The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-06
Senate Adopts Measure Con-
corning Legislative Employees.
Maximum of 81 i'm Upper and
20 i'm Lower House.
BRINGS BACK HAPPIER DAYS
King Remembered When Every
Senator Had Sergeant at Arms.
Inspectors of Waste Baskets
Drew Pay for "Services."

The Kinkel Legislative sweat-shop
bill which, in the interest of economy
will make one telephone operator ana
one postmistress work sixteen hours a
Gay through the legislative session,
passed the senate this morning I'm
der the Kinkel bill schedule of en-
ployees is for the first time made 1t
provides for a maximum of ga en-
n1ovees in the senate and ~ in the
house of representatives, although II
does not interfere with the const1tu-
tionaI privilege of the legislative
bodies to make such arrangements for
additional help as they may see fit.
AS it leaves the senate it provides
for 30 less employees in recognized
positions than the maximum number
that have been employed at this ses-
sion in that body and for about thirty
fewer than there are in the mouse.
The bill adopted today is substitute
for the original Kinkel bill which car
ried a large number of very fancy
salaries, and leaves the employees
pay roll on the present basis OF 81
Ciay for pages and So day for other
EMPLOYEES except the secretary OF the
senate and the clerk of the house of
representatives each of whom re-
ceives an honorarium of $1,000 for
his work of keeping and indeXlng the
journals of the two houses.
Retains the Clerks.
1t cuts down the staff of already
overburdened telephone and pOstOffice
employees whose long hours of
service now require a double shift
ARRANGEMENT. But it retains the 40
senatorial clerks to be appointive by
the chaitmen of the respective COM
mitteeS.
political buncombe of the worst
type were among the kind words Of
fered as tribute to the bill by some of
the senators who voted against the
measure, and Senator Waggener point
ed out the uSelessness of any such
legislation in view of the constitutions
al prerogative of every every legisla-
ture to adopt whatever rules 1t may
see fit for the government of its own
sessions. More than two hours of
passage of the bill, much of the argu-
ment being in a humorous or sarcastic
vein.
y Vision of Happier Days.
There were recalled visions of hap
pier days when the senate had up
wards of $50 employees of its own,
each senator being granted an indi-
vidua1 ergeant-at-arms, while there
ventilation for every window and
staff of inspectors of the waste bas-
kets. 1t was in those days that in a
fit of remorse one senate laid off the
payroll a corps of 40 enrolling clerks
who, when they had enrolled the fatal
resolution, imposed it upon a bier
decorated with floral offerings and
paraded it before the senators.
The bill passed by the senate today
merely puts on the statute books an
expression that has governed the last
few sessions of the legislature. Many
opposed the bill on the ground that
since this senate has had its way in
the matter of employees it could with
bad grace lay down a rule for the
government of future legislatures.
Senator King recognized this situa-
ton while he still commended:
''Herd EN- in Gallery
There ought to be, with legisla-
lures as with men, a chance for re-
pentance in their dying hours. 1 have
been here when we had a superin-
tendent of ventilation at every window
and SO many employees that we had
to herd them in the balconies to keep
them from under foot. This bill mere
ly lays down for the guidance of flu
ture legislatures what our own honest
opinion is as to needful help. They
can do they think best about it
and repeal the law if they see fit
CharacteriZing the measure and de-
bate in its favor as political bum
come, Senator Joseph of Butler, one
of the hardest workers in the senate,
denounced the legislators who put in
their time "whooping up measures to
catch the eyes of the people while
contributing little or nothing to the
preparation of really important legis-
lation during the session. Having de-
livered this thrust at the author of
the bill, Joseph voted against it. 1t
carried, however. by a vote of 80
to 10.