The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-08
Session of 1918 One of Most
Successful in History.
Only One-FOurth of Bills Intro
duced Are Passed.
TO PRODUCE A REVENUE
Original Measures Would Net
$1,325,OOO Yearly.
General Review of Actions of
Upper House.


RIis gIi1S
BiIis killed by committees. ees................2S2
Bs Buis remaining on calendar and dying. .146
bllls signed by governor. IS
This is the mathematical result of
the work of the Kansas senate in the
1913 session. There are several bills
still in the mill that will go to the
governor for his signature before the
legislature adjourns. Otherwise the
above list is correct in every detail
and is the story that the docket will
tell when it is corrected and. complied
next week.
1t will be seen by the table that the
senate has passed only one-fourth of
the measures introduced, that only one
half of the number of bills passed were
killed on the floor, that the commit
tees smothered nearly three times as
many bills as the members killed on
the floor. and that more proposed laws
died on the calendar than the senate
as whole was able to annihilate.
The members of the senate are well
pleased with the accomplishments or
the last So days. They have been con-
servative and deliberative in their con-
siderations and when the time for the
cessation of original bills appeared
with 146 measures of local and state
wide Importance, they allowed the lieu
tenant governors gavel to fall-nearly
$50 bills falling into the waste basket
for want of attention and time.
The motto of a majority of the sem
ate members-''cut down the statute
bookS'-waS carried out. Senators
with pet measures lost on the calen-
dar did not regret the fall of the ak.
The senate this session has reversed
the usual legislative conditions. I'm
der ordinary circumstances the senate
with only forty members rushes
through a multitude of measures in
much quicker order and with less ora
tor1cal trimmings than the house with
its 125 representatives. This year, how
ever, the senate has taken the oratori-
cal honors into camp and has allowed
the house to run away with both NUM-
bers and considerations of bills
Party lines have not been drawn
too tightly for respective measures in
the senate No combination or inside
organization has blocked legislation
The Democrats, in the majority have
held together only in constitutional
amendments affecting platform prom
1ses. The Republicans, mixed here
and there with Bull Moosers have
flocked to the side of the majority
in the passage of Progressive prin-
ciples.
The members of the senate are
proud of one course of action taken
the introduction of measures that will
result in the production of revenue to
the state. If all the bills and a con-
SlllullOndl amendment are Favored bX
the house and enacted into law, Kan
sas as a state will realize more than
$1,325,000 annually in revenues Prob
ably no other Legislature in the his
tory of the state will have exceeded
this revenue production.
The more important revenue bills
are:
Mortgage registration. $50 900
Moving picture censorship fees. $4,000
Gorp1ration 10 tax f,o,, 9OOOOo
Income constitutional amendment. 100000
JOtdI 81, 80 600
These are conservative estimates.
Many senators insist that the moving
picture, income tax and sand royal
ties will bring in more than the stated
amount.
The measures of most state wide in
terest to be enacted into law after in
PRODUCTION in the senate follow:
State fire marshal.
Prohibiting sale of shoes made OF
imitation leather.
Night schools in cities.
Board of corrections for penal insti-
tutions.
Abolishing county assessor.
State publication of school text
books.
Tax on motor cars.
Nomination of United States senator
by popular vote.
Exempting women from jury SER
vice.
Abolishing jobs of 125 oil inspectors.
Repeal inheritance tax law.
Board of examination for trained
nurses.
Corporation franchise tax.
Recall of public officials.
Massachusetts, ballot.
Provident loan associations.
Board of administration for edu-
cational institutions.
Consolidation of labor, mine and
free employment bureaus
Enabling counties to buy machin-
cry for well digging and irrigation.
laws.
Workman's compensation law.
Ratification of amendments to elect
United States senator by direct vote.