The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-06
Another DeIuge in Next TW'
Days, Is Promise.
Challenge to Senate, Which
Bans Individual Measures.
.HEGLER NEEDED WHEEL BARROW
He Offered IL of the COntribu-
tions Emergencied Today.
Burdick After Packers With a
Long Sharp Stick.

House members threw out chal-
lenge of legislative freedom to the
senate today when it let down the bars
to three days of unrestricted and un-
restrained introduction of bills and
opened the flood gates for an all
morning oratoricaI display. Many of
the house members came to town
loaded with oratory-and bills. They
promptly opened the special session
festivities by introducing twenty-six
original bills-four more than the rec
ord for the opening day of the regular
1919 session.
That there is deluge of bills COM
ing is apparent. The next two days
will be busy times for house pages
Wheelbarrows are not provided for
house employees and the 81 a day pages
must carry the collection of "emer-
gencies" to the reading clerks desk
For time this morning house mem
Sedgwick had brought his legislative
proposals to town on truck. He sent
seventeen of the twenty-six offerings
to the house hopper.
Unabridged oratory accompanied an
attempt to shut off the offering of
bills. There was even an attempt to
put the skids under the days pro-
posals not included in the governor S
direct program. But friends of the
| "peepul' had an inning all their own.
Their constituency had called them
from the barnyards and the desks and
the corner grocery store. the bank and
the mill to make laws for the public
good--and they proposed to do it.
Thursday, p. m, Dead Line.
At the end of much debate-cover-
ing subjects under discussion and
those previously disposed of-the
house set o'clock Thursday after
noon as the dead line on individual
measures.
There will be no house ban on COM
mittee bills. All bills offered today
were "emergencied," read a second
time and referred to committees. The
only exception was the labor court bill
which went to the committee of the
whole house.
Just what will happen to the house
bills once they reach the senate-if
they ever DDS something. else. The
| senate has barred individual bills.
There is little probability that the up
per house will extend more considera-
ton to legislators across the hall than
] is given to their own members.
| Burdicl1 After the Packers.
Representative Burdick of Atchison
| county is after the packing houses,
/ the stock yards, the commission firms
and allied interests with a sharp
stick. He presented his bill placing
the packing house and livestock ac-
"
peka and other towns under super-
! vision of the state livestock depart
ment.
One provision In the Burdick bill
affecting feed prices may cause a
groan from stock yard officials. I'm
| der the present law the shippers may
| be required to pay a 100 per cent
profit to the stock yards companies
for feed. This enactment was passed
when corn was worth something like
! 25 or 80 cents a bushel in good years.
| Now a bushel of corn at the stock
| yards costs more than first class
meal on Broadway. And stock pen
space is worth about the same as a
room with private bath and telephone
| in first class hotel
! While Burdick's bill IS not a part
| Of the governors direct program. it is
/ backed by the livestock interests of the
state. For that reason no administra-
/ ton opposition is expected. Burdick
| expects to fight for passage of his
/ measure at this session He believes
| his measure will vest in the state the
| right to regulate rates and profits of
stock yards, packers. commission firms
and other interests causing .stockmen
sleepless nights and loss of much profit
from the sale of beef steak and pork
| chops on foot.
Tseep FOR the Auto Thief.
One of the sundry Helger bills pro-
vides a penalty of five to fifteen years
( for persons who steal motor cars with
a maximum of seven years for horse
stealing. The bill is backed by the
Anti-Horse Thief association, the
motor organizations and peace Off
cials
Another Hegler bill provides a SAL
ary of $4,000 year for district judges
/ instead of $4,000 under the present
! law. A companion bill would give dis
trict judges in counties with two or
more judges $1.400 a year from the
/ county in addition to the $4,000 year
from the state.
Cities Into Gas Business.
Continuing the Hegler bills A
measure by the Wichita representative
(continaed on Page SKI