The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-09


CURED to attend all board of educa-
ton meetings and submit monthly re-
ports, etc. He is to receive $50 per
year for his services. no more, no less,
except in cities of the first class, when
his salary is fixed by the board of
education.
The house passed the senate bill
fixing the salary of the lieutenant gov
ernor at $1,000 per year and requiring
MIN TO act as governor during the lat
ter's absence from the state or sick
ness. And while acting as governor
the salary of the governor. The pass
age of this bill by the senate is a nice
compliment to their presiding officer.
Whom the senators dehorned before
they got acquainted with him. Lieu
tenant Governor Hopkins has ever
lastingly made good in legislative cir
cles this winter, and as Senator Price
said at a senate session few days
ago, he sis as able and fair and firm
presiding officer as 1 have seen in the
Kansas senate during the past twenty
years.
The bill prescribing the duties of
the lieutenant governor and fixing his
salary is as follows:
In case of the absence of the gov
ernor from the state, or in case of his
DISABILITY from performing the duties
OF MS office as provided by the consti-
tuition and laws Of the state, from ILL
governor shall be the acting governor
of the state and shall be authorized to
perform all the duties of governor that
are REQUIRED or authorized by the con-
sutution or laws of the state until the
return of the governor to the state. or
until such disability is removed.
The salary of the lieutenant COVER
nor is hereby fixed at $1,000 per an
mum, payable monthly out of the state
treasury, and in addition thereto, his
actual expense for railroad fare in at
tending sessions of the legislature, this
salary to begin on the second Monday
in January, 1913, and while acting as
governor he shall receive the salary of
the governor.
History repeated itself Wednesday
afternoon when the Kansas legislature
enacted the public utilities bill into law.
1t is always the case that it takes two
sessions to write a popular demand in
the statute books. It was so with the
primary law and all the other reforms
of consequence. And, by the way, the
overwhelming vote Wednesday in both
houses for the utilities bill is another
strong arguemtn against the initiative
and referendum. What is the need of
the Swiss scheme so long as the legis-
lature always comes across at the de-
mand of public sentiment?
The quick agreement reached by the
conference committee of the two
houses at the last conference and the
slight changes they made in the old
reported bill serves to strengthen the
expressed belief that the senate was
anxious to agree on a bill that they
had rejected. Had the house stood
firm in refusing another conference on
the bill, it is a fact that the senate
would have been the graveyard for the
utilities bill.
The bill as passed is said to suit the
governor and he will doubtless sign the
measure. 1t provides that the railroad
board and jurisdiction over all inter
ton of the terms of Office of the pres
ent members and that then a utilities
commission shall be appointed in their
places. This commission shall have all
the powers of the present railroad
board and jurisdiction over all inter-
county utilities They shall receive
salary of $4,000 per year and have adj
ditional office help. The commission
has most of the powers conferred upon
the Wisconsin commission. The dis
puted point in regard to bond issues
was settled satisfactorily to everyone
when it was agreed that the commits
sion should not only set a high stand
ard for the showing to be made by the
corporations before they could issue
bonds and stocks, but also that the
showing should be proved and verified
by the commission.
Two weeks of last session were de-
voted to the fight over the utilities
bill and then it died unborn. This ses-
legislation throughout the term until
the last day but one of the session.
It's defeat meant a special session sure.
Now that it is passed everyone seems
to be satisfied, the reformers, the peo-
pie, and even the utilities themselves
are not making anything like the howl
they made two years ago.
An important measure was enacted
into law when the house voted We'd
fol e-fs,
tisticS bill. This measure provides for
the registration of all births and the
certificate of all deaths by proper Of
f1cials and that township, city and
county records be kept of the same.
The penalty for any undertaken, ply
stefan, midwife or sexton who has any
part in the violation of this law is a
fine of from SIS to $500. The law is
ironclad and has every provision for
vigorous operation. A fee of % cents
is allowed the registrar for birth GER
tificates.
Speaking for the bill. Allen of
Wyandotte told a peculiar story to il
lustrate his point. He said that once
upon time a girl who was not to en-
joy a certain inherited income untH
after she was Is years of age had to
resort to the records kept on certain
thoroughbred Hereford animal before
she could prove her own age. The
girls father, who enjoyed the income
until his daughter became of age.
swore she was only 6 years old.
There was no official record of her
birth except the family Bible and the
father had that in his possession. Fin
ally in despair the girl turned to the
oldest inhabitant in her town. Sure.
he remembered when she was born,
for he declared that his registered
Hereford COW gave birth to a calf that
day The calf was registered in of
ri showed
that the calf was born Is years ago.
The girl was not registered and there
fore had to depend upon live stock
books to gain her own inheritance.
The house passed the senate bill
abolishing the office of justice of the
peace in county seat towns having no
CITY court and giving the probate Judge