The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
Vote in House Today Victory
for Republicans.
The $25 Perquisite for Postage
Abolished.
VOTE WAS 60 TO 58
Democrats Supported Minority
Amendment.
Both Houses Adjourned at
Noon to Monday.


The first test of strength and the
| first real fight in the present session
! of the house came at noon today wher
the minority members secured enough
4 Democratic votes to defeat a resolu-
| ton calling for an appropriation OF
| $25 for each legislative member to
| be used for postage during the present
| session. With the vote go to 58 the
/ postage perquisite of former years was
buried and the privilege of free tele-
| phone and telegraph service will prob
| ably go to the scrap heap with the
postage privilege.
| Republican members took an early
| start in helping the Democrats full
| fill their party promise for strict econ
omy, when they demanded a roll call
on the postage resolution and landed
| enough Democratic votes to beat the
| proposition. The postage fight was
| the first tilt of the session and Speaker
w. L. (Ironjaw) Brown left the chair
to take a hand + the battle
Only yesterday Orr of Atchison had
| offered a resolution for free telephone
| and telegraph service, the account to
be charged to the state: Hendricks of
Rawlins offered an amendment limit
ing the Individual conversation, post
| age and telegraph bills to $50. Then
the motion went over and this morn
ing the house considered the postage
resolution adopted the previous day in
the senate. Hendricks opposed the
measure; as did Carroll of Leaven-
worth. Then Speaker Brown took the
floor and declared for the measure. His
stand was endorsed by Orr of Atchi-
son and Gordon of Wyandotte- The
Republicans demanded a roll call.
Nearly half of the members explained
their votes and with the strength
gained from the Democratic side OF
the house, the Republicans won the
first fight, which means that for the
first time in many sessions each lnd1-
vidual member must pay his own post
age bill. Sixty members voted against
the resolution and So supported it.
When the house meets Monday
afternoon, it is probable that the
Democratic members will make an
resolution and will make another at
tempt to enjoy the privileges accorded
under the Republican administrators.
That inheritance tax law, which has
aroused trouble in Kansas politics for
several years, was today reported for
slaughter by the house judiciary com
mittee. The committee last night had
under consideration the old law and
voted to recommend its repeal. In
the recent campaign, the Democrats
were pledged to repeal the law. With
that promise fresh in their mind,
members of the judiciary committee
took early action to put the law out
of business. It is probable that the
recommendation for the repeal of the
law will come up for consideration
some time next week.
Representative Lane this morning
offered a resolution providing that as
many as twelve constitutional amend
ments may be submitted to the peo-
pie in a general election instead of a
maximum of three amendments as
now provided by law. Under their
platform pledges, the Democrats have
more constitutional amendments
pledged than they will be able to sub
NIT in the 1914 election, even though
each of the provisions should receive
the required two-thirdS vote of the
would provide against any embarrass-
ment by increasing the number of
amendments to be submitted in future
years TO an even dozen.
Gordon of Wyandotte today pre-
sented a bill calling for the creation
of a state board of accountants to oesI
named by the board of regents of the
state university. This board shall be
composed of three members, at least
two of whom have been actively en-
gagged in the accounting business for
three years. Persons who aspire to
practice as registered accountants
must first pass a rigid examination
when they will be issued a certificate
by the board.
Scott of Hodgeman, today offered
a bill placing the Mother Bickerdyke
home at Ellsworth and the Soldiers
Home at Fort Dodge under the super
vision of the state board of control
and providing for the appointment of
a bipartisan board by the governor
The Hodgeman county representa-
tive has another bill in the hopper |
which regulates the affairs of cities of
the third-class. Scott would provide |
that all cities of the third-class be
listed as separate townships and that |
the city councils and municipal or |
ganizations be vested with the same |
power and authority which now sur
rounds a township board.
Davis, of Gray. is the author of a |
bill introduced today which enables |
cities of the third-class to impose and |
collect a license tax. Under the pres
ent law, this privilege is extended only
to cities of the first and second-cIass.
Charles s. Holbrook of wyando+tcl
today introduced a bill which
threatens to bring sorrow to the cor
ooration lawyers who have for wears
and Inundated Kansas
Iuries with long lists of special uues-
ions to be answered in connected with
heir verdict in civil cases. Holbrook
that the practice is not pro-
'essiona1 and that the privilege has
been overworked in an effort to tangle
on