The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-24
Attorney General Takes Up Re-
tail Secretary's Challenge.
Merry Christmas Fight Over
Anti-PrOfiteer Measure.
SENDS APPEAL TO LEGISLATORS
Hopkins Says 1t VIII Be Re-
sented by Honest Dealers.
OIiger Urges Approval of AL
lens Restricted Program.

Richard J. Hopkins. attorney gen
eral. today hung a sprig of mistletoe
on the coat tail of every profit-grab
bling merchant in Kansas. Hopkins's
Merry Christmas greeting to the prof
steers is an invitation to the Kansas
legislature to take a free and generous
kick by passing the anti-profiteer bill.
Action by the attorney general came
today when he received a copy of
special bulletin to Kansas retailers by
\. L. Oiger of Topeka, secretary of
the retailers organization in the state.
Hopkins's temperature went several
points above normal when he read
Oliger's urgent appeal to the mer-
chants to get behind Governor Aliens
plan for a restricted legislative seS-
sion and thus kill the anti-profiteer-
ing bill. According to the informa-
ton which OIger sent members of his
organization, Governor Allen is op-
posed to dropping the bars" and per-
mitting a wide open session. Conse-
uuently every merchant is urged to
Immediately write to the governor,
endorse his program and insist that
consideration of bills be limited to
inca sures contained in the special ses-
sion call.
Ho kins Spreads Appeal.
Now Hopkins is doing the very thing
Oliger probably never intended to do.
He is sending a copy of the appeal to
every legislative member He is also
checking uo to individual members of
the house and senate the responsibility
Tor a wide scope of necessary leg1sla-
tion-whether the governor wants 1t
or not
"Onger's appeal should be resented
by every honest merchant in Kansas"
said Hopkins. 1T is on its face an as
sumption that every retailer is
4 .ss.v, 81 1,e
real emergency and need of remedial
legislation. 1t would be just as well
to appeal to the state at large to pro-
test against a law prohibiting murder
because every res. ent of the state
might be required to establish an
alibi showing he was not guilty OF
murder ] don't believe the merchants
are half as bad as OHger's appeal
mul.es them appear. If they are, the
legislature surely cannot pass the anti
prOfiteer law too soon.
Attorney General Hopkins has stood
out for an open session of the legisla-
tUrc-at least a session which would
consider all bills of immediate state
wide effect. A backfire has beeA
started by urging that scope of the
session be limited to the governor
immediate program. Oliger's bulletin
urged that the restricted session plan
he given earnest support in 1iew OF
the fact that the governor may be
able TO win out with his policy.
Oliger's Bulletin"
Under the caption Merchants, at
tention. Attorney general will father
some special bills" Olger in a special
bulletin to members of his orSaniza-
tion said;
The writer had conference with the
attorney general this morning and he is
going to 10 his best to see that several
measures In which be is interested will be
given attention by the special session. II
such measures are presented 1t means that
the merchants of Kansas will be highly
Interested The prOfiteerinG bill TO be pre-
scnted by the attorney general Will be
measure that VIII involve all the business
interests of the state Even tho the bill is
2 good one IL will mean some big changes
in the plan Of doing business and will cost
the merchants thousands of dollars to con-
vince the public that they are doing a
Legitimate business
How YOU can help to prevent the catas-
trophe: We wish to appeal to all the mer-
chants in the state, all the secretaries- and
all the organizations involyed- to get IN
touch with the governor. Henry T. Allen.
and ask him to limit the special session to
the consideration of bills outlined only In
his own program. He is not in favor of
dropping down the bars and If given
the proper support may succeed in winning g
,'at However, considerabie pressure is De-
ing brought to bear from other sources
and this must he counteracted by the mer-
chants and those friendly to the mercantile
interests of Kansas.
Please Act Immediately.
So please get in touch with the governor
NJ once. Get a number of his friends In
your community 10 write him and back
him IN in his program. Ask him to pro-
tcct the general interests of the state by
avoiding unnecessary legislation. thereby
stabllizing things much as possible.
Please do everything you can along this
and NOU HAVE DUTY To Perform.
fLEASE ACT IMMEDIATELY.
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