The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-09
Initial Deliberations Opened by
Lieutenant Governor.
ALL OFFICERS ARE RATIFIED
Committee on Committees
Names Employees Committee.
Huffman Presides as President
Pro Tenn for Fourth Time.

the work of the 1917 legislative ses-
sion. Its forty members-thirty-o ne
Republican and nine Democratic
met at the stroke of IL today, ratified
the work of the Republican caucus
held Monday afternoon. notified Gov
ernor Capper and the house OF its
readiness to transact business, and
recessed.
The initial deliberations of the sem
ate were opened by w. Y. Morgan,
lieutenant governor and president of
the senate. With committee on COM
mittees, President Morgan will be re-
stricted somewhat to the opening of
deliberations turnout the senate, but
with a strong Republican majority,
his restrictions will be nothing like
they were two years ago.
The caucus held Monday afternoon
in the office of the attorney general
selected the principal officers of the
senate and selected a committee on
committees. Immediately following
the meeting the committee on COM
mittees held a meeting and selected a
committee on employees. The latter
committee began its work at once and
its first act was to decide that the
senate can get along with eighty en-
ployes, instead of the ia the upper
house had two years ago. Before noon
today the committee on employees was
meeting again and going over the list
of applicants for positions.
Officers Are Ratified.
When the 1917 senate convened at
noon, after the preliminaries, the fol-
lowing officers, selected by the Repub-
lican caucus Monday. were formally
elected by the Republican vote:
President pro tenn, C. S. Huffman,
Columbus.
Secretary, Emmett George, Council
Grove.
Sergeant-at-arms, E. B. Jones, Hol-
ton.
Postmistress, Miss Edith Enderton.
Malvern.
Chaplain, Rev. John r. Madison,
Topeka.
The senate also ratified the caucus
selection of the committee on commit
tees, made up of one Republican SEN
ator from each congressional district
selected by the Democratic member
ship. The committee on committees
is made up as follows:
Chairman, Ben S. Paulen, Third dis
| tr1ct; Frank c. Pomeroy, First dis
trict; Robert B. Barr. Second district;
G. E. Carroll, Fourth district; Walter
| Wilson, Fifth district; J. S. Hart, Sixth
district; Will S. Thompson, Seventh
district; George w. Kanavel, Eighth
district.
81 T.
ton. of Stafford. was selected as the
Democratic member of the committee
on committees. James Malone was
chairman of the Democratic caucus.
an honor pointing to leadership of the
minority in the senate
Follow New Custom.
In years gone by the senate COM
mittees were named by the president
with the assistance of his friends
That prerogative was removed first in
1911 when Richard Hopkins was pres
ident of the senate and there was a
row on between insurgents and stand
patterS. The appointive power was
taken away from a Republican presi-
dent by Republican senate but ii wa
not restored later when the Democrats
obtained majority in the senate and
committee on committees had be-
come the custom. President Morgan
welcomed the appointment of such q
committee. Here's the secret-Presi
. dent Morgan named the committee or
committees and that committee will
} name the permanent senate commit.
tees.
The one real fight in the RepubIi.
can caucus was over the selection of z
Republican candidate for secretary OF
2 the senate The fight narrowed dowI
to two andidates-Emmett George
and Wylie Cook The withdrawal o.
Ike Lambert of Emporia and w. r
in doubt. There were several vote.
I to distribute and neither Cook MOI
George knew just where they would
go. On the final vote in the caucu.
George received IL votes and Cook re
ceived 4. Each believed he had Il
votes solidly altho there was a tota
OF only 81. Emmett George lives a
Council Grove and is a newspapei
man. Cook has just completed tw,
terms as assistant state treasurer un
der Earl Akers-
Huffman's Fourth Pro Temship.
$ With his election as president pr,
) tenn. Senator c. s. Huffman of Chero
= kee county, began his fourth session
4 in that capacity today.
y The committee in which are boun,
/ up the hopes of an army of candidate
= for employment is headed by Senate
r Frank c. Pomeroy Of Holton. 1t
= known officially as the committee o.
= employees. 1t is made up of Senate
lContinued on page Al