The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-06
House Passes a Stamp Act With
Real Teeth i'm 1t.
Amendment to Senate Measure
Must Be Agreed Upon.
NEWSPAPERS ARE INCLUDED
Affect Publications as Well as
Mercantile Houses.
Capper Circulars Are Read Dur.
ing House Debate.

: After a call of the house which was
held an hour, the house of repre-
sentatives passed an anti-tradine
stamp, coupon and premium bill far
more drastic and far-reaching than
the measure which last week slipped
thru the senate. The measure was
passed by a bare constitutional ma
.joritys after one of the hardest fights
of the present session.
+ Sexson of Sherman county cast the
final and deciding vote-changing
from nay to aye-after Speaker
keene had earlier in the fight saved
the bill from absolute defeat by de-
Gliding a tie vote in favor of the meas
ure- The speakers action came when
the house voted so to So on a renewed
motion to strike out the enacting
clause and kill the bill. Then SeXson
changed just at the minute the meas
ure seemed lost and gave the bill a
constitutional majority
Up to Conference.
The stamp bill is not a law at this
time, however. With midnight We'd
nesday as the final hour for consid-
GRAFTON of all measures, the house and
senate confereeS must fight over the
amendments injected in the house
These amendments are vitality impor-
tant, too. They make the measure far
more drastic and effective than the
bill passed by the senate. Should the
house and senate agree on the bill
which went thru the house, the legis-
lature will give the state a stamp.
coupon and premium bill with regular
full-grown teeth in it.
1t was Kent of Marion county, a Re-
publican, who slipped in an amend
ment which puts the skates under pre-
MUM projects by newspapers. While
an amendment by Stone of Shawnee
county robably made the measure APP
ply to publications as we'll as to mer-
camille establishments, the Kent
amendment was definite specific and
positive. 1t was adopted by strong
! ma jority.
For Capper Coupons.
| Just to show that the house meant
what it said, several members eX-
planned their votes by reading extracts
| from premium circulars sent out by
the Capper publications. Holland of
| Russell proposed to read an entire
folder from the governors papers. but
| his limited time for explanations
would not permit. So Sparks of Cher
| okee took up the reading where Hol-
| land left off. Several pages of an al
Turing circular remained when the two
men had read their explanations into
! the record.
! OnQer the Dy SlOIe Vi
| Shawnee county, mercantile esta blish-
ments would be permitted to issue
stamps, coupon or script to cash Gus
| toners in lieu of cash or mercantile
| discount The merchandise, how
ever, must be given from the stock OF
| the firm.
On final roll call, SO representatives
voted for the bill, while SO members
opposed the bill.
Started Joker.
| Just once during the consideration
| of the bill was there a life size joker
| offered. 1t came from Sparks, OF
/ Cherokee, who was opposed to the
paper the bill was written on" He
proposed that the stamp measure
should be referred to the people an6
become a law when a majority had
voted for its adoption. The amend.
ment created a laugh. Yet on a ris-
| ing vote the count was so close 6
roll call was demanded. new feal
| was put in the hearts of the ant
| stamp members when 50 Legislators
voted for the amendment and friend.
of the bill mustered but SO votes.
The bill with amendments at
tached, was messaged back to the sen
| ate this morning.