The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-10
Four Separate Administration
Bills Passed by House.
Opposition to Final Action Was
Scattered and Weak.
COURT DIVORCE ACT PASSED
Vote Was 80 to 32 on Indus
trial Court Measure.
Public Utility Bill Carries by
50 to 25 Vote.

All of Governor Aliens bills carry
ing out the Industrial court divorce
plan and creation of new departments
-four separate measures-went thru
the house late Wednesday afternoon
in a bulk roll call. Opposition on
final passage was scattered and weak.
1t was the end of ten days of hard
fighting In which the administration
secured acceptance of it's program
without serious amendment.
There is just one amendment in the
divorce bill which causes the Allen
followers sorrow. That is the Martin
provision requiring that industrial
lar to those REQUIRED of supreme court
justices. When the administration
sought to slip thru the lines and Wipe
out the amendment which Martin and
his followers placed in the house bill,
they failed to register enough votes.
Mrs. Ida NJ. Walker of Norton came to
the rescue of the Martin crowd when
the senate bill was substituted and
her speech probably saved the cause.
Martins amendment went in the SEN
ate bill by vote of 81 to So.
None of the legal qualifica tons re-
quiled of Industrial court judges are
demanded of members of the indus
trial court, tho. Martin failed in his
effort to provide for a one-man COM
mission. However, the house injected
an amendment IN the new commission
bill which makes member of the Leg
islature ineligible TO appointment dur
ing his term of office.
Divorce Bill TO Conference.
1t is quite certain that the divorce
bill will go to conference late today
or Friday. The senate, leaders have
not indicated a desire to accept the
house amendments to their bill and
are expected to ask for conference.
Il Two senate hiIlS substituted for
house measures on final passage. They
were the divorce and public utilities
bills. House bills providing for placing
of the welfare commission and the
state labor department under the in
dustrial court were passed They will
go to the senate for consideration.
3 Court Divorce vote Was 50 to 80.
4 The administration divorce bill was
passed by a vote of 50 to 80. For the
public utilities bill, there were SO af-
firmative and % negative votes. The
welfare bill passed IS to 81 and the
labor department bill 80 to "a. There
were 90 votes against all of the bills.
= 1t is not improbable that the~indus-
trial court divorce measure and the
new public utilities act will reach the
governor for his signature early next
week. The laws become effective
With publication in the official state
paper. This means that the present
Industrial court with its jurisdiction
over public utility rate matters, will
suspend in a few days.
( Speculation as to the personnel of
the new court has been held back be-
cause OF the Martin amendments in
the bills. If they are rem owed in con-
ference, the governor will have a free
rein in making selections. On the
other hand if the house refuses to re-
eede from its position, a number of
men who have been doped for APP
pointment will be removed from con-
alteration by provision of their own
enactments