Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1913-02-06
House

An autOmODlle license Dill was IN
troduced into the house by Kincaid OF
Johnson, which, if passed, will raise
about 100000 annually for the main
tenance and care of roads and public
highways in Kansas. The measure
provides that all automobiles shall
be registered with the secretary of
state, the license fee TO be $40 on
each car above twenty horsepower and
so cents additional for each added
horsepower. All electric and steam
motor cars must pay a rate of SIS a
year. Motorcycles are licensed at SO
year. When a car has paid this
rate for three years, and re-registers
for a fourth or for any succeeding
year, the rate is cut in half. There
will be no more tax on automobiles
if this bill goes into effect. Instead
there will be this license fee and the
money will all go into the road fund
of each county in which the automo-
biles are owned 1t is estimated that
there are between $4,000 and 10000
automobiles in Kansas.
The house passed the bill introoduc-
ed by VIM. McNannald of Chautauqua
county, calling for the proper plugging
of abandoned gas and oil wells. 1t
was opposed by J w. Hamm of Allen
county, but when it came to a vote
there was little opposition to it. The
bill provides that the county commits
sioners may name a qualified person
at S. per well to see that when the
casing is pulled" the well is properly
plugged to keep the salt water from
penetrating the gas sand.
The Republican minority in the
house forced the Democratic majority
to remove from the initiative and ref
erendum resolution an Objectionable
amendment, then joined with the Dem
ocrats and adopted the resolution by
a vote of 116 to g. The three men,
bers who voted against it on final
roll call were Ragle of Montgomery,
Satterethwaite of Douglas and Turner
of Neosho.
The house passed the bill OF Hines
OF Scott, making the state labor COM
missioner appointive by the governor,
and combining with that office the
state bureau of mines and mining and
the state free employment office.
Hendricks, of Rawlins county, would
solve the Kansas state fair contro-
versy by submitting the matter to the
voters in the 1914 election. His bill
in the house leaves the selection of a
state fair site in the hands of the vot-
ers of the state. A similar bill was
offered In the senate by Logan OF
Mitchell county. Any Kansas town
may become a candidate for the site
OF the state fair on condition that
such town shall deposit with the state
warranty deeds to property appraised
at not less than 100000, or shall de-
post cash to the amount of 100000
as evidence of good faith. Failure to
hold regular state fairs means that the
property shall revert to the state. No
appropriation for he maintenance of
support of the fair is carried in Hem
bricks bill.
The bill permitting the use of all
natural water for irrigation purposes
west of the ninety-seventh meridian,
introduced by Williams, was passed by
the house. 1t provides that the water
may be used first for irrigation pur-
poses, and second for industrial pur-
poses, subject to domestic use.
Ragle of Montgomery county, would
make it crime to issue a check
against bank in which the writer
has no funds. He would make it n
crime. on a par with stealing money
from the bank and punishable by the
same penalties.
The bill introduced by Orr of Atchi-
son, prohibiting clerks and other en-
ployes in probate and justice courts
from practicing in those courts barely
pulled through the house. 1t takes
sixty-three votes to pass bill and the
Orr bill secured siXty-five votes.