The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-02
Decks Cleared for Industrial
Court Fight in House.
Divorce Measure VIII Receive
Real Test in Afternoon.
BOTH SIDES ARE CONFIDENT
Each Has Won Two Victories
in PreIiminaries.
Turmoil in the Kansas Political
"PeacOck Alley"

House members cleared the decks
shortly before noon today and pre-
pared to start the big fight of the ses-
sion this afternoon when the industrial
court bills were to be called up
The house took up the road bill i'm
mediately after the session convened
this afternoon. The discussion on this
bill was scheduled to be quite lengthy
and was still under discussion at
o'clock.
Administration forces are rarin' to
go. Leader McDermott declared he
was confident the divorce measure
would go thru the house. Opposition
managers were equally certain they
would block passage of Gov. Aliens pet
bill. The fight will be staged in COM
mittee of the whole Unless the ad-
ministration can send the bill out OF
the committee with a constitutional
majority, tho. the opposition may still
block the bill on final passage.
News that the court fight was COM
ing ing In the house spread rapidly during
the noon hour. When the session
opened at 2:30 o'clock there was a
large attendance in the visitors gall
leries and in the lobbies. By 3 o'clock
the crowd had increased and 1t looked
as tho the show was to be staged be-
fore full house Many senators came
over for the battle. The senate is
Withholding in order to await house
decision.
In event the court bill fails in the
house at this time, the administration
still has a high card in reserve. The
governors friends will then seek pas
sage of the bill in the senate. If the
administration program goes thru the
upper house, it will then come back to
the house for a second test.
No Time Limit Set.
There is no time limit on the house
show. The dominant demand of the
administration may be disposed of in
a half day. 1t may occupy attention
of the members for two or three days.
Most members are of the opinion tho,
that a test on recommending the bill
for final passage will be reached some
time Thursday.
Refusal of the house to hear court
Judges is accepted as an indication
that the members want to do their
own talking. Some of the members
want to make the speeches short, too
But severy motion and every amend-
ment gives member an opportunity
to make a speech. There are certain
TO be enough amendments proposed to
open all the floodgates of debate
Lawyers in Peacock Alley.
Most of the house lawyers are To-
Gated on or near the center aisle. 1t
is the peacock alley of house oratory.
II is in this aisle that the adninistra-
tion will fight and bleed and live OF.
die. Most of the unschooled in the art
OF catch as catch can talking-the
farmers, the merchants and the bank
ers-are in the thanking aisles They
are the jurors who will bring in the
verdict when the turmoil ends and
peace and quiet is restored
Both des have won blood in the
preliminary skirmishes. Each scored
twice. Administration leaders were
unable to stop the Stanley motion ask
ing for more information from the
court. The Lambertson motion to cali
the court judges before the house went
thru with every Allen supporter fight
ing with his back to the wall Then
the administration shifted its line of
attack, blocked the visit of the Judges
and stopped move to open a talk
lest in the state affairs committee bv
voting down a motion to rerefer the
bills. This afternoon the fight opened
with scores even and both sides con-
fident.
Test for Administration.
This afternoons fight is the real
acid test for the administration. Four
bills embodying the governors pro-
gram to divorce the public utilities
work from the industrial court and to
place new work under the court and
commission are on the calendar Thev
cover the policy defined by Governor
Allen in his inaugural speech and in
his regular and special messages to
the legislature.
In the action today it is clearly an
parent that both sides are willing to
make the house the battlefield for the
session. Nearly half of the house
membership is new and untried in leg
islative experience and the finer plays
and moves of parliamentary procedure
Both sides will try to win this new
vote in their oratorical attacks.
Night Meeting Effects.
Observers will watch closely for eff
fects of Tuesday nights farmer meet
ing in the industrial court At that
time Judge Huggins, presiding Judge
of the court, told forty members that
the court was not burdened with too
much work but with too much politics.
1t is certain that the house show will
be anything except kid glove. pink
tea party affair. Charges have already
been made on the floor that house
members have already been hypnotized
by the dangling $4,000 jobs On the
other hand. Governor Allen himself
will be made an issue in the battle.
His friends charge that the fight is
inspired by an effort to embarrass him
in the successful carrying out of his
program.
McDermott will direct the floor
fight for the administration. W. p.
Lambertson, of Brown county, will
probably be in charge of the opposition
on the floor.