The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-17

Members of the Kansas legislature
have been in session six weeks and
Governor Capper is waiting patiently
to sign something that resembles a
party platform pledge or an admins
tration promise. To date all of the
big arty and administration prom
isory notes have either been repudiat-
ed or allowed to lapse for non-pay-
ment of principal and interest Not
to exceed a half dozen bills CT general
concern have found their way thru
the house and senate.
Records at the legislative clearing
house show that 50 bills have been
au lifted and approved by the two
houses. A majority of these bills pro-
vide for appropriations. Except in
a few instances the remaining bills
are of local concern or slightly
amendatory to existing statutes. The
general highway bill has passed the
house and senate during the present
week, with a few amendments in the
upper house and prospect for a con-
ference. Both houses passed the
mothers pension hill, with a may
instead of a "shall' in the new law
and little in the general provisions
which will afford relief ov-r the exist
ing act. \ bill to abolish the school
of mines is thru the house and senate
and the city manager bill "a plank in
the platform IF a Kansas City news
paper-is ready for the governors
signature. That is about all
1'PetS" Not Well Cared For
Against the record of the passag e
of the half dozen general bills, the
1917 legislature has put a serious
crimp in some pet legislation. The
senate's first organization test was a
display of the old style system and
f1n 4,
al convention program on ice for the
session That was the beginning OF
severe winter for constitutional
measures In three hours the house
slaughtered the plan for a constitu-
tional amendment for internal i'm
provements permitting the state to
engage in highway building and flood
p evention- 1t also blocked the plan
to let down the bars and permit the
submission of any number of pro-
posed constitutional questions at a sim
gle session of the legislature. Such
action was in rude violation of the
governors message.
Both houses have passed many
original bills. But these measures
have encountered rough travelling
when they reached the opposite end
Of the hall A majority of these bills
are either held in committees or are
being deferred in the deliberations OF
the lawmakers. A total of 81 bills
however, are out on the house and
senate calendars under general orders
1t is quite certain, tho, that the nexI
week will see the appointment of re-
vision committees in both houses Ant
that means that numerous bills that
found their way thru the committee
rooms will die on the calendars when
final adjournment is declared.
Want 10 Go Home.
Each day the desire of the rura
members to go nome increases. New
members who are digging up real
money from the family till to meet
meal ticket deficits after the SO a day
is gone, are willing to quit almost any
time. The arrival of sunshine ano
near-spring weather has increased this
early corn planting. Likewise it has
lessened the deep concern as to tbs
public need of new legislation.
House committees have performed
noble service in the trenches durin-
the last few weeks From an offerins
Of S19 bills. they have to date slaught-
cred 347. 1t is estimated that so pei
cent of the bills now in the commit
tees will fail to find a place on tbs
calendars during the present session
In the senate 220 of the SOS bills havs
failed to survive d trip to the commit.
tee rooms.
Rush Appropriations.
! Appropriation bills are being rushed
to the front as rapidly as they CONS
from the ways and means committees
A number of the appropriation meas
ures for the state charities have made
| successful trips thru the two house.
this week.
! In the house an energetic steering
| committee is pushing the big meas
! ures to the front for early considera
| Continued on Page TBo)