Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-03-20
STATE ASSEMBLY HAPPENINGS
BUSINESS Is IN FULL SWING AT
JEFFERSON CITY.
Both Branches Of State Legislature
Get Down to Business-Many
Bills Introduced.

Both Branches Of State Legislature
Get Down to Business-Many
Bills Introduced.
Missouri now purposes to take up
the condition of the women and girl
workers in the factories of the state
and establish a minimum wage be-
low which they shall not be paid.
Representative John NJ. Kennedy
Of Kansas City has INTRODUCED the
Minimum Wage bill. 1t establishes
a minimum wage commission of three
members who are to receive $1,000 q
year and travelling expenses. That
commission Is given powers to in
quire into the condition of any wom-
en- workers. They r to take them
up factory by factory and store by
store. A penalty is provided for any
employers Withholding information
from the commission. In case the
commission finds the girls or women
OF any trade or any one city are I'M
derpaid it will appoint a wage board,
three from the women employees,
three from the employers and the
seventh from the public
The wage board will hear testimony
the commission may present. II also
will take new testimony and make
personal investigation of the condi.
ton of the workers. If twc-thirds OF
the wage board recommend to the
commission the establishment of a
minimum wage In that line of en-
ployment the commission may order
it on sixty days notice. II the wage
board divides upon the figures Of a
minimum wage the commission will
lay the facts before the next legis-
lature with a recommendation that a
minimum wage be or be not estab-
lished.
Senator Busby introduced the ad-
ministration bill upon which is based
the peace pact between Governor
Major and Railroad Commissioners
Knott and Bradshaw, a%bolishing the
railroad and warehouse commission
and in its stead creating the office OF
state warehouse commissioner who
shall have charge of the inspection
and weighing of grain and fixing the
salary at $4,000 per year. The same
bill was introduced in the house by
Phelps of Jasper, who handles All ad-
ministration bills in that body. I'm
der the peace agreement all hands
are to support the utilities commits
sion bill which is to be amended so
that 1t will consist of five instead of
three members and the present mem.
bers of the railway commission are
to be members of it, unless one Of
the Democrats prefers to take the
place of the state warehouse commits
sioner.
johnson Of Pulaski introduced a
concurrent resolution calling for a con-
stitutional amendment providing for
the issuance of $4,000, 900 of state
bonds for the purpose of building good
roads. The novel feature of the propo-
sition is that it provides for a division
Of the money arising from the sale Of
the bonds on a basis of surface area"
Karsns City, st. Louis, st. Joseph,
Icl Springfield and other cities,
which provide more than 80 per cent
Of the taxes of the state, would get
the short end of such a division, while
counties like Texas, Shannon, Pulaski
and other counties of large area and
small property valuation would be
benefited largely.
The Gardiner telephone rate bill in.
troduced in the senate would pre-
scribe the following schedule Of rates
for all telephone companies operating
in Missouri: On the basis of a three
minute talk, the scale for the first
ten miles is 10 cents; one-half a cent
per mile for the next ninety miles,
and one-third of a cent per mile for
each mile in excess Of 100. For each
additional minute over three minutes
charges to be made on the basis of
one-fourth of a cent per mile. A
charge of 5 cents is allowed for trans
ferring messages and a double charge
for repeating messages.
The first bill passed by the senate
was the Hull House Bill amending the
motor a law of 1911. One amend
ment reduces the rate of dealers H.
censes from SIC to $40 a year and an
other adds a new section imposing a
fine OF $500 and possible imprison-
ment for anyone taking and using a
motor car without permission of the
owner. The bill also provides for
adding two motor car clerks to the de-
partment under the secretary of state
for such time as they may be needed.
Senator White Of Linn alone voted
against the bill.
Two bills out of the ordinary we're
introduced in the house. One by Rep
resentative Fluffy of Newton, prohib-
Its the sale and manufacture of cigar
cites under penalty of $500 fine or six
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