The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-03
Senate, With Few Amendments,
FavOrS House Measure.
Provides for Creation of Com
mission in Kansas.
DISAPPOINTED JOB HUNTERS"
This Was Senator Prices Dec
IaratiOn for BiIl's Origin.
Opposition Insisted Measure
Was Not Needed i'm State.

| Lacking only concurrence by the
house of representatives in few un-
important amendments put in the
| Stone bill by the senate this morning,
Kansas has a welfare commission law
| for women. Twenty-seven senator's
voted for the bill and against it on
1 final passage at noon today. With
the moral certainty that the house will
concur promptly in the changes which
the senate has made in the draft of
the bill sent over by the house, the
commission bill goes back to that body
| before it is to be sent to Governor
Capper for his signature He has al
| ready endorsed it.
Two women and the labor commits
sioner will constitute a body of three
persons empowered to investigate
wages, hours of labor. sanitary condi-
| tions in working places and conditions
affecting women and minors in indus
/ trial occupations Its powers shall eN-
! tend to making orders for the Great
/ ing of a special arbitration board
| with full authority to settle the sub
! ject of complaint This board shall
! be paid per diem and travelling eN-
| penSeS on the same scale as jurors in
civil cases. A board of this charac-
ter shall be composed of three repre-
sentatives of the employers. three for
! the laborers engaged in the industry
and one disinterested person. II shall
have power to summon witnesses and
the boards final Judgment shall fix
| the wages. working hours other
conditions involved for the entire class
| of occupation affected.
The commissioners shall serve with
out pay but shall have travelling and
| other necessary expenses incident to
! discharge of duty.
Access TO Pay Rolls.
In obtaining evidence bearing upon
working conditions the Rembers OF
the commission shall have access to
| the pay-rolls and other records of
any business giving employment to
women, apprentices and minors bear
! ing upon wages, hours or laboring
hconditions. At its discretion the COM
mission may investigate any industry
| or occupation in the state and upon
| the request of not less than 25 persons
engaged in the same occupation it
shall be the duty of the commission
to institute investigation. If the
commission is dissatisfied with the
! report of any subordinate board it
may appoint another or direct il to
make new investigation.
Appeals from decisions by the COM
mission may be had to the district
court in the county in which the COM
plainant resides and in such actions
the attorney general shall appear on
behalf of the commission. Such ap-
pealed cases shall take precedence
over any other cases which may be
pending and subsequent appeals shall
be taken to the supreme court as i'm
other cases. Unless stayed by the
court the decisions of the commission
shall be effective while appeal is
pending. Fines are provided in
amounts from s25 to 500 for viola
tions of the welfare commission act.
Objections to the Bill.
The welfare commission bill was
not passed by the senate without
strenuous opposition by senators who
take the stand that legislation re-
strictive upon the operation of capital
is not demanded in an agricultural
state like Kansas. The membership
of the commission was reduced from
I five members to three by an amend
ment offered by Senator Francis c.
Price, one of the ablest members of
the upper house. who steadfastly
fought the commission bill. In sub
mitting his reduction amendment
Price explained grimly that he Of
fered it for the purpose of "disa D.
pointing a couple of job hunters"
Many of the senators who voted
for the bill admitted their uncertainty
as to the value of it to Kansas Most
of them agreed that il was an expert
ment attempted in Difference to a SEN
timent that has developed in Kansas
for the promotion of the general well
fare of women and children. This in
fluence was chara cterized by Senator
Nixon of Sumner county as aggra-
waited into "a sickIy sentiment which
is developing masculine women and
feminine men in this state, and is
ruinouS to sober and constructive leg
islation."
The doubts regarding the utility Of
the present welfare commission plan
are based on the possibility that the
powers conferred upon such a COM
mission may be too easily used for the
embarrassment of legitimate1y con-
Quoted business in a state where bust
ness of an industrial character is al
ready handicapped by the competition
of more faVorably located and older
industrial centers.
The stone bill which passed today
was accepted as a substitute by Sena-
tor Harry Mcmillan for a bill of simi-
lar purpose drafted by himself and ad-
vanced to the head of the calendar.
Success of the measure thus far. how
ever, is chiefly due to the constant ef-
I forts of Miss Lima +. Bresette, state
factory inspector who drafted one of
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