The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-24
MEMORIAL MONEY
Need 100000 More for the
Building.
Legislature May Cut or Deny
Appropriation.

legislature less than two weeks away,
/ ii seems probable that the Memorial
| building appropriation may strike a
snag in the house. 1t is even rumored
/ that there may be a fight on the APP
! preparation as slap at Topeka be-
/ cause of the fight on the Hutchinson
fair DILL And again. there is that
| same stale brand of conversation re-
! lating to the old war hymn Topeka
! gets everything.
Somewhere in the pigeon holes or
| desks of the house ways and means
| committee, the state auditors recon-
| mendation for a 100000 appropria-
| ton TO com plete the Memorial build
I ing is filed away To be sure the bill
| Will be reported but just a I present
/ the house members seem to hang be-
! tween an adverse report and one that
| viii recommend a decidedly reduced
! appropriation
| The Memorial building is now COM
! plete except for the finishing decora-
| tions and equipment To make the
! equipment in keeping with the
! exterior of the states fine new
memorial to the Civil war vet
Grams, it is estimated that $780,
! 600 will be needed to complete
| the work If the building were in
Syracuse. Argentine. Belleville or
Scammon. there would probably be
little contention about the matter
But it is located right here in Topeka
where thousands of people Will see it
and enjoy the benefits which the new
building will afford. And then there is
that old. old cry that Topeka gets TOO
much. The pay of state house officials
is reckoned with the good things that
Topeka gets, and so also are the gro
ceries and provisions for the inmates
of the asylum and the Industrial
school And when the state buys
car load of paper for the state print
ing plant, some patriot arises TO re-
mark See what Topeka gets" And
now the old game is being played all
over again and the pruning knife will
probably be used on the Memorial
building appropriation.
That the house may tie up the Kan
sas University and Agricultural college
appropriations and send them to con-
ference is one of the rumorS which
floats around the legislature. In the
house some of the members have sig
nified a willingness to reduce the ap-
preparations to be recommended for the
TWO big schools and unless they change
their positions may send these two ap-
preparation bills to a conference COM
mittee.
In the senate, the work of the ways
and means committee is said to have
been more generally accepted But the
house is beginning to talk The bills
have not vet been reported and rumors
of the antagonism TO these K. u and
K. s. A. c. appropriations have reached
the ears of members of the house ways
and means committee. While it is hard |
" probable that the house committee
will make any effort to change the !
items in the original appropriation bill
prepared by the senate committee. !
there is no effort among house leaders !
to deny that there may be trouble I
ahead for the schools
Il don't know what it will mean,
said one member who is a power on |
the floor, but there is decided in /
clination to cut down the appropr1a- !
tions as recommended by the senate
committee If the items are reduced,
they will go to conference and that |
means real trouble
The budget of the state university /
was reduced s666,00O by the senate !,
WAYS and means committee Nearly a |
quarter of a million dollars was sliced |
off the agricultural college budget |
But the effort to reduce taxes is para
mount And a fight on the appropria- |
ton bills on the floor of the house
might precIpitate some reaI trouoIe
in view of the fact that Democrats are
pledged to reductions and the recon- /
mendations for the two schools are |
larger than the allowances of two |
years ago.
An early agreement of the confer !
ence committee on the initiative and /
referendum is expected But there IS /
some doubt as to the things the IeglS-
lature will do with the report which |
it is rumored the conferees will make
In fact there is a real possibility that
the legislature may adjourn without /
the 1. and r. resolution.
Two conference committees have
worked on the job of pulling the nails
out of the favorite Democratic plank
and the legislative members have dis
played but little ambition to help with
the work.
1t is now claimed that the con-
ference committee will recommend
that actions of municipalities affecting
local legislation shall be subject to the
review of the state courts, but that
the action of the people on an initiated
be final and conclusive and that the
courts will be barred from interior
ence- The conference committee, it
is stated, will concede to the house in
the matter deciding the manner of
any initiated measure.
If reports are true. the committee
will recommend that only a majority
must vote in its favor in order to Sc
cure its adoption. In the senate, it
was provided that a majority of the
people voting in the election must IA
vor the amendment or initiated law
in order to secure its enactment
Just what the legislature will do
with such report is problematic- In
the house the Republicans voted SOL
idly against a provision that removed
view They were Joined in their action
by several Democrats. The action
which they will take on the supposed
agreement of the conferees is a mat
ter of grave doubt and at no time dur
ing the session has the submission of
an L and r resolution been in such
serious danger.