The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-13
next WEEK TO TELL THE TALE
All Important Measures VIII Be
In by January 20.
Preparations for Appropriation
Bills Well Under Way. {
LEGISLATOR RECORD.

Unless the lawmakers return to
town next week with their suit cases
and hand bags filled with proposed
legislation, Kansas will probably refer :
back to the 1917 lawmakers as a body
that practical economy in the use OF
white paper Just at this time, with
the first week of the session in the
discard, the new legislature is produc-
ing a record short crop of bills. The
record for the first week shows 162
house and senate bills as against S12
two years ago-a reduction of nearly
SO per cent.
Many of the administration bills
have already reached the legislative
hopper. BY the end of next week it
is probable that ell of the important
bills in which the legislature and tho
state will be seriously interested.
will have been introduced. Then the
lawmakers will begin to put ON
brakes. Among members of both
houses is a decided tendency to intro
duce few bills, to close up shop as
early as possible and go home. AL
ready the legislature has provided for
consideration of the resolution for
constitutional convention, for internal
| improvements, for a three-fourths
| jury verdict, bills for repeal of the
divorce proctor act. abolition of the
state school of mines, consolidation of
| county and state jobs and other inn
pOrtant measures.
Appropriation Bills.
! Next week both the house and sem
ate ways and means committees Will
arrange for preparation of appropria-
ton bills. An effort will be made by
both houses to submit the big appro-
/ priation budgets early in the session.
Some of the scattering appropriation
| bills tho, will not reach the 1egisla-
| t1Ira M flftV
| day grind. Several hearings will be
announced next week and heads of
state institutions will probably come
| to Topeka for their legislative siege.
| All senate committee assignments
were announced the second day of the
session. In the house, however. the
assignments may not be completed I'M
til late next week. Eight standing
committees have been named by A
! NJ. Keene, speaker of the house. Near
i ly forty additional committees will be
appointed In the next few days.
Less Fireworks.
| Both houses are exploding less fire.
works than in recent sessions. All OF
which brings joy to the members of
the third and fourth house, who see
real hopes for clean cut business
| legislature. Many members declared
today that they expected to introduce
| few bills this session and a number
of the older members of the house and
i senate came to Topeka with fewer pet
measures than during any Legislative
gathering in years.
L. d. Moore of Winfield, law part
ner of Col. w. p. Hackney and one
/ of the probable strong new men in the
| house, has introduced five bills and
declares he is thru for the session.
| Several other members introduced
/ their entire offering during the first
! few days of the session. Probably
twenty members have declared they
will not send a bill to the reading
| clerks desk during the entire session.
Probably half of the members are
spending Saturday and Sunday in To-
peka. A number of the members are
| working in committees and by next
week both the house and senate calen-
dars will provide work for lawmakers
who are compelled to move slowly un-
til the bills are returned for considera-
I ton on the floor. During the opening
week of the session, not one bill was
emerged with sufficient speed to send
| it thru the house and senate. In the
house the Bardwell bill providing for
state aid for county road building was
! advanced under an emergency. When
| the bell rang for the end of the first
! week, the measure was thru the house
and resting on the senate calendar.