The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-04
Administration Leaders Back
Up on Their Determination.
Relent and Send Appropriation
Measure to a Conference.
1T MAY END 1915 SESSION
Fight Over Budgets Is All That
Holds Legislature Here.
First Indication of COmprO-
mise With the Senate.

The house today made its first move
to break the appropriation deadlock
when it adopted a resolution by keene
of Bourbon asking for appointment OIL
a joint committee to settle the con
troversy. Action today may mean au-
journment next week.
Just before the noon recess, A. NJ
Keene of Bourbon county, chairman
of the house ways and means COM
mittee, offered his resolution. 1t is
substantially the same resolution upon
which an agreement was reached by
house leaders earlier in the week and
withdrawn when it was discovered
that the measure would place the
house committee in box. The res
olution calls for the appointment OF a
Joint committee of four members OF
the house-including chairman of the
house ways and means committee
and three members from the senate
Neither legislative body is bound to
the action of the committee and report
shall be made only on approval of
majority of the members 1t is be
1ieved, however, that the action Will
mean an early settlement of the SEN
ate and house differences.
This morning administration mem
bers of both houses found the legisla-
ture more securely deadlocked than
at any time during the session Both
houses had passed their own bills and
neither showed a tendency to consid-
er bills from the other body. 1t was
then that a conference was held and
the Keene-DOerr resolution of Tues
day was offered. An emergency was
declared, the resolution given immedf-
ate consideration and passed.
For the first time in the history of
the state, the ways and means com
mitteeS of the house and senate have
gone through entire session without
a joint session. Even with the adop-
tion by the senate of the house reso-
luton, there will be no meeting of the
full membership of the two commit
tees.
Indication of Compromise.
Action by the house today is taken
by Legislative members as the first in
dicatiOn of a compromise of the ap-
preparation differences. The resolu-
ton itself recites that an emergency
exists and virtually admits deadlock.
AS u solution of the question, it urges
Il joint committee from the two houses
to work over the appropriation items.
The real difference between the
house and senate concerns appropria-
tions for new buildings at state insti-
tutions. IT is believed that the house
Sions in its stand and will approve
certain building appropriation items
on the other hand it is believed that
the senate will consent to elimination
of certain items.
Early Adjournment.
If the house and senate committees
can agree in the next few days, it is
believed both houses will endorse the
committee report. That will mean an
early adjournment. Hand clapping
and applause from both sides of the
house marked the adoption of the
resolution in the house. Members
saw in the action a chance to adjourn
and go home This is the fifty-second
day of the session, although Speaker
Stone has cOntended that under the
constitution Sundays can not be count
ed. Still, by established precedent and
the fact that members and employees
were Tuesday paid for their full fiftv
days. this reckons in the record as the
second day of free service on the part
of the legislative mem berS.
Doerr of PaWnee county, minority
house leader, seconded the motion to
adopt the Keene resolution. He said
that he had urged the passage of the
resolution two days earlier and that
had this action been taken, the legis-
iature would now be two days nearer
an agreement and would have lodged
the bitter appropriation fight of We'd
nesday. There were but few votes
against the resolution on final pass