The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-04
PUT 1T TO REST.
Senate Definitely Kills the Bulk
Sales Bill.
Senator Fagerberg Breaks Down
During His Speech.
Observation-Disclosures
Said 1t Was a Scheme of Whole.
salers to Cypress Merchants.
Appropriations to Exceed Those
of Two Years Ago.

| OA1O dLLCAhPt ~ MIL SA4C CAAeAO(AA4o NAc1cta7S
carried by a vote of 10 to II.
One of the really pathetic scenes OF
the session occurred in the course OF
the debate. Senator Fagerberg, who
has worked untiringly for the defeat
| of the bill, broke down on the floor OF
the senate and throughout the discus
| sion he wept as though his heart would
break. The OlSburg merchant offered
a damaging amendment to the bill. He
arose to talk to his amendment.
Its wrong, it's wrong" pleaded the
Pottawatomie county member, land
| there is no reason why we should be
oppressed by these wholesale houses. !
| have always paid dollar for dollar on
every bill I contracted. This bill is
wrong. Can't you see it to- right?''
Then Fagerberg's eyes filed with
tears. His throat choked and he took
his seat without finishing his speech.
Throughout the fight on the bill the
OlShurg hardware merchant sat with
his handkerchief in his hand and wiped
away the tears that chased down his
flushed face.
Senator Robertson opened the fight on
the bill. He declared that the Missouri
wholesalers had maintained d lobby in
Topeka this session the like of which he
had never seen in the history of the
Kansas legislature. The minority mem
Der declared that he proposed to vote
against the bill by reason of this effort
to influence legislative opinion.
After Fagerberg's amendment had
finally carried, Brewster offered an
amendment that would reach the very
core of the measure. Stavely offered to
substitute by moving to strike out the
enacting clause. The vote on the sub
stitute stood IS to Is and President
Hopkins voted in the negative.
Then Brewster renewed his amend
ment and it went into the bill. This
amendment aroused the ire of Ganse
and Stewart, who declared that the bill
was fair and just and should be pass
ed. GanSe pointed to the fact that a
similar bill had been adopted in almost
40 states. To this remark Brewster pro-
duced supreme court decisions from
Wisconsin to show that the operation of
the law had a bad effect on the local
merchant and was a good thing only
for the fellow who was in the jobbing
and wholesale business. Senator HAM
ilton pleaded for the defeat of the bill
He said it placed an invisible mortgage
on every stock of merchandise in the
state and was an obligation which the
merchant should not carry.
Senator Cambern, who had been for
the bill until the amendments passed,
then declared that the senate should
save time and kill the enacting clause.
Stewart lost his temper and de-
clared that the senate was sidestep-
ping it's duty. He said some of the
members possessed holy horror of
lobby which was in Topeka for any
measure other than one they cham
pioned. The Wichita man insisted
that five lobbyists had been here for
the defeat of the bill where one had
been here in the interest of its pass
age. He minated that the records
had been juggled and the bill did not
appear on the senate calendar in the
proper manner. To these remarks
President Hopkins took exception. The
presiding officer reminded the Sedg
wick county man that several other
changes had occurred in the calendar
the state printing plant. Hopkins
recommended committee to look
into the affair. No action was taken.
Senator Price closed the argument on
the bill. He said that the bill was de-
serving of careful and studious con-
sideration and regretted that it had
been unduly slaughtered. He wanted
it referred to a committee and later
offered in a presentable condition.
The vote to strike out the enacting
clause was as follows:
For-Anderson. Avery, Brewster.
Brown, Caldwell, Cambern, Cooke,
Denton. Fagerberg, Fowler. Hamilton.
Hodges. Huffman. Lower, Milton,
Reed. Robertson, Stavely. Total 10.
Against-Carey, Ganse, Glenn Host
rup, Hunter, Milligan, Murphy,
Myers. Overfield, Porter, Potter, Price,
Quincy, Smith, Robertson, Stewart,
LAWS AONd@
Senator Stewart succeeded in Slip
ping over his bill providing state aid
for private hospitals Friday after
noon while the senate was considering
a long list of appropriation bills. The
Wichita man pointed with scorn to
the ambition of the senate to provide
fund of 100000 for armories and
turn down a little $4,000 appropria-
ton for the poor and needy
of the state. His argument
made votes and when the roll was
vote of 20 to 10. In the list of private
hospitals are nearly 40 institutions
located in various sections of the
state. The appropriations to these
charities win total about $4,000 for
the years 1912 and 1913.
The senate passed the Stillings bill
providing for the purchase by the
state of the coal rights to about 90
acres of land near Lansing. The land
will be mined in connection with the
general mining work at the state
penitentiary and is adjacent to the
land now being used for mining pur-
poses at the penitentiary.
When the campaign orators go into
the 1912 campaign, they can explain
the wherefores of the big appropria-
tions at this session of the legislature.
Regardless of many party promises.
the appropriations this year were
million dollars more than the amount
set aside by the 1909 session.
1t was in the recent campaign that
a general cry went up over the state
against the heavy appropriation bills
When the big budgets came to the leg
islature this year, there was much
work with the scissors. In some in
stances the appropriations were great
" reduced. In others, few items
were added. But in genera there was
a tendency to reduce the appropria-
tions. Not until the big list had found
its way through the senate yesterday
afternoon was it announced that there
had been an increase of almost an
even million dollars in the amount