The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-13
SMOKE BILL THRU.
Textiles GrinStead Measure
Passed by House Today.
Author Denied She Accepted
Rider, but, Voted "Yes."
FIFTY NEW BILLS ARE IN
House Breaks Record for Term
on New IntrOductiOns.
Williamson Has Another Mu-
nicipaI Ownership Scheme.

After call of the house. the Grim
stead bill which seeks to prohibit
smoking in public dining rooms was
passed today. The bill passed with
it's provision which exempts from the
terms of the measure any eating house
which carries a three or four dollar
stock of merchandise. An effort to
re-refer the bill to the public welfare
committee for removal of the side
splitting Joker was badly beaten. Then
the members who opposed the bill IN
its original form voted for its passage
and some of its former ardent frlenos
disgustedly voted no"
Brooks of Chautauqua-an earnest
friend of the original bill-declared
the present measure was unconstltu-
tional and sadly voted against its pass
age. Garvin of Stafford also said the
bill would not stand court inspection
and voted mo" Then came pro-
cession of the members who had pep
pered the bill with proposed amend
mehts when it was under considera-
ton in the committee of the whole
They felt quite sure that their favorlte
eating house would be able to COM
ply with the provisions of the Hegler
amendment-eXempt Keepers or
drugs or northumberland they help
ed the bill on its way to the statutes.
The author of the original billed voted
Eyes" after having seconded a mo-
ton to send the bill back to COM
mittee for another nursing.
AS the bill passed the house today,
It provides a penalty for smoking in
public eating houses which do not
carry a stock of merchandise. But
since the scope of the word "merchan-
disc is not defined, it may mean any
thing from half dozen sticks of chew
ing gum to a 100000 drug or de-
partment store. The tavern keeper
who cannot provide some sort of mer-
camille stock for his eating house
be it ever so modest-is soaked $40
and trimmings if a patron lights
vile cigar or a filthy. heather cigart
at the conclusion of his meal.
"She Didn't Accept Rider"
; Following final passage of the bill,
the author spoke feelingIy of a. story
which was printed in the State Jour-
nal She didn't appreciate the report
| of action by the house committee of
the whole. when her bill was under
/ consideration-and she emphatically
said so. She also protested that she
/ hal not accepted the helpful Hegler
amendments-in spite of the version
! of the untruthful scribes and many
house members.
"If the lady feels she did not accept
the amendment of the gentleman from
Sedgwicl1," responded Railsback of
! Rawlins, 81 wish to call her attention
/ TO the fact that she has already done
so by voting for the passage of the
bill in its present form"
h The bill now goes to the senate. But
the nicotine victims and users need
! not fear. The bill is a gentle spring
zephyr. 1t is as harmless as the visit
of a turtle dove. 1t says nothing and
does nothing that strikes at the liber-
4 ties of the depraved user of the weed.
= Anyway, the bill which was really in
tended for passage, has been killed by
a senate committee.
Must Stop, Look and Listen.
Jones of Usage county today placed
the responsibility for motor car acct
dents at railway crossings squarely on
the shoulders of the motor car driver.
He offered a bill which compel5 motor
car drivers to stop their cars at least
fifty feet from a railway track and to
look and listen for approaching trains
Failure to comply with provisions OF
fine of $500. 1t also places the re-
sponsibility on the driver in case of an
accident.
Another Public Utility Bill.
Williamson of Wyandotte today Of
fered a bill providing for municipal
bond issues for public utilities which
in many ways sounds like the Amos
bill of earlier in the session. Will
merely adds ice plants to the list OF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. EYTGEgEYEs1
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