The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-09
WINDING IT UP.
Legislature BUSHES Things in
Last Hours.
Only One Objection to Utilities
Bill Urged.
DYCHE WINS FIGHT.
His Game and Fish Bill Passed
Without a Hitch.
1t. Governor to Be Executive
Pro TEN.
DYCHE WINS FIGHT.

OF the fifteen votes recorded in the
house Wednesday against the utilities
bill most of them were made by the
provision inserted during the last con-
ference over the measure. This OBJ
1ectionable feature, or joker, as it was
called, is that paragraph relating to
the powers of the commissioners TO
force the Bell telephone company to
make connections with mutual lines.
Members voting against the bill ex-
planned their votes by denouncing this
feature of the bill. They declared that
the action of the administration in
forcing the last conference on the
measure made this Bell telephone jok-
er possible and weakened rather than
strengthened the bill. Here is sam
pie of the explanations, made by
Brown of Butler:
The trail of that great corporation,
the Bell Telephone company, is plain
ly visible through the entire session of
the legislature Like the great devil
fish, 1t is fastening it's tentacles on all
mutual and Independent companies in
the other states of this Union, and now
through its lobby and members affili-
ated is throttling any legislation that is
attempted to be passed that is asked
for by the mutual and independent
companies of this state
House bill No. 1042. that was the
other night So promptly and hastily
killed, was asked for by 1000 of the
1900 telephone companies of Kansas,
said companies serving 100000 sub
Iscribers. The gentlemen who opposed
that bill stated that the public utilities
law would contain all the provisions
necessary to protect the telephone in
tereSts, but now the Bell steps in and
strikes those off this bill. I vote no.
The house killed the bill by Senator
Reed of Smith county, directed at the
newspapers in general and Governor
Stubs in particular, limiting the ex-
penseS of candidates for political adj
vertising. Davis of Kiowa defended
the bill in the house and his remarks
about newspaper men stirred up a hor-
nets nest. FEEDER of Parton arose at
his place white with anger and re-
scented the attack on his profession.
He declared that the newspaper men.
with few exceptions, played the game
square and that their sale of advertis-
ing was on the level, value given for
value received and their news columns
were dictated by their preference.
Thompson of Reno, Kelley of Shaw
nee and Allen of Wyandotte, all went
after the Reed bill Allen said it
ranked with the patella bill as freak
measure, while Kelley went further
and declared that it was a political
slap at somebody. Thompson said it
was pernicious bill. The measure
provided that a state candidate may
only spend for political advertising
a sum equal to one-tenth of the salary
of the Office to which he aspires for
one year, and the county candidate
four per cent. The house slaughtered
the bill by a good majority.
The Dyche fish and game bill TWEEN
ty-one pages long was passed by the
house Wednesday night just it came
from the senate, by vote of IA to 80.
The professor WIS ace high in the
house and everything he asked for
went through with rush. His salary
is fixed at $1,000 per year and he Is
placed under the supervision of the re-
gents of the state university All the
elaborate plans evolved by the profess
sor for the protection and propagation
of fish and game were carried out in
the bill. Even the provision for the
protection Of the skunk was kept in
tact in spite of the efforts of Parrot
to kill that section. PARROT declared
that he had killed six skunks in one
morning near his chicken house and he
was sore on this animal Westerman
of Ellsworth wanted the protecting
clause removed from the great Ameri-
| can eagle. He said that eagles were u
nuisance in Ellsworth county and de-
clared that he had seen this noble bird
alight on the back of a colt and almost
eat the animal alive. But the house
stayed with the eagle. The bill fixes
| the duck season from September to
| April l. The prairie chicken season
from April / to November 1. The quail
season was limited to the last fifteen
days in November, and only twelve
quail a day can be killed by any hun
ter.
The house refused Wednesday to
| consider any of the political resolu-
lions by Davis of Bourbon on the cal
endar and the man from Bourbon was
peeved and demanded a separate roll
call on every bill. thus doing away
with the omnibus. The house claimed
that it did not have time to waste on
the resolution condemning Senator
Curtis for voting for Lorimer's vim
dication and Davis proceeded to con-
sumo more time on separate roll calls
than would have been taken up on the
resolution.
A senate bill passed by the house
| Wednesday makes the treasurer of a
city the treasurer of the board of