The Topeka state journal., 1911-03-02
Went WITH RUSH
House Slashes Right and Left at
Night Session.
Cleans Up the Local Bills on the
Calendar.
kEENE BILL is UP.
Trying to Decide Consolidation
Of Regents.
Normal Divorce Measure Also
Being Considered.

The bill by Keene, of Bourbon, con-
solidating the boards of the university,
the agricultural college and the state
normals came up in the house this
morning under special orders. Also the
bill divorcing the Pittsburg and En-
poria normals. This last bill has pass
ed the senate, but will have hard
fight in the house.
After passing 10 appropriation bills
Wednesday, the house hit the local
bills under special orders staggering
blow last night, practically cleaning up
that section of the calendar. When the
house considers local bills there is al
ways lot OF confusion. None of the
members are vitality interested except
those in the vicinity where the bill op-
crates, and the result is lot of horse
play before the bill asses. AS for the
member behind the local bill, he works
like banana peddler to get his bill
through. The eyes of his constituents
are upon him. They care little about
the utilities bill and the tariff and the
/. and r. and the rest of the platform
planks, but the axis of the representa-
tive orbit. the center of gravItatfon
the harmony of natural forces depend
upon the passage of that bill providing
for the opening of a certain road in a
certain township, or the measure relat-
ing to a municipal bond issue, or to a
certain privilege wanted by a school
district. The representative stands or
falls on local demand for local bills.
Every member has such a bill or bills.
He must deliver the goods. He can
explain about the platform measures
and party faction but he must bring
home the bacon.
The Keene bill providing for the nom
orable burial of Union soldiers gave
an opportunity Wednesday night for
some of the members to wrap the old
flag about them and they did a most
artistic job, looping the folds gracefully
and easily over their persons. The COM
mittee amendment cut the $75 allowed
for counties for burial to $50. 1t was
voted down. Davis of Kiowa spoke
against the committee amendment, and
SO did Shuey of Decatur. These gen.
tlemen spoke for the old soldier in earn
est and eloquent accents. But it re-
mained for Davis of Edwards to make
the UNIQUE plea for the original $75 for
burial. He argued that the cost of dy
ing had advanced along with the in
creased cost of living. Not only do
eggs and butter cost more than they
used to, but the gravedigger gets high
er wages, the undertaken charges more
for his time. the hackman charges
more. and the coffin trust has iI1creas-
ed it's dividends. The house killed the
committee amendment forthwith.
Mr. Beacney, the young man from
Sedgwick, had one of his pet bills
killed last night before he could get
on his feet to protest. When he rush
ed to the speakers stand to fight for
the measure, he stafd to mourn over
the late lamented. The bill provided
tive districts. A motion to strike out
the enacting clause was made before
the first section of the bill could be
read. The motion was carried in jig
! oxyiC nP
was first called up, served notice that
he proposed to amend it to cut the
representation to los members, one
only from each county in the state.
you have deprived US of the short
grass country of our voting power in
this body" he said. 1.-The eastern
counties with two and three repre-
sentatives each, hold the balance of
the west the worst of it: I am going
to try to amend this bill to cut the |
representation to one representative
for each county in the state
The bill providing for the consoli- |
dation of the boards of the education
al institutions into one board with
complete authority, was set for special
noon, but the appropriation bills
crowded it down the calendar of time.
The bill divorcing the state normal
schools was also pushed ahead by the
appropriation bills. I'hese two 1mpor-
tant measures will, however. be dis
posed of by the house at once.
Among the appropriation bills pass
ed by the house Wednesday was the
measure making appropriation to pay
the several counties of the state the
expenses incurred in the maintenance
of destitute insane persons who have
been refused admission to the state
hospital on account of want of room.
The following counties had their
claims recognized:
Atchison county, the sum OFFS 122. %
Clay county. the sum of. 46.S5
Douglas county, the sum off,. $500
Elk county, the sum of......... 48.57
Jeffc-son county, the sum off,. 500