The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-10
Kansas Legislature on Final
Lap of the 1919 Session.
Most Important Measures OF
Period Under Consideration.
TENANTRY QUESTION TO HOUSE
Senate Plan Under Special Or
der Tuesday Afternoon.
Early Consideration for State
Board of Industry Bill. =


= The Kansas legislature started to-
/ day on the last lap of the 1919 session.
| Barring an extension of the adjourn
! ment resolution, the law builders will
rack their tools and start home some
! time after midnight Saturday. This
will be the busy week of the entire
! session. Some of the most important
measures before the Legislature this
winter must be disposed of and the
house and senate calendars today indi-
Gated little chance for purely local
| bills
This is the eleventh hour of repent
ance for the legislature. To date the
senate has given Governor Allen but
| one of the measures asked in his leg
lslature. The house has given Moth
| ing. If the house doesn't atone this
week, Governor Allen can convenient
| ly carry the profits of the session in a
i knotted corner of silk handkerchief.
| Eight weeks without the passage of
a bill of really general concern is the
result of the session to date. The re-
peal of the tax rebate law is the one
act which really affects all Kansas in
| an important manner. Yet even the
tax bill is not of sufficient concern to
| arouse general interest. Submission
of the measure permitting classified
ton of property for taxation has not
| disturbed anyone. The measure was
beaten several years ago.
| Big Measures Up.
Before the end of this week, tho,
the legislature must finally decide the
fate of not less than half dozen bills
and constitutional questions which in
volve the entire state The farm ten
aEtry resolution is now thru the SEN
ate and has a second chance in the
| house. 1t will come up under a Spe-
| cial order Tuesday afternoon. When
| the resolution was defeated several
weeks ago it lacked twenty votes of
| the required twO-thirdS majority. No
one is wise enough to predict the re-
suit of the fight this week. The cam
| pa1Sn for the measure is being made
under the appeal to give the admin
istration something" Whether the
| house will decide to give Governor
Allen flowers or an alley apple re-
| mains to be seen.
1t Use probable that the legislature
will give early consideration to the
Gilman bill creating a state board of
labor and industry. Gilman's plan
| removes the present lobsided basis of
representation on the industrial well
fare commission and gives the en-
ployer as well as the employe a place
on the labor board. This bill is the
one demand of the employers of the
state and the house recently showed
its friendship to the measure by vot-
ing down a report of the judiciary
committee which had killed the bill.
State Reserve Bill.
| Upper house members may decide
the fate of the state reserve bank bill.
Or they may merely forget its pres
ence and permit it to die on the senate
calendar With the possible exception
OF the constitutional convention there
is probably no measure before the
state legislature which has more
certain fate than the reserve bank
act. 1t is doubtful if there is enough
salt in Hutchinson to save the bill.
Welfare workers have not Jared so
we'll as in some former sessions Ex-
cept to be marked present when the
welfare lobby roll was called, the job
OF improving humanity has moved for
ward but slightly. Even now the So
after two days debate. The IegiS-
-lature may pass the bill calling for
personal purity tests. But to bet real
money on such action is not safe at
this time.
Just now it looks as tho the high
way building amendment might slip
away from the legislature The reso-
luton which passed the house-pro-
viding that the eastern counties should
build the roads for western counties
was repaired in the senate. A confer
ence committee may repair the meas
|
session. Whether the western mem
bers of the house would approve a re-
moval Of their pet clause, tho, is very
doubtful.
Appropriation Measures.
i In addition to all of the troubles
concerning big bills. the legislature
must make final disposition of the ap-
preparation measures and the fees and
salary bill before the end of the week.
The bill which was presented in the
house and senate has aroused all
manner of criticism. 1t fails entirely
for state house employees. Many mem
| bers. it is known, will vote for a hori-
zontai increase or nothing Others
want to select the favorite few to be
boosted. And there is another source
of trouble
Many appointments which have
been held up by Governor Allen. will
be sent to the senate for confirmation
this week Some of the, important
appointments this week will concern
changes on the State board of admin
istratfon, the state tax commission, la
Dor department and heads of several
penal Institutions.
Legislators are anxious to quit and
go home. They have already exceed
ed the fifty day session for which they
receive pay 1t is up to the senate
however, to approve the resolution
which has passed the house. Then
the clock will stop at midnight Sat
urday, and the law makers will pack
their grips and start for home Gov
ernor Allen would then be given until
Wednesday night. March 10, in which
to sign or veto bills