The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-09
HOME RULE BILL
IS BURIED TODAY
IN LOWER HOUSE
State Affairs Committee Recon-
mends 1t sBe Not Passed."
Measure Never Had Even Slim
Chance to Survive.
PHONE COMPANIES WORRIED
Chittenden Would Make Them
Give Connections to Rivals
Farmers to Keep Up Fight on
State Charter Board.
PHONE COMPANIES WORRIED
Chittenden Would Make Them
Give Connections to Rivals
Farmers to Keep Up Fight on
State Charter Board.

Home rule for cities is seemingly as
dead as a .1nackerel, so far as this
session of the legislature is concerned
The house committee on state affairs
today gave the measure a pauper flu
ing desk with the stock headstone in
soription BE Not Passed
After a month in the house commit
tee hospital, the bill failed to gain
strength. Members Cf the committee
net several times and diagnosed the
condition of the bill. But they never
sent alluring hopes or promises to its
friends. Secretly they were quite GER
tain the bill would not survive the leg
islative season. This morning Chair
man Mack sent the bill to the morgue
with a professional air of tenderness
which follows a serious major opera
ton.
Kansas towns have been asking for
the home rule amendment to the state
legislature. Bird of Shawnee intro
duced the victim at this session. He
was not present when the attending
physicians report was read.
Under the city home rule provi-
sion, Kansas towns would have been
permitted to draft their own charter
to do as they pleased so long as it
didn't interfere with the general stat
utes or the state constitution. The
league of municipalities was behind
the reform, which will now be re-
quired to await a resurrection in the
1919 session.
Furnish Telephone Connections.
Chittenden, of Ellis county, gave
the telephone companies goose flesh
today when he introduced a bill COM
polling companies to furnish physical
connections with competitive COM
panies. The bill is urged by the mu-
tual concerns.
Out in the rural districts the mu-
tual lines carry the neighborhood gos-
sip over the barbed wire fences and
string of native poles. But the big
trunk lines have refused to grant ply
steal connections except in certain
cases and under certain conditions
In short they declined to offer high
grade lines and divide profits with
the barbed wire fence service
If Chittenden's bill becomes a law
the trunk lines must connect with the
little rural district lines and the pub
lie utilities commission will prescribe
a basis on which the companies shall
sharep rofits and expenses
Oil Men Are Happy.
The house committee on oil and
gas has reported bill which does
not meet with the approval of the
state oil inspection department They
have offered a bill which does not
provide a standard test for gasoline,
btu insteads compels dealers to mark
on cans and tanks the result of the
test. Motor dealers and owners, also
in the bill, declare that the
bill would be of as mucL
benefit TO them as pad of Chinese
laundry slips. Now they are organ
iziEg TO fight the bill when it is called
up for consideration on the floor.
Farmers Won't Quit.
The Farmers union refuses to quit
fighting 1t is after the state char
ter board and doesn't care who knows
bout it. The union shed tears when
the house killed a bill which would
have taken the power from the char
ter board in granting mank charters.
Insistent on relief, however, Caudill,
of Comanche county, has offered a
bill which would provide that within