The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-10
SENATE NOTES


on committees as chairman of the
ways and means committee. That is
the chairmanship most sought after IN
| the legislature. 1T carries with IL
great responsibility and a great
| amount of work but it also carries
much prestige. Senator Wilson is
banker at Washington and has had
] legislative experience. The present is
his second four-year term in the SEN
ate.
w F. Sehoch, senator from Shaw
nee county, drew an important CHAIR
manship in the general distributor.
| He was named as chairman of the
committee on corporations. Hereto
| fore the corporations committee has
served as the receptacle for numerous
bills of statewide importance. All
bills introduced relating to or affect
| ing corporations are referred to it.
| The indications are that the number of
corporation bills this session will not
be up to the record of former sessions
but the Craftsmanship of this commit
| tee stands as one of the most impor-
| tant the senate has to confer.
| Among the more important commit
tee chairmanships announced by the
senate committee on committees are:
| Public utilities, Paul H. E\imbal1 of
Parsons; railroads, George w. Kanavel
| of Sedgwick; banks and banking,
| Charles E. Snyder of Leavenworth;
| insurance, C. E. Carroll of Alma; char
liable institutions A A Doerr of
Larned, and judiciary, Francis c.
Price of Ashland. The roads and
bridges committee is likely to assume
/ more importance than usual this ses-
| sion. Its chairman is Robert B. Barr
| of Fort Scott.
| Frank c. Pomeroy, senator from
Holton, drew two chairmanships- For
| two days he has been working con-
stantly chairman of the committee
| on mployeS-one of the most trying
jobs in the senate. With that work
we'll along towards completion. he was
| made chairman of the committee on
| congressional. and legislative appor-
tionment. Pomeroy is not new to leg
| islative work. He served two sessions
in the house and has a record for
activity.
There is a possibility that the sem
ate will adjourn some time this after
noon until next Monday. 1t is well
ahead Of the house in the matter of
orga nization and there will be little
for it to do until the first of next
week. Several senators are discussing
the advisability of adjourning for the
remainder of the week.
The new senate gives the impression
of being a conservative body. Cues
lions fail to bring to light any radical
=
vidual senator. The temper of the
senate may not be what it now seems
but the individual senators act like
men who will go slow upon untried
| measures proposed.
Senator Kanavel of Sedgwick re-
ceived an ANONYMOUS letter from one
of his constituents today expressing
the opinion that the state would be
better off if the legislature would adj
that condition for the next ten years.
The outburst was due to a newspaper
expression from Senator Kanavel, to
the effect that he favored more pay
for legislators. The writer of the let
ter suggested that members are al
ready overpaid.
Senator Laing of Russell will intro
duce a bill bling election judges to
| aid any voter in marking his ballot
with the exception of one in an intoxi-
Gated condition The present law per-
mits assistance only because of physi-
cal infirnities. The reason given by
Senator Laing for the amendment is
| a situation in his own district, where
many Russians and Germans live,
who are substantial citizens, but who
have not had time since they came
| from the fatherl2nd to learn the Eng
| lish language. They are deprived of
| the privilege of voting under the pres
ent laws.
| Senator Huffman of Cherokee and
Senator Malone of Rawlins were the
senate members of the joint commit
tee which notified Governor Capper at
| 10 o'clock today that the legislature
] of 1917 was in session and ready to re-
ce;ve the message of the chief execu-
| tive.
| The governors message was deliv-
| cred to the senate by Charles Sessions,
| his private secretary, at 1925 o'clock
today and was placed on reading at
| once.
| w. P. Lambertson of Brown. a SEN
ator two and four years ago, occupied
a seat in the senate gallery during the
reading of the governors message
Lieutenant Governor w. Y. Nor
| gan's private secretary is Sam Fair
child, a young man who has had an
interesting career the last three years.
After Fairchild left school three years
ago a young Reno county friend be-
came candidate for office. Fair
| child wanted to help and to do it he
organized Young Mems Republican
| club of 500 members at Hutchinson
and helped put his friend over. He
/ was adjutant of the First Kansas Ma
| tiona1 Guard, and when the guard
| went to the border he went along. He
came to the 1917 legislative session
| with Morgan and on Kansas day will
| take an examination for service in the
regular army.
| The senate adopted a resolution pro-
| viding for the printing of 1 900 copies
of the governors message for distribu-
| ton.
No bills were introduced in the SEN
ate up to the time of the noon recess.
The recess was until o'clock
| Even tho dehorned there is one
| committee the law provides the lieu
| tenant governor or president of the
senate shall appoint-the committee
on claims and accounts President
| Morgan today announced the appoint
| ment of that committee as follows.