The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-25
UNTIL MONDAY
Legislature Waits Till Com
mittees Catch Up.
Only Way to Stop the Rush of
Bills.
MANY FREAK MEASURES
But Gov. Hodges VIII Likely
Sign Them Slowly.
Will Kansas Be Represented at
Panama ShOwg


working days and $40 bills have been
introduced before that body. That's an
average of about 40 bills a day. In
fact, the house had so many bilis
ahead to be considered by committee
that it adjourned Friday afternoon
over to Monday afternoon. This may
look to the average constituent like
wasting time, but it is not so. The
committees are swamped with work.
their members are working day and
night and the only thing to do is to
dam up the influx of bills by means OF
adjournment-the only way. The new
Mississippi river dam at Keokuk, Ia
couldn't hold them back.
The house has adjourned, but the
committees work on. There will be
a large number of bills reported in
Monday for consideration in commit
tee of the V ole.
The senate, too, adjourned owed to
Monday while a large number of the
senators Travelled over to Lansing TO
inspect the state prison. Another COM
mittee went to Lawrence to visit the
university and consider the appropri-
alton question Manhattan and En-
poria will be visited in turn to in
spect the state schools in these towns
There are a lot of freak and drastic
bills before both houses on all man
ner of subjects and many people over
the state are writing or telephoning in
about them in alarm. The chances are
two to one that most of these bills
will not be seriously considered. They
have to get by the judiciary commit
tees and shrewd, conservative, able
men composed the majority of both
these committees. And then they Will
have to get by the houses on majority
votes. And last, but not least, they
will have to pass Governor Hodges.
This man Hodges may have many
faults. but cowardice is not one of
them. He speaks plainly and frankly
on all matters. and is willing to stand
fearlessly on his own judgment. He
is a successful business man.. The
combination indicates that he will not
hesitate to veto legislation that he does
not think is a good thing for the state
as a whole, and that is not fair to
the interests it may affect. He don't
talk or act like a man who would
place politics very far above principle.
Friday was a dull day in the house.
Nothing doing but second reading of
bills. In the senate there was a live
ly session over the report of the com
rnittee on elections to unseat Stanton
the Socialist from Crawford county and
put Porter, Republican, in his place.
The close vote to take up this contest
in the open senate does not mean that
it will be allowed to occupy the SEN
ate for a week or more and block leg
islation. 1t is said that a new vote
will be taken Monday that COM
rnittee report and that it will either be
accepted and Porter seated, or it will
be rejected and Stanton left alone The
indications favor the seating of For
ter. for two committee members were
absent when the vote was taken and
they may be reasonably depended upon
to vote to have their own report ac-
cepted
Stanton allowed his feelings to get
the better of him when he addressed
the senate on the committee report.
His charges against the senate in gem
eral and the committee in particular
are hard to substantiate. In a fight
yet to come his speech weakened him
rather than helped him with the sem
ate. There was mass of evidence
before the committee to show fraudu-
lent and illegal voting in Crawford
county in the last election.
Preparations are well under way for
the Kansas Day club banquet next
Wednesday night. Congressman
Diekema of Michigan, the principal
speaker, is well known as an orator
of ability. The program is shorter
than usual but the crowd is expect
ed to be larger. Some old timers OF
Kansas politics who have not at
tended a banquet for years have
written the secretary that they will
come. Senator Curtis and Congress-
man Campbell old members of the
club will be present for the first time
in six or seven years. And Charlie
Scott will be there and ex-Gov. Hoch.
1t is expected that a bill will be in
troduced in both houses next week
asking Kansas to make an appropria-
tion for A building at the Panama
exposition in San Francisco. Many
influential members have declared
themselves in favor of representation
at the big show on the Pacific coast,
where there are hundreds of former
Kansas citizens and where hundreds
of present Kansas citizens will go
when the exposition starts.
woman's minimum wage and hours
of labor bill now before the Iegisia-
ture and about which such a storm
ragged this week will be amended be-
fore it is passed next week. The 50
minimum will be cut. but how much
is not agreed upon, probably to
about IS per week. And the eight
hour day will likely be changed to
nine hours.
Mike Frey's bill to abolish fraudu-
lent advertising of all kinds from
papers, circulars, posters. etc, has
been reported adversely by the house
committee. And this bill was not as
.freakish'' as many other bills await
ing action in that same and other
committees.
Representative j. W. Carnahan of
Clay county. has introduced bill that
will meet with opposition from the