The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-11


sum.
An important school bill was passed
during the last hours of the session, d
members of the school board from the
city at large instead of from the diff
ferent wards and restricting the num-
Der to six in cities of the first and sec
ond class. The clerk of the board is to
be selected from o-Itside the member
ship. The board is to be organized IN
August. 1t is to have power to elect
superintendent for more than one
year. The measure is regarded by
school men generally as a good bill in
the interest of progressive school leg
islation.
Davis of Bourbon, dean of the house
and a Democrat from the head waters,
received a box of cigars Friday night
from William Allen White as a token
of the Emporia editors esteem for
having sacrificed his own bill provid-
ing for the election of United States
senators by the Oregon plan in the in
terest of reform by allowing the senate
bill to go through The senate bill by
Stewart prevailed, but Davis of Bour-
bon helped it through the house at the
cost of his own bill, and so the Scrip
lures have come to pass, that he who
ruleth his own spirit is greater than
he that getteth bill through the leg
islature.
The total appropriations of the 1911
legislature will be about eight and
quarter millions The 1909 session
appropriated about seven and a quar-
ter, little more, or $7,386.O0 to be
exact. The increase therefore is
about 100000. The following are
the items that make up the whole:
Legislative expenses -.....$ $4,000
Agricultural college 1890 941,400
State university ........ 1,064,229
Board of control ...... 1,843,12
Normal training in high
schools 190, 900
State penitentiary ~ 416,SSO
State printing plant $500. $4,000
Aid of rural schools 49,. 10000
State normal schools ...... $4,000
Executive and judicial ap-
preparations 1,347,962
Quindaro university $500. 1865
Memorial hall . $4,000
Hutchinson State reforma-
tory zoo, ~
Claims and accounts $4,000
Miscellaneous appropriations $4,000
San Jose scale 10000
Interest on state bonds ...- $500
tuberculosis sanitarium $4,000
Official state paper 1900
Hog cholera serum plant. 5000
School of Mines ..-....... $4,000
Soil survey ...... 10000
In the closing hours of the session,
Senator Francis G. Price of Clark
county introduced a resolution recon-
mending Senator S. M. Brewster OF
Doniphan county for the position of
attorney for the new utilities commits
sion The resolution was adopted by
a standing vote and the documents
received enthusiastically by members
of all factions. The differences of the
he fa
was for the curly haired Troy man in
no uncertain manner. Just before the
final adjournment, Senator Price asked
that a copy of the resolution be fur
nished Governor Stubs. His request
was complied with.
Following is the Price resolutions:
"Be 1t Resolved by the Senate OF
the State of Kansas, That the attention
OF the governor is hereby called to our
distinguished senator, S M. Brewster,
whom we believe would make an able
and efficient attorney for the public
utilities commission; we desire to ex
press our confidence in his integrity
and ability and to suggest him as
suitable and able lawyer, who will fill
the position with great credit to the
state and profit to the people of Kan
sas."
The closing session was a rough one
on the railroads. Many members ap-
parently came to Topeka with a we'll
defined idea that the short cut to
a few bills to tear up the railroad
tracks They got busy and their work
is recorded in the filing rooms of the
legislative halls. Not all of the stuff
crept into the statute books.
In the two months that the legisla-
ture was in session, an even 145 bills
aimed either directly or indirectly at
the railroads were introduced in the
two houses. All sorts of things were
demanded in these measures. Ere
quently the bills never got by the COM
mittee rooms: but often it was neces-
sary to adjust the trouble on the open
floor. Some of the bills were injected
in the statute books. The more
vicious were cast aside.
At 5:o5 yesterday evening the
clock in the senate chamber was stop
ped At o'clock President Hopkins
would return in an hour. Others took
the hint and hunted the hotels and
restaurants. But the clock in the
senate never budged. Not until after
the janitor to adjust the official time
piece.
Senator Myers succeeded in block
ing the consideration of the ways and
means committee bill to refund the
money collected under the inheritance
tax law. Senator Huffman introduced
the bill late Friday afternoon, but
Myers insisted that the bill would lay
over under the rules. The senate adj
journed without complying with Gov
ernor Stubs request to give back the
$4,000 collected from direct heirs
since the 1909 law has been in opera
ton.
The executive and judiciary appro-
priation bills blocked the progress of
the enate for an hour Friday after
noon and finally came out of the mill
in good shape, went to conference and
at midnight was back in the ring
ready for the official o. K. There were
some strong objections to some of the
provisions of the bill and Senator
Price aimed an amendment at the leg
islative reference library which would
put that department out of business.
But the amendment was killed. Stew
art and Carey took exception to the
2