The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-01-20
THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE
IS NOW At WORK
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WAS DE-
HORNED BY THE SENATE.
House Refuses to Take Power From
Speaker-Doings at Topeka In
dictate Warm Session.

Topeka, Kan.-What promises to be
the most bitterly contested and politi-
cally vindictive legislative session of
recent years is now in session. APP,
parently every senator and member
came in with a knife in his boot. In
the senate, LieutenantGovernor Hop
kins was dehorned, the power to make
committee appointments having been
taken away from him.
The house, by vote of 65 to So re-
fused to remove the power of appoint
Ing committees from the speaker IL
required, however, that the speaker
! give proportionate consideration to
Democrats in naming the committees.
The vote was 65 to S.
| In the senate an effort was made
by Senator Gantz to restore the power
of naming the committee to the lieu
| tenant-governor. The motion was lost
by a vote Of 81 to IS and a committee
was chosen by the committee on rules
to make the committee assignments
in the senate.
When the senate committees were
made up the insurgent senators were
relegated to unimportant chairman,
ships.
Kansas Labor Wants Laws.
w. L. A. Johnson, state commission,
er of labor, outlined the legislation
! which the labor legislative committe
will present before the legislature
The liability law, introduced at the
last session of the legislature, passed
the house and defeated by the senate,
again will be presented. No changes
have been made in it.
A compensation law will be urged
1t has not been worked out in detail
but will provide for fixed amount for
death and injury in accordance with
general average of a previous number
of years of wages. Contributory negli-
gence and gross negligence of employ
err are to be waived. A sliding scale
of compensation is to be arranged.
A commission is to be asked to be
paid by the state on a per diem wage.
Five members are to compose it. The
commission is to be limited to the con-
sideration of certain hazardous en-
pigments and the investigation of &C
cidents resulting in such employment.
holding hearings on all such cases. 1t
Is to compile a report and make re-
Communications to the next legisla
ture.
An amendment to the accident law
is to be asked. 1t is to be modelled
after the provision in the Minnesota
law that all accidents be reported to
the state commissioner of labor so
that tabulations can be made as to
causes, conditions, effects and costs.
After Scalp of the Assessor.
1t is not unlikely that the office of
county assessor will be abolished dur
ing this session of the legislature; that
is in counties having population of
around $4,000 or less. Two bills along
that line have been introduced in the
house by Democrats. The two bills in
PRODUCED put the county assessor out OF
business completely and turn his work
over to the county clerk. 1t is eX-
pected that there will be bill from
the Republican side of the house pro
vi6ing for the abolition of the county |
assessor only in counties having GER
tain opulation-probably $4,000 or
10000.
To Prevent Hog Cholera.
Governor Stubs has sent his first
special message to the legislature. He
asks that provision be made at once
to enlarge the plant at the state agI1.
cultural college for the manufacture of
serum to use as a preventive for hog
cholera.
First Bills In Senate.
There were six bills introduced, In
the senate the first day, and none in
the house. Senator w. NJ. Glenn of
Greeley had the honor of introducing
the first bill introduced in the legisla-
ture of 1911. Incidentally, it will stir
up considerable argument before it
BeIS through Jue SSudlS, dl ltdoI. uO
bill provides for a reapportionment of
the senatorial districts of the state in
accordance with the recent federal
census. The provisions of the bill are
rather complicated and technical, but,
on the whole. it provides for fewer
senators from the eastern section OF
the state, where the population has de-
creased or stood still, and more sena-
tors from the central or wewstern part
of the state, where the greatest part
Of the states growth has occurred dur
ing the last ten years.
A Chance for Murdoch.
Senator Stewart of Sedgwick county
has introduced a bill to amend section
5000 of the general statutes of 1909 in
n way to permit a congressman or
candidate for congress in the primary
election also to be a candidate at the
same time for United States senator
AFFINITY" Sill introduced
Another bill that will probably be