The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-10
BIG COURT BILL


NOOuLluueu 1EOln rage One.D
tie outward opposition to the COVER
pears certain that house members will
vote to create a board with admins
trative powers rather than a court
with judicial functions
Sheppard Provides Loophoie.
Jake Sheppard provided the loop
hole for legislative members who wish
to sidestep the issue and keep in good
constituency. They will go on record
as favoring the bill without a penalty
provision. Thus they may make
speeches for the bill and vote against
it on final roll call should the house
determine to make the measure mean
something.
Trained legislative observers see
few new laws as result of the special
session. Altho 125 bills have been I'M
troduced. there is little chance for
their passage. The senate has barred
the Introduction of original bills. For
three days the house opened the flood
gates. But experienced men in the
legislative halls have no thought that
the senate will be inclined to give seri-
Gus. consideration to bills from the
west end of the state house and deny
to their own members the right to
propose new legislation.
So the passage of a few general bills
by the house may be interesting,s but
mean little or nothing to the next gen.
eraI statutes The senate has a record
of sixteen bills introduced as against
100 in the house. Neither body has as
yet passed or so much as considered a
bill passed by the other branch of the
legislature. The Burdick stock yards
portance sent to the senate for consid-
Grafton. That bill has not as yet been
reported on the floor.
Frown ON Appropriations.
Both the house and senate are eX-
pected to be frugal in the appropria-
ton of funds for other than legislative
and other necessary expenses. There
will be an appropriation for the ma
tlonal guards-but probably without
the $50 bonus for Pfttsburg service
men as proposed by Governor Allen.
This action is also taken to mean
that the proposal for bonus OF sew
eral million dollars for overseas men
will find little encoura cement in the
session. And. with the Snyder Endres
bill held up. friends of the overseas
men may direct a fight on any plan
to appropriate money for the guards
men who went to the coal fields.
The profiteering, fuel yard, ice
plant, free employment bureau and
anti-syndicalism bills have been intro
duced in both houses. But the real
thought of the legislature just now
concerns details of the industrial court
measure. once the Dig Dill IS enacted
into law, the Legislators may forget
the less important provisions of the
special session call and the measures
of individual legislators and go home.
House members have been working
on a schedule in defiance of all labor
union rules and working regulations.
They begin work shortly after the ac-
customed hour for feeding the live
stock and stay ON the job until dark
On the other hand the senate is work
ing on a schedule which would bring
joy to advocates of a five-day, thirty
hour week. Upper house members
went home Friday to ''see the folks"
and will not return until Monday af-
ternoon. But today the house men,
bers are giving their constituents
full day of open shop time. And they
will have several hours of oratory out
of their systems before the senate con-
venes Monday.
Try to Sandwich Bills
Administration leaders will seek to
sandwich the governors measures into
the sessions early next week that his
program may be disposed of before
too much thought is given to final ad-
journment. The governors bills will
have the ght-of-way. But action on
other bills will probably be in keeping
with belated movements of Kansas
wheat by the railroad administration
in washington