The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-02
Normal Divorce Bill Meets I'm
timely End.
Vote on the Measure Is Exceed
ingly Close.
HAD A LIVELY FIGHT.
Members Air Their Views on
the Question.
Had Received the Official o. TX.
of Senate.


poria and Pittsburg Normal schools
was killed by the house this noon by
the close vote of So to S. The fight
over the measure was short and
sweet The bill came up at II O'Clock
and died at noon. The rule restrict
ing debate to three minutes kept the
talkfest down, otherwise two days
would have been required to discuss
the bill. At least twenty members
aired their views for and against the
divorce.
The friends of the Porter bill d.
vorcing the schools had most of the
house leaders and debaters on their
side but the house followed only its
own sweet will when it came to vot-
ing.
Davis of Kiowa, Keene of Bourbon,
Brown of Kingman and Carney of
Cloud all went to the aid of the Pitts
burgers. while only Stone of Shawnee
and Williams of Logan helped the
Lyon county delegation.
The bill had passed the senate and
only needed the house o. K. to go
through. A strange thing about the
debate was the fact that it centered on
Patrick --enry, the apostle of liberty
No one seemed to be able to explain
why. but it was a fact that Pat was
quoted from time to time as an oracle
an authority on conditions at Pitts
burg, Kansas, and Emporia. Brown of
Kingrnan brought Pat into the game
and Cassin of Crawford and Meek of
Nemaha saw to it that he stayed there.
Pats well known friendship for liberty
was used as an argument by the Pitts
burgers in their struggle for freedom
from the bonds of Bill Whites town.
1t developed in the debate that the
Pittsburg argument was based on the
fact that President Hill of the two in
stitutions lived at Emporia and only
came to Pittsburg once or twice a year
to look after things. They felt that
the school was big enough to be al
lowed to take care of itself and was
entitled to a president who would be
on the ground all the time and in
close touch with conditions.
The opponents of the divorce argued
that the Kansas normal system ranked
at the head in the list of states of the
Union and that it should not be tam
pered with by the legislature and its
usefulness impaired. They were op-
posed to a change of any kind.
The Keene bill providing for the
consolidation of all the state educa-
tional institutions under one board was
recommended for passage by the house
| in committee of the whole this morn
ing The only important amendment
made to the measure was that one in
Guiding IT,. schools for the deaf and
dumb and for the blind with the in
stitutions under the control of this
new board.
AS passed the bill provides for the
abolishment of the board of regents of
the university, agricultural college,
state normals and the school for the
blind at Kansas City, Kan, and the
school for the deaf and dumb at Olathe
and places all these institutions under
the new board of control.
Speaking for his bill, Mr.. Keene said:
This measure provides for one board
to control all the educational institu-
tions lust as the charitable institutions
are handled by the state board of con-
troll All the members know what
! fine success has been scored by the
board of control This bill provides for
three managers in place of eighteen. 1t
proposes a repetition of the board OF
control success. 1t places the educa-
tionaI institutions on a business basis.
1t is a platform promise"
| The measure passed without any op-
position at all. It provides for a board
| that shall have headquarters and Of
fices at Topeka and branch offices at
| each of the institutions. Not more
| than one member shall come from one
congressional district nor more than
| one shall be an alumnus OF any any or
| the institutions concerned. Not more
than two members shall come from one
political party. The board shall have
| authority to elect a secretary, clerks
and stenographers. The boards powers
over the institutions are absolute. 1t
fixes salaries of instructors, makes
rules for students and controls the
property. The members of the board
must give bond of $4,000 each for
faithful performance of their duties
The salary of the members shall be $40
per day for time actually employed on
their duties. The secretary's salary is
fixed bv the board. The bill carries
with it an appropriation of $4,000 for
the carrying out of the purpose of the
act