The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-03

With four weeks of the legislative
session gone, it is apparent on the face
of the record that the house ana SEN
ate committees will maintain batting
average of $50 in the slaughter OF the
seasons bills. Practically one-half OF
all bills introduced have been strdn-
gIed in the committees, while one-half
of the bills remaining for committee
consideration seem destined to ole
young.
Conclusion of the first month of the
| 1917 session continues to bear out the
! impression that the lawmakers are not
| headed in any definite direction.
Twenty-Five bills have found their
way thru the two houses and nineteen
| of the measures have come back with
the governors official o. K. The re-
naming three bills will be messaged
back early next week. Not since the
session opened has the governor eXer-
cised his power of veto
| At the conclusion of the fourth
] week of the session, the legislature is
facing a program of real activity.
Both houses will next week take NJ
! the constitutional amendments and
these provisions ought to afford some
fighting that will hold the interest of
the lobby crowds. Just at this time
neither house has shown intense
desire to burden the minds of the
voter with demands for expressions of
opinion as to constitutional needs. A
tional questions is the house cal
endar for Monday and will afford ex-
cellent targets for the constitutional
lawyers in the lower branch of the
state legislature. After the house has
guessed as to the measures that should
go to the voters in the 1918 election.
the senate will view the situation.
| Upper house members will call the
constitutional questions up Tuesday
under special order
constitutional
out of the way, the house and senate
will next week fight out provisions
cf a new workmen's compensation
bill, new highway bill, some addi-
tional liquor legislation, the program
for new taxation laws and such ad-
rninistration bills as may come to the
top of the calendar for air. Up 10
, this time the legislature hasn't broken
speed records in getting to the COVER
nor's program. They have filed the
printed copies of the governors mes
sage in their desks and many of the
net measures that stood at the top or
. found their way to the legislative hop
, per.
II Following the fight over the Stone
resolution to invite Governor Capp@E
to try out his own executive puoSel
; program, it has become apparent mn
the house will not hasten to adopt the
net program House members also
| voted down a resolution calling Tor a
: legislative investigation of the nlgh
cost of living. altho such an investlsa-
ton was urged by the governor IN
his message While the mouse mas
slaughtered these first two prize Of
; ferings the senate snarled ana snap
ped at the program for cons.ltu-
tional convention, altho the aotl Us
tration has within the last two weeks
lined up squarely behind the scheme.
| House members furnished legisid-
tive visitors the only real oratory as
played during the present session.
Most of it came during consideration
of the bone dry liquor bill. The house
passed the bill substantially as intro
duced and checked it up to the senate.
If rumors of a new committee olli N
house will probably pass the buck
right back to the house
Next week both houses will start
on the last lap of the session, with a
program for long hours ana much
hard work The house is slated to be-
Gin night sessions and today the senate
is taking its last Saturday vacation OF
MANY bills will probably find their
way thru the mill as result OF mex
date adopted "a original bills. only l6
of which have come safely thru the
senate. A total OF 10 original bills
have found their way thru the senate.
The house has taken acuon Oh SisHt
of these bills, six of which were adopt
cd and two killed. Neither house has
shown undue haste in taking up the
, bills from the opposite end of the state
house and these enactments will prob
| ably be held back while action is TAX
en- on original measures
House in the Lead
For the first time in years the house
5 is holding a safe lead over the senate
i | in the actual accomplishment of work
, The big bunglesome, slow moving
' lower branch of the legislature has,