The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-27
Will SHOW SPEED
Legislature Well Organized for
Important Measures.
To Grind Out First Batch of
1919 Laws in Few Days.
FINAL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT
Freak Bills Being FrOwned
Upon by Both Houses.
Differences Over Budget, How
ever, Already Apparent.

Kansas legislators today swung into
the third lap of the new session, with
both houses well organized and MANY
important mea sures on the house and
senate calendars ready for early con-
sideration. Before the end of the
week several general measures will
probably receive consideration in both
bodies. In few days the first batch
of 1919 laws will be READY for the
session laws or the official state paper.
Administration friends in both houses
plan to introduce the final bunch of
Governor Aliens proposals some time
during the week.
Both houses will work practically
full time this week. The house started
the weeks grind at 10 O'Clock this
morning and under the lash of Speak
er Lambertson will try for speed
record during the week. The lower
legislative body will probably stay in
session until late Saturday afternoon
Upper house sessions begin at
o'clock this afternoon. The senate will
probably stay on the job until some
time Friday when it will again take
a weekend recess.
Final committee assignments were
made this morning by Speaker Lam
the house are now ready for work. In
both the house and senate a number of
committee meetings were held Friday
night and Saturday of last week AS
result of these conferences, a flood
of committee recommendations were
today ready and the new reports will
provide bunch of work that will keep
both houses busy. Before the end of
the week both houses will be squared
away and looking candidly and frank
ly at the bunch of bills which will
demand consideration before the close
of the session.
House Ignores Lambertson.
When the house adjourned last Fri
day until this morning, it ran the
steam roller over Speaker I.ambertson
and his organization. 1t was the plan
of the house speaker to hold a Satur-
day session when he would complete
committee assignments. The unex-
pected adjournment delayed appoint
ments until this morning.
Both houses are striving for a low
record in the introduction of bills. The
number of proposed laws is practically
so per cent below those of four years
ago and more than 80 per cent below
those of the same period in 1917.
In both the house and senate freak
legislation has been discoura ged MANY
members will conclude the session.
they declare. without the Introduction
of bill. Other members have limited
their proposed enactments to strictly
local measures.
1t is apparent that the senate must
slow down its work in order that the
house may keep pace. Yet at the end
of the second week, the house was
really out in front with the passage
of a greater number of original bills
than the senate. In the days and
weeks to come, however, the biennial
display of house oratory. long roll
calls and slow motion of the heavy
plodding body, will give the senate a
big advantage and the house must
work overtime in order to keep up.
Budget Being Considered.
Consideration of the fifteen million
dollar state budget has already begun
in the house and senate ways and
means committee rooms. Refusal of
the house committee to divide the
work with the senate committee
threatens real trouble later in the sea-
son. Under the house order, both
legislative bodies will originate origi-
mai bills. Joint sessions will probably
be abolished and heads of institutions
and departments will be forced to ap-
pear before each committee. divi-
sion of the two houses concerning ap-
propriations is already apparent.
Four years ago the legislature dead
locked three weeks while the Repub-
lican house and the Democrat senate
fought over appropriations amounting
to millions of dollars less than allow
ances which must be made to institu-
tions and departments this year to
meet war prices and wage and salary
schedules.
Before the end of the week it is
probable that the two houses will take
action on a number of bills originating
in opposite ends of the state house
Mesa ges announcing passage of orig
inal bills will be sent by the house to