/ yet the thirteen standpat senators vote
| to accept that bill and the insurgent
senator's voted solidly against it. That
| il strange.
The house action on the utility bill
| is more natural The house is regard
ed as progressive and in favor of a
!
most in conference, as was to be ex-
pected, and the house voted to con-
cur, as was expected. Democrats,
standpatters and insurgents voted to-
gether for the acceptance of what was
regarded generally in the house as the
| best measure that could be put
through this legislature. Members
explained their votes, declaring that
they were satisfied in part if not all the
provisions of the bill They said it was
a step in the right direction. Even
those who criticised the bill most Sc
Iverely, in their explanations voted
for it.
Yet in the senate the bill is rejected
by the insurgents and accepted by the
standpatters. And the bill is regard
ed as piece of pure progressive leg
islation. The rejection of the bill by
the senate may jeopardize its final
| passage. 1t is natural to assume that
the house will feel sore over the re-
| lection of a compromise where il
yielded the most points and the more
/ vital ones. The house patience has
limits. The house is not apt to yield
more A second conference commit
tee will have to be appoirted by each
body. These committees may moi
bring in as good bill as the one re-
jected today.
MANY reports are rife in the state
house in speculation on the paradox o.
ltoday's voting in the two houses on the
conference bill 1t may mean no utili
ties bill at all, or it may mean an ex
ira session. or it may mean nothing a
ALL but merely an effort on the par
of the senate to make the house CONF
all the way The next effort of the TIVE
houses to get together may be easy o.
it may be impossible. But it is strange
1.-The vote today when one studies th'
roll calls 1t looks like a joker nigh
Ibe concealed somewhere under thes'
votes. joker on the bill or one brancl
of the legislature, or the administra
ton. or the people, or something o.
somebody.
Nearly Unanimous.
The report of the conference com
mittees on the utilities bill was made
| to the house this morning for accept
| ance or rejection and the house voted
| to accept the conference COMMITTEES
report 101 to 16-
the house committee, explained in
general way the results accomplished
| in the conference. Orr of Atchisol
and Keene of Bourbon, members o
the house committee, also explaine'
the amendments to the house bill AM
Joined Matson in urging the adoption
of the report
There were three main points o
difference between the two houses OF
the utilities bill and both sides mad
| concessions. The senate held for
commission without any strings at
tached in the way of qualifications
while the house wanted QUALIFICATION
lof experts in three different profes
sions attached to the commission. TIL
compromise agreed upon was, that on
member should qualify as an exper
engineer or manager of transporta
ton company, one as a practical bust
ness man and the third has no quail
hcation string attached.
The next point of difference wa
over bond issues The agreemer
reached was that the utility shoul
| make a proper and sufficient shown
before the board before a bond issu
| could be made. Keene of Bourbo
explained this matter clearly whe
he declared that the committee wen
as far as the law allowed in this mat
ter He said the law would not pei
| init a board to deny permission to is
| sue stocks and bonds. but it did allo'
a hnn "a 70 set a high standard fc