The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-03
Measure Passed by Representa-
tives May Be Torn to Shreds.
IT WOULD AID BOOTLEGGERS?
RumOr Says That's Opinion of
Brewster and Senator Price.
Judiciary Committee Now Has
Charge of the Situation.

the Kansas legislature is agitating
friend and foe since the house has |
passed the bone dry BILL Not by |
single word or action has the senate |
indicated its attitude on any matter |
related to the sale of liquor There is |
not liquor bill on the calendar-not |
even the Sparks bill passed by the
house.
Everything introduced in the SEN
ate in the way of liquor legislation is
in committee-the house bill includ-
ed Liquor bills, this session, are go
ing to the Judiciary committee, not
the committee on temperance
1T is no longer a question of tenn
perance in Kansas" said President
Morgan after referring one of the Ii.
quor bills. kansas long ago COM
mitted herself to the principle of pro-
h1b1t1on, not temperance, and such
legislation is now a matter of law.
have referred these bills to the judi
ciary committee
Senator Price of Clark, is chairman
of the judiciary committee and he is
unaccountably re-icent about the atti-
tude of the committee towards the Ii
ator Price did not say it, that he is
| not at all satisfied with the house bill
passed this week. 1t is also said that
Attorney General Brewster is not sat-
| isfied with it. These two attorneys
| have been in conference frequently
since the measure passed the house
| and it is rumored they have reached
the conclusion that the house bill will
encourage the bootlegger and make
| law enforcement more difficult.
| Not one of the numerous liquor
| bills introduced in the senate has been
allowed to come out of committee to
date. Several of the senators inter-
ested have had the word that the jul
| dietary committee will bring out an
entirely new bill as a substitute for the
house bill and all other bills that have
| been referred to the committee. That
would include a substitution for the
Montee bill absolutely prohibiting the
shipment of liquor into the state for
any purpose whatsoever His is the
simon-pure bone dry BILL
1t is the Montee bill that has struck
most fire since it's introduction. No
| day passes when a petition is not read
from aggregation of citizens from
some point in Kansas urging the sem
ate to pass the Montee bill and to
make no exceptions in it. One petit
ton read Friday was signed by 800 of
the citizens of one locality asking that
the Montee bill be passed and that it
be allowed to stand absolutely prohib-
iting the shipment of liquor into Kan
sas for any purpose, church or other
wise.
However, it is rumored, that the
Montee bill will not see the light of
day. The judiciary committee has it
now. 1t also has the house bill. What
ever the judiciary committee brings
forth will have some standing in the
senate for the senate has a lot of re-
spect for the judiciary committee.
|, The coming week promises to be a
big week in the senate. 1t promises
to be a week of special orders Con-
stitutional amendments, the good
roads bills, the public utility receiver
ship bill and possible prohibitory leg
islation are on the program. The jul
dietary committee is required on mo-
ton to report back to the senate on
the amendments proposing a constitu-
-tional convention by next Tuesday.
The senate ways and means COM
mittee went to Lawrence Friday, pick
ing the coolest day of the year to
climb to the top of Mt. Dread and
look over the state university. The
committee looked over the requests OF
!, the university for appropriations
over the items calling for new build
, ings and remodeling buildings, then
decided to see for itself just what is
,, needed. The university budget will
! depend largely upon what the senate
, committee found Friday.
Senator Schoch of Shawnee county
put thru the first bill to be signed by
the governor, with the exception OF
appropriation measures. His measure
was the third introduced in the senate
and related to wills. 1t provided thai
| after two years wills, unless contest
proceedings have begun in the mean
time, cannot be contested.
want to take a look at the next
secretary of state?" asked a senator
Sure
That's the man over there; the one
with the swollen lip"
That was the morning that Senator
: Ben Paulen, of Wilson. entered the
senate chamber with his lower lip 81
badly swollen that his hair was hi:
r only Identification. Paulen hasn'l
5 said anything about a bee of any kim
but there is much talk around the
senate about him a probable can.
didate for secretary of state in 1918
Senator Paulen is serving secont
term as senator and is one of the
leaders of that body this Sc sion. Hs
was honored by appointment as chair
man of the committee on committees
e Altho none of the big appropriation
e bills has been introduced in the sen
g ate Chairman Wilson, of the way.
= and means committee, says the com
r mittee is in excellent shape with it
, | work The committees are far in ad
q vance of the usual program and will
be ready to make their introduction
/. the latter part of next week or tn,
v early part of the succeeding week
Some of the favorite house meas
ures are having hard luck in the sen
: ate committees and that's bad sis:
for house fayorites; for the senate ha.
e shown a disposition to stand by Il
n committees. The latest H F." Il
t fall under the axe was the indeter
inmate franchise bill introduced il
the house by Allen. of Wyandotte anC
|. passed by that body. The Kansa.
/, League of municipalities is opposed t.
the measure, charging that it gives
q public utility perpetual franchise
: The bill was killed in the senate b,
1.-THE committee on public utilities