The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-07
NOTES FROM SENATE.

IiiO attorney generalS department
winch went to a conference committee
Monday evening, was passed by the
senate this morning by a vote of 81 to
o. The house concurred in the confer
ence report unanimously. Senator
Ganse stated to the senate that At
torney General Dawson desired the bill
10 pass because it had been impossible
In recent years for the attorney general
TO secure the entire time OF lawyers
competent to do the work devolving
upon them at the present salaries and
that it had therefore been customary to
arrange with the assistant attorneys
general that they might devote part of
their time to their private law practice,
but that the state business has grown
SO much that such arrangements are
no longer practicable.
Under the new law the salary of the
attorney general will be $4,000 per an
mum beginning in January, 1913. and
he Is required to turn into the state
treasury all fees allowed for prosecut-
ing offenders against the prohibitory,
gambling and antitrust laws.
The two assistant attorneys general
VIII receive salaries of $1,000 per annum
and their fees likewise shall go to the
state. The Office of chief clerk is abol-
ished and an Office assistant at $1,000
per annum provided.
In urging the adoption Of the con-
ference report, Senator Ganse stated
that Attorney General Dawson did not
want his activities in the enforcement
of the law to be construed as a cam
paign for levying tribute on the law
breakers. Ex-Attorney General jack
son says that the fees collected for law
enforcement have been greatly exag
gerated-that they did not amount to
more than a few thousand dollars in
his entire term of four years, while
Mr.. Orr, the author of the bill, has
commended that it amounted to $780,
900.
Representative Matson's bill provid-
ing for the regulation and supervision
of investment companies went through
the senate this morning without OPP
position. The bill provides just how
an investment company may transact
its business and lays down the rules
in no indefinite manner. The Wichita
man, who drew the bill with the ex-
press purpose of putting a muzzle on
certain wild cat schemes, is believed
to have performed the job in great
shape. There was no debate in the
senate over the passage of the bill and
there was no opposition.
The senate went through the long
list of house bills Sfn great shape at
the morning session and expect to
have them well put away before the
lid is placed on the final consideration
next Thursday night. There are some
big measures from the house that
must be looked after and the senate
will wade into these bills with a de-
termination to remove them from the
calendar as rapidly as possible.
There is little oratory in the SEN
ate this week. The flood of speech
that has been so evident in the senate
this session seems to have suddenly
against time. Several bills are passed
now in the time usually occupied in
making first class speech and the
breezy statesmen have been placed in
the discard to make room for the real
energetic members who see only the
serious side of a legislative session.
Visitors to the senate this week
see little clipping of eagle wings and
must content themselves with the sui
len, logged response to the roll calls.
No discrimination is made against a
short bill and the reading clerks have
adopted a system whereby they wade
through 20 page printed document
as rapidly as they announce the con-
tents of local bill repeating a. half
dozen sections of forgotten statutes.
There was rejoicing in the camp of
the insurgents this morning when the
senate received the news that the
house had met their demands for n
new conference committee on the pub
lie utilities bill The reform members
pledged and vowed to stand pat and
not recede from their position of Sat
urday. Just when it looked as though
some one must really come across, the
house did the coming. 1t was a great
victory for the insurgent and Demo-
cratic senators. The standpats had lit
tie to say. They were glad there would
be no special session. Aside from that !
there were no statements for publica- |
ton.
I'VE knew it would happen" de- |
clared one bell wether, of the admins |
tration organization, but it took a |
little more work to turn the trick than |
any of US had reckoned-''
It is the general belief that the bill |
can be fixed in a very few minutes and |
that the Objectionable features of the |
measure will be removed to give the |
railroad board absolute authority in |
granting a stock or bond issue to a |
public utility or common carrier.