Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1913-01-31

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matter comes out In open session,
there will be interesting developments
and all kinds of oratory. 1t is the
prevalent opinion that the finding Of
the committee will be reversed and
that Senator Staunton will be sus-
tanned.
Little Work Recently.
lnasmuch as both houses were not
in session since Friday there has not
been much doing in the legislature
during the last few days. The var
iOus committees which really do the
work, were crowded with bills and
the long recess was taken to gvie
them an opportunity to examine the
merits Of proposed legislation. 1t is
possible that no more Friday adjourn
ments will be taken during the bal
ance of the session. Speaker Brown
intends to drive business with an iron
hand during the next five weeks.
After the senatorial election Wednes-
day the grind will begin in earnest
and the average member will be CON-
PEELED to work from ten to sixteen
hours every day. An eight hour
law for legislators is not possible in
Kansas so long as the session is lin
tied to fifty days.
Women VS.. Women.
Woman will meet woman tonight
when the bill fixing an eight hour
day and minimum wage for women
will come up for consideration. The
senate committee has invited those
interested in the measure to appear
before the committee and express
their opinions.
This is the first piece of legislation
affecting women that has come up
since the women became full-fledged
citizens and they are divided upon
this measure. The bill was "smoth-
cred" by the Good Government club
of Topeka.
The women had in mind helping
their sisters who are forced to work
for living. They want to make it
possible for them to quit when they
have worked eight hours, Just as the
male members and labor unions do.
They wanted every working woman
insure a living wage, a minimum of
50 a week.
Some Not Enthusiastic.
But the working women haven't
become at all enthusiastic. In fact
they are putting up a hard fight
against the bill, and naturally, they
are given encouragement by the con-
Germs employing them.
Meetings of the employees and en-
ployers in all of the larger cities of
the state have been held since the
bill was introduced and plans have
been made for the defeat of the meas
ure. In the meatime, the women's
clubs have laid plans to put it through
the legislature. Both sides will be
represented at the meeting of the
senate committee tonight and a live
ly time is expected.
The argument made against the
measure at the mass meetings of
women employees such as have been
held here, is that the minimum wage
idea if it becomes law is going to
drive a lot of concerns employing
women out of the state. They argue
that that would put them out of en-
ployment and instead of helping
would be great detriment to them.
The labor unions are behind the
bill. Sim A. Bramlette, president of
the Kansas Federation of Labor, has
come to Topeka to organize a fight
for the measure. 1t is destined to be
one of the important measures to be
considered at the present session.
Inheritance Tax Bill.
At last the new inheritance tax bill
is prepared. In the senate late this
afternoon, Senator Troutman of Shaw
nee, plans to offer substitute for the
law recently repealed in the upper
house. The new bill provides for ex-
emptions asfollows:
To the widow, $4,000.
The children, $4,000.
Lineal descendants, $1,000.
Under the law repealed no maxi
mum was recognized although it was
believed generally that all heirs with
a legacy of less than $1,000 were not
affected by the tax.
Senator Troutman would exempt
the wife unless she received more
than 100000; the children $4,000;
and the brothers, sisters, ETC., $1,000.
This gives Kansas the largest exemp-
ton Of any state in the union. One
state has a $4,000 limit. Most of