Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-12
DEFEAT HANDED TO
WILLIAMS FORCES
Administration Coherts Beaten
by Opposition in First
Clash in House.
TEST WITHOUT ANY WARNING
.imbish Supreme Court Fill
ing Fee Bill Basis for
Issue; Debate Stormy.
Special TO The World.

op'' tHl 10 NJ w oilu
OKLAHOMA CITY. Jan. IL - The
first test Of administration strength
In the Sixth legislature came today
In the house of representatives and
ended in the decisive defeat of GOV
ernor Williams and his spokesmen.
The issue was clearly drawn. II was
The governor. represented by w. A.
Durant. against the antinadministra
tion forces. led by Robert W. Win.
hish of Pontotoc county.
The fight came on without warning
when the house went into committed
of the whole to consider bills on the
calendar. The bill by Representative
Wimbish repeating the law passed at
the 1915 session and raising the filing
fee in the supreme court to $40 was
the first one to bc considered. The
1915 statute was the pet measure of
the governor. Wimbish in his bill.
sought to reduce the fee to Sl5. Du-
rant took the floor against the VIM
bish act. Then followed a stormy de-
bate Amendments intended to kill
the bill were voted down one after
The other. Men like Harry II. Rogers
of Tulsa, connected in private life
with large business interests. argued
that $40 filing fee was excessive and
prevented the poor man from getting
into court.
Bob May Veto.
Durant finally grew desperate and
sent up an amendment entirely doing
away with a filing fee in the supreme
court. Let the taxpayer stand all
OF the expense" he shouted. The
amendment was killed. by vote of
better than three to one. the iouse
recommended the bill for passage. 1t
was ordered engrossed and will be up
for final roll call probably before the
week is over. An exactly similar bill
has been introduced in the senate by
Senators Davidson of Tulsa and Nc
Intosh of Bryan. The latter Is from
the governors home -Sounty and Bill
Durant's home town. The governor
said tonight he would veto the bill
II It passed.
Slaps En- Again.
They steamrollered the administra-
tion for the second time today when
the committee reported unfavorably
on the free textbook bill by Speef
and others. The governor is known
to have stated he would veto this
bin If it passed. Speer moved TO dis
regard the committee report ana
place the bill on the calendar. On a
SlAUuluE NOlt Allt lll'Aipli ' ~ A'N' ~
majority OF one. Fitty-siX aifirma-
tive votes were recorded.
Talk in the lobbics tonight centcred
largely around the two bills In the
senate and house providing for sep
sratc branches of the gov ernment to
handle the oil and gas industry Sena-
tor Davidson OF Tulsa, chairman OF
the senate committee on oil and gas,
Yesterday introduced Il bill creating
the office of state commissioners of oil
and gas. clothed wirN supreme au-
thor!ty and empowered to appoint as
manv as eight deputies to enforce his
rulings. The bill provides the COM
missioner shall be practical oil man
himself. lie is to be appointed by
the governor for the period ending
with the next state election, but alter
that the office will elective. II takes
away from both the corporation cC~l-
mission and the mining inspector all
Jurisdiction over the oil and gas IN
euEtry.
Power to Commission.
To-day in both the senate and house
n bill was introduced giving the cor
porat,on commission sole jurisdiction
in these matters and providing Tor
separate oil and gas branch or the
headed by commissioner
Noil and gas, to be appointed by the
commission subject to the contirina'
ton of the governor. The commls-
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