The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-03
Legislature in Effort To Close
Session Next Week.
Hundreds of Bills, However,
Must Be Disposed Of.
HOUSE NIGHT SESSIONS ON
Many Appropriations Must Go
Before a Conference.
Adjournment May Be Delayed
if Senate Starts Row.

Speed mad and desperate in their
efforts to write some laws of state
wide concern. legislative leaders today
faced the eighth week of the 1919 ses-
sion puzzled and uncertain as to final
results. An effort will be made to
bring the session to a close next week.
In the meantime several hundred bills
{ local and state interest NUT be dis
posed of on the floor and in commit
tee rooms.
Many appropriation bills are not as
yet ready for consideration. The
house ways and means committee
will not present appropriation pro-
posals for the big state schools until
late this week. The new fee and sal
airy bill will not go to the house and
senate hoppers before Wednesday. No
action has as yet been taken by the
senate concerning any of the proposed
constitutional changes.
House members started harvest sea-
son hours today. The first night Ses-
sion will be held in the lower legis-
1ative body tonight. 1t is probable
the senate may also start night ses-
sions this week. The easy stride
which characterized the work of the
legislature during the first seven
weeks of the session has disappeared.
In its stead is a spirit of feverish
haste-a wild desire to do something,
close the books and go home. The
official fifty-day session ends WedneS-
day Final consideration of bills cam
not come. leaders believe, before Sat
urday night. March Is. That means
sine die adjournment wednesday
night. March 10.
Appropriations to Conference.
Scores of conferences must be held
before the legislature can dispose OF
pending legislation. Practically all
appropriation bills are due to go to
conference. There is~little question
but that the fee and salary bill must
be threshed out by a conference COM
mittee after the house and senate
have fought out the provisions pro-
posed by the committees. The labor
department bill, which is due back in
the house this week, is certain to de-
mand several days consideration. A
new compensation bill is expected to
come from the house labor commit
tee this week.
admittedly disappointed over the
course of the state legislature to date.
The house has blocked the big de-
Tpands of the governor for new pro-
visions in the state constitution and
for a convention to rewrite the state
charter. The senate has marked time.
1t has waited for a free swing at the
governors proposals. But for the
first time in years q Kansas house has
taken the initiative and blocked the
way to adoption of a state executives
program. The established custom has
been to pass the buck to the senate
This year the house shouldered its
own responsibility.
Back Down" Is Intinated.
Among administration friends there
are still intimations of a Legislative
'back-down." But no vote in the
legislature has justified the report
OF course there is always the chance
that the legislature may relent. There
is always the death-bed repentance
But no admission of sin has come
from either house to date in spite oil
the charges of Cheap John" and IRE.
dictionary legislative charges. The
stereotyped editorials saved from the
sessions of a dozen years ago have
failed to brighten and the legislator:
have merely waited for constitutional
convention and farm tenantry de-
mands from the voters-demands tina
never come.
Last week was the test in the house
This week the spot light is on the sen
ate. Last week the house met the
farm tenantry issue and threw it il
the scrap heap. 1t gave the governor
three proposed amendments in ONT
day and checked the further respon
sibility to the senate. If the govern
or's program is to be revived, the pull
motor must be used by upper hous
members. The senate has not faced
one of the big problems at this SEES