The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-13
Legislature Is Tired and 1t
Wants To Go Right Home.
No Important Bills Passed and
None Is on Calendar.
Fix DATE OF ADJOURNMENT
Introduction of Measures To Be
q Shut on Monday.
Senate Is Resting Allowing
House To Take the Lead.

The Kansas legislature is getting
tired. 1t wants to go home. What is
Hiore. it intends to go home. Legis-
1ators have spent more than u month
in Topeka. Not one really important
biIl is passed. There is very little of
importance on the calendar to pass
Now the legislature has reached that
restless stage of unconcern when there
IS a more or less general tendency to
stop the clock kick the cat and buy
a ticket for home.
Nor is that all. Farmer members
and there are more than seventy of
them in the two houses-have heard
from home. The little weekly notes
from wiley who is running the farm
while John is fixing the laws, bears
certain evidence that farming ought
to begin pretty early this year. Three
feet of snow in extreme western KAN
sas has disappeared. The wheat looks
fine. Soil conditions are excellent.
With more OF this winter resort
weather, spring blowing can begin
real soon now. Then, too. there are
a lot of odds and ends that need at
tention- The south eighty needs clear
ing and John hastened to Topeka and
forgot to overhaul the harness and
zsthe plows and cultivators- And Will
1liam hasn't come home from France.
= spirit Oh Unrest
1t is a dangerous stage of the bien-
Snial legislative session-this nervous
s ness and unrest The house has al
1ready adopted a resolution to shut
zaoff introduction of bills next Monday
s Next will come the resolution fixing
1.-The time to adjourn The senate is
fletting the house take the lead this
5year. And the sixty farmer members
aof the house are not at all excited
~ Loo eli "
has been produced. In hotel Hobbies, IN
the state house corridors, there is talk
the time when final adjournment
Scomes.
To the legislative observers who
EhaVe seen many sessions come ana
Ego, the present attitude of the regis
2 lators means the beginning of the
Eend. The spirit of unrest has come
zsto the legislature two or three weeks
eearlier than usual. 1t may result IN
Zone of the shortest sessions the state
: has known in years
For two weeks the house has been
spilling much oratory. 1t is a diff
acult matter TO pry the house members
7away from free for all row over the
EJnost insignificant bill Speechmaking
twas placed on the free list when the
house settled the con-con question.
zSince that time it has given freely or
IT'S time for consideration OF all man
ner OF DlllS from jack Idbbil bOdhIAS
TO dental inspection, a state flag, the
teaching of languages and the crusade
against the vile sinner who uses tobac-
co i'm some form. And the senate, con-
servative and cautious, has taken ad-
vantage of the house delays and en-
ioyed long recess periods and pro-
tracted weekend adjournments
just a Few ''Musts.'
- Almost anything may happen to
Kansas legislation during the next few
weeks once the mad scramble to go
home overcomes the members, there
is apparently little on the calendars
or in the committees which will hold
the two houses.
The appropriation bills must be
passed That is agreed. A new fee
and salary bill must be written. Again
there is general consent. But beyond
that the house and senate are display
ing a mood that doesn't indicate the
acceptance of much responsibility for
the odds and ends of proposed legfsla-
ton.
Practically all legislators want to
submit a few constitutional measures
Yet none have found their way thru
the two houses. The wiser members
believe the members will vote to sub
nit the state highway building reso-
luton. the taxation provision and thC
resolution permitting an increase ir
the number of amendments which may
be submitted. That is speculation
But it is the judgment of some of the
wise members.
None of Governor Aliens measure!
have as yet been adopted. a very few
of them are in position for earl!
consideration. Several of the Cover
nor's proposals have not been intro
duced Possibly administration influ
ence will hold the legislators here UNI
til action is taken-on- the more impor
tant provisions. But the day of ad
journment is not far distant ant
veterans of foTSaer years are pushin:
their. bills to the front
na