The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-11
Formal Session Opens With
Usual Necessary Details.
Find Seats, Ratify Caucuses,
Adjourn Until Wednesday.
FIRST BILLS COME TOMORROW
Governors Message Important
Feature of the Session.
Administration Will Introduce
Big Measures Early.

The 1921 legislature convened at
noon today.
Importance OF today's session is as
vital as the wall paper design in a
hotel bed room. House and senate
members met at noon, took their oatns
of office, found seats. ratified the work
of Mondays caucuses and gave recog-
milton to an old timer by permitting
him to move that business be sus-
pended until wednesday.
Wednesday, tho, the session starts in
earnest. Today the various lady and
gentlemen law makers are expected to
locate the cloak rooms and their seats
Members moved by the need of an
enlarged general statute will make
their first swing into legislative prom
inence shortly after the gavel drops
Wednesday morning. 1t viii be the
first opportunity to introduce bills.
Plans of Governor Allen to withhold
his message gave the house and senate
ample time today in which to go thru
the formalit.es of starting the thir-
tieth biennial session. In the house
the custom of administering the oath
to members in blocks of ten was fol-
lowed. Tom Harley was temporary
speaker. AS soon as the formally of
ratifying caucus actions was disposed
of, both houses were ready to do
things. Esta blished rules as to the
select on Of seats was followed in the
two branches. Seniority held. with sec
ond choices to the aged. infirm and
lady members of the house.
In the senate the oath was admins
tered by Justice Silas Porter. while
Justice Henry f. Mason swore in
house members. The list of house
members was read by L. J. Pettijohn,
secretary of state. ID. o. McCray, as
sistant secretary of state read the SEN
ate list.
Governors Message "Wednesday. 70,
Governor Allen Will send his mes
sage 10 the legislature Wednesday The.
governor stated today that he would
not go before the legislature personally
to present his appeal for new laws.
Ine message should reach the two
houses some time during the morning
anu will come in the regular order of
buainess. It'wiH be preceded by the
inn oductlon of original resolutions and
bills.
Urmal resolutions and notices fill
tered thru the senate and house during
todayS session. 1t was the common
custom of keeping the record straight.
1t provided much activity for the floor
leaders of the two houses. At the end
of the activity the senate had noti-
fled the house that it was in session
mo the mouse naO sent greetings 10
the senate. Both branches notified the
governor that they were in town-a
custom doubtless esta blished before
the governor read of all his troubles
in the newspapers hours before the
session got under way. But the prac-
lice is still sacred in Topeka, Wash
ington and other towns where legisla-
tive bodies convene.
veterans Take the Reins.
Work of today was almost entirely
in the hands OF the old timers. The
veterans took the reins in their hands
and ran thru the formal orga nization-
while the new members looked on and
took notes on how to move an ad-
journment or present resolution.
The governors inaugural speech
was one of the big subjects of discus
sion in the hotel lobbies and state
house preceding the opening of to-
days session. There Is general be-
lief that the administration program
will be built largely around proposals
carried in the governors speech in
representative hall Monday.
Big Bills in Early.
It is clearly the purpose of the ad-
nninistratfon to send its big bills to the
legislative hoppers early. Many of
these bills have already been drafted.
1t is probable that the bill to divorce
the Industrial court and recreate the
public utilities commission, as well as
a compensation bill, several farm ten
autry measures, good roads bills and
welfare measures will be in the mill in
the first ten days or two weeks of the
session.
Appointment of committees will not
be completed in either house until
later Lieutenant Governor Huffman
will probably dispose OF his assign
ments in a few days. In the house,
tho, delays are customary Speaker
Harvey has already decided as to the
personnel of a mum n of committees
1t is reported. but may not complete
these assignments until late next