The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-21
GOES WITH RUSH.
Utilities Bill Passes Senate at
Noon Today.
Only Three Votes Are Cast In
Opposition.
NOT HOUSE MEASURE.
Senate Bill Is Substituted Early
in the Debate.
Provides for Three Commission
ers at $4,000 Salary Each.

In an administration landslide the
public utilities bill passed the senate
few minutes before the noon adJourh-
ment by a vote of 80 to and was the
first platform measure that has found
its way through the upper house TINS
session. The standpat members loaded
the Stubbs band wagon to the guaros
IN the triumphal parade and Ao"eT'
Reed and Travis were the only ones
who stood on the curb and watched
the car go by.
The vote on the bill came after day
and a half of heated debate. All DAY
Friday the senate Dattleu over IuS ne
measure and a recess was taken until
today in order that the lawyers nlgilt
look up constitutional questions. bUt
few radical changes we're MADE IN Tue
bill and of some so amendments SUP
mitted, all but half dozen Went u
the waste basket.
In the early hours of the fight the
senate bill was substituted for the pil
passed in the house ten days ago. 1ns
senate document covers " prlhIeu
pages. It provides for a commission OF
three members, each to receive sal
ary of $4,000 a year. Provision is mace mace
for a rate expert at not more thaA
IS. 900 a year and there is ample latl-
tude for a small army OF CLERKS,
StenOgrapherS, accountants ana a $z,oVO
a year legal adviser. The commission
is made appointive by the governor
although the standpats made game
fight Friday to make the board elec-
tive.
The substitution of the senate bill
for the house document is not expected
to bring rejoicing in the west wing or
the state house. In fact the house men,
bers are humiliated to think that the
senate is trying to steal all the credlt
for the passage of the bill and this
may arouse some feeling when the SEN
ate bill is brought up Tor conSloerd-
ton in the house.
one of the most startling statements
of the entire debate was made just be-
fore the roll call when Senator Reed
of Smith county, declared that the pro
visions of the bill were to provide
4sandbaG for the Union Pacific railroad
which expected to spend $75,00O,0O0 in
double tracking its line through Kan
SaS.
Price opened a fight on the section
of the utilities bill which provided for
a rate clerk at a salary not to ex-
ceed $4,000 a year. The provision was
made last week by an amendment Of
fered by Stewart of Sedgwick county.
Price said a rate clerk at greater
salary than members of the commits
sion would have a tendency to cheap
en- the board. His objection was not
well received and was voted down.
Then Carey injected an amendment
which compelled employees of the
board to qualify under the civil SER
vice rules, met a favorable expression.
. Carey's amendment excluded the
mem bers of the board and the attor-
ney from the civil service rules. This
encouraged the Hutchinson salt man
and he wrote a few more amendments
and sent them to the desk. Hamilton
and Quincy thought he was loading
down the righteous provisions of the
bill and the administrations steam
roller was brought out for the ex-
press benefit of the Reno county
man. This demonstration of reform
power encouraged Stannard and he
wanted a reconsideration of the Carey
amendment requiring civil service
qualifications. He succeeded in con-
verting the required number of men,
bers and on a reconsideration the
amendment was defeated The better
government forces were showing good
team work, but the standpat members
were not discouraged.
The Clark county member wanted
an amendment which provided for
an appeal direct from the board to
the supreme court. Hamilton object
ed as he declared that the amend
1nent would make the bill unconstitu-
tional and urged the members TO vote
down the proposed change. Price
came right back. He said if there
a the
administration plan to give the board
arbitrary power and that utilities ap-
bearing before the commission should
be entitled to an appeal in case they
felt the ruling of the commission was
unjust. Brewster took chips in the
controversy and begged to disagree
with the Ashland lawyer. Prices
amendment gave the utilities so days
in which to file an appeal and Stave-
ly wanted to substitute 80 days in
stead. After the legal talent of the
senate had spent fifteen minutes in
arguing points of law, George H.
Hodges, who is not a lawyer, brought
the Senates attention to the fact that
the contention was provided for in
another section of the bill. Price
then offered compromise amend
rnent, but Hamilton and Brewster re-
fused to accept it. Stavely offered an
other amendment to the Price iniec-
ton giving an appeal to the district
court and the 80 members who do not
follow the legal profession were hav-
ing a hard time keeping up with the
discussion of technical law points
With several. amendments before the
senate, Hamilton was ruled out of or
der on a new amendment The Stave-
" and Price amendments all went
down to defeat and Hamilton mt in
his provision regulating the issuance
of stocks and bonds. His motion gave
the insurgents heart and they wrote
his repairs in the bill.
carey wanted all of section 25 re.
moved. It was this section thai
caused all the trouble and caused ar
adjournment last week to allow the
lawyers to look UP constitutions,
points. The judiciary COMMITTEES nre.
pared a substitute to the section SC
fhe bill would comply with the Mime.
sofa law. Reed offered this substitute
but it was defeated by a one-sidef
vote Carey said the bill would create
interest with the objectionable section
removed. The administration force,
took exception to this statement ant
gaid the reactionary members were