The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-18
Joint House and Senate Com
.mittee Session Wednesday.
Write New Amendments for
Workmen's Compensation Act.
A BIG LABOR LOBBY PRESENT
Representatives of Employers
Will Also Tell Troubles.
Act on Proposed Labor Bureau
Before End of Week.

Members of the house labor COM
mittee will settle some of the hottest
fights of the legislative session this
week. Wednesday night the house
members meet in joint session with
the senate labor committee. Before
the end of the week the house COM
mittee will probably settle the fight
on the present bureau of labor when
it acts on the Gilman bill to create
state board of labor and industry.
The house and senate committees
meet Wednesday night to thresh out
the disputes over the Workmen's COM
pensation act. A half dozen compen-
sation bills have been introduced in
the two houses this session. None OF
the proposed measures are agreed
bills All have defects in the judg-
ment of friends of either the employ
err or the employee. None of the bills
have been reported for passage.
In order to settle the controversy
over the compensation bills, the joint
committee will probably undertake the
tasks of writing a new measure. They
will at least suggest amendments to
the present law and may redraft the
existing. statutes in their entirety. A
big labor lobby has been 1nsistent on
changes In the present law. They
have camped on the trail of the legis-
lators and have stayed close to the
labor committee rooms. Their de-
mands will be presented at the meet
ing Wednesday night. Representa-
tives of employers will also be present.
They have some changes in mind and
demand a square toed bill without
round corners.
Favor Committee Bill.
Several members of the committees
are strongly in favor of committee
bill covering the defects in the pres
ent law Since the compensation law
iref urrit in I hRPn
amended and changed at every ses-
sion Of the legislature. Usually the
work is handled in the committee
rooms and final decision fought out on
the floor of the house and senate.
This year the same course will prob
ably be pursued. The Montee-Graves
compensation bills were written in the
offices of the state bureau of labor.
it is asserted, and were drafted to suit
the tastes and desires of the repre-
sentatives of organized labor. There
is little chance that either of the bills
will be reported favorably. A number
of the committee members believe the
short and easy route is thru COM
mittee bill. This measure will prob
ably be reported within a week or ten
days.
After the compensation fight is
safely out of the way, the house Ia
Dor committee will settle the contro-
versy over the present bureau of Ia
come largely from the employers, who
want an unprecedented and non-parti'
san hearing of their troubles. Much
of the trouble over the bureau of labor
and it's adopted industrial welfare
commission has come from the en-
ployers who have been affected by
the rules and regulations of the de-
partment.
Make Representation Equal.
Under the bill proposed, the organ
lied labor forces will be given equal
representation on the board with the
employers. An outside person would
form the third member of the state
board. A woman would be named as
welfare commissioner. The powers
and duties of the board are clearly
outlined in the bill which was pre-
scented by Gilman. There is strong
support for the measure, but there i!
also opposition among labor force:
who in former years have with vary.
ing success dictated both the appoint
ments and the policies of the depart
l1ent