The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-20
Barr SAVES Bill
Kansas Guardsmen May Yet
Get Extra Pay for Service.
Measure Gets on Calendar De-
spite Committees Report.

There is still a chance that the
members of the Kansas National
Guard who spent the summer on the
Mexican border in federal service will
get that $172,000 proposed in a bill
introduced by Senator Barr of Bour-
bon. After two hours of argument
Monday and half an hour today Sena-
tor Barr succeeded in overturning the
report of the ways and means commit
tee and putting the bill on the senate
calendar without recommendation.
The ways and means committee had
ported it back with the recommended
ton that it be not passed. Senator
Barr moved Monday afternoon that
the bill be placed on the calendar and
verse report of the committee.
Senator Wilson, chairman of the
| ways and means committee, was alb
sent Monday afternoon and Barr was
criticised for bringing the matter up
in his absence. He explained that it
was his last chance; that unless he
made his motion on Monday the bill
| would be irrevocably dead
Why should 1 sleep on my rights
| simply because the chairman of the
ways and means committee saw fit to
absent himself?" demanded Senator
Barr.
| Snyder for Bill.
The ways and means committee was
| not unanimous in its report. Senator
| Snyder of Leavenworth not only ia =
vored giving the bill a chance on the
| floor but he made strong and logical
talk to that effect
| The law" he said, provides that
| when Kansas troops are in service
they shall receive 81 day-the pri-
Yates. The same law provides that
| the state shall pay to the troops the
| dIfference in the amount allowed by
the federal government and that al
| lowed by the state. The federal gov
eminent allows only so cents a day.
This bill allows the members of the
guard the other so cents a day, maxi
ing a total OF a dollar a day for all
| enlisted men,
Senator Malone, of Rawlins, one of
the nine Democratic leaders of the
senate, protested that the senator
from Leavenworth, was making a
mercenary matter out of patriotism.
He declared that any man in Kansas
was willing to fight under his coun-
try's flag and willing to sacrifice
every cent he owned if necessary. He
couldn't see any need for attempting
TO recompense the men who went to
the border in dollars and cents
ut is true that patriotism cannot
be measured by dollars and cents as
peer and beans are measured said
Senator Barr. TT is true you canno!
buy nor sell it. That is all the great
Oi ICdSoL why ILLS senate SnOulQ mol
be little and tight. I'd hate to think
my state would deprive the men who
made the sacrifice the guardsmer
made of the money due them Il.
ignore a law on the statute books tc
do it,
The ways and means COMMITTEES
stood fairly well together Chairman
| Wilson declared that the men had al
ready received the extra SO cents j
day in contributions from their home
towns.
Yes" said Senator Barr, Topeka
IS one of the town that raised fund
and 1 understand the men received 4
total of $34 to offset what the state
actually owes Them
Senator Delaney, of Doniphan, said
his county had not contributed a cert
to the men who went to the border
altho the men represented his district
as well as the other districts of the
state.
But" he said, II know that Doni-
phan county wants these men to have
what is coming to them and it is
willing to pay its share of the taxes
required to pay them. Brown county
) the other county in my district, hat
clen on the border and would appre.
ciate anything this body does TO,
them out of Justice
Senator MetcaIf, of Douglas an of
ficer on the border, stated the situa
ton in q few terse sentences He die
not give much consideration to tn,
contributions made by the public
After his statement the bill went OF
the calendar without further debate