The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-20
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Thirty more bills were this morning
added to the senate's calendar and
two were removed by their final pas
sage. thes. being the repeal of the
state dog i x and the passage of the
emergency appropriation to build
water filtration plant at OsawatOmte
in conjunction with the city where the
state hospital " the insane Is located
In the grist of new bills one OF the
important ones il b. SmanS bill Tor
the establishment of state and county
highways. 1t provides for the estab-
lishment Ct state highways and for
the assessment of property abutting
upon state and county highways for
their special improvement. Another
bill bearing upon the highway situa-
ton in Kansas introduced today by
Senator Denton of Elk reOrganizes the
Office of county engineer in the small
err counties and provides for the COM
surveyor. 1t is bill endorsed by the
State Engineering society.
Senator Kinkel of Council Grove
has written another nOn-partisan
election bill relating to county super
intendents. =. movement to take the
Office of county superintendent as well
as that of state superintendent out Of
party politics has gained Roadway in
the state and has already resulted in
the Introduction of two or three meas
ures in the present legislature.
Senator Howe Of Dickinson fathers
a bill prohibiting railroads from max
ing up freight trains Of more than
t~H1
CINE and cabOOse. Price of Green
wood has introduced a bill providing
for the payment Of the expenses of
judges and court reporters in district
courts. Bowman, by request, present
ed a bill relating to the organization
of rural high schools, this being about
t. fourth bill on the subject to be
handed in.
Senator Harry Gray of Russell and
several other counties, has prepared =
bill taking care of the awkward voter
who spoils his ballot when endeavOr-
ing to express his opinion of candi-
dates or public measures at the polls.
His bill would provide assistance when
requested for any reason other than
intoxication, by directing a judge and
a clerk from different political parties
to enter the booth with the voter.
Gray's bill would permit a voter to ask
for a second and a third set of ballots
If the others were spoiled while he was
attempting to mark them, and record
should he kept wherever assistance is
rendered.
The state automobile license tax
would be reduced from SIS to 81 per
annum under the bill proposed in the
senate by Gray of Russell. The Gray
bill amends the automobile license law
of 1913 cutting off 81 a year from each
automobile and eliminating the pres
ent provision for the creation of a fund
to be used for the improvement of the
roads in the county where the tax is
paid. The residue left in the hands of
the secretary of state after paying the
expense of furnishing a license tag.
would be turned over to the general
funds of the state.
ls.~Kansas real estate agents and brok-
ers will be prohibited from taking q
commission from more than one party
to a de.ai, except with the written con-
sent of both parties, under the bill
written by Senator Bowman which has
received the senate's endorsement in
committee of the whole. The bill
| further requires that all agreements
regarding commissions to such agents
must be in writing. 1t emphasizes this
point by specifying that no action shall
be brought for the collection of q
commission unless title to such a COM
mission can be shown in a written in
strument. Where the property offer
ed for sale is a homestead the agents
instructions must be signed by the wife
as well as the husband.
| Only where the purchaser agrees to
pay commission for the conclusion
| of a trade and does it with the know
ledge of the seller, can the agent col
lect on both sides. In speaking for his
bill Senator Bowman cited the frauds
in transactions in certain Florida lands
for which real estate brokers at Kan
sas City were heavily sentenced by the
| federal court after a recent hearing
AS a penalty for violation of the pro-
posed law, the agent infringing it loses
his right to any commission whatever
A bill relating to the handling of the
common school text books which the
state supplies. intended for the relief
dealers are disinclined to undertake the
financial risk involved in carrying sht
states texts. has been introduced by
Senator James Malone of Thomas. Il
is an amendment to the existing tex
book law and leaves standing the pres
ent provision for free texts. 1t take.
care of the little counties where it il
now almost impossible to obtain thu
state books by providing that dealer:
may file a bond for the invoice valu'
of shipments ordered by them and al
lowing credit for books returned un
sold. This. believes Malone, will ma
terially encourage the distribution o
books as it permits dealers to handle
them without danger of financial los
while still protecting the state.
The senate this morning f1nall,
passed the emergency appropriation bill
for the contraction of q filter plan
which will give pure water to the in
mates Of the state hospital for the in
sane at Osawatomie. 1t carries an ap
preparation of $4,000 and empower
the state board of control to cooper
!. ate with the city of Osawatomie in put
ting in a supply of pure water. TIL
action IL in response to an order by tn
state board of health which has con