The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-18
A BUSY SESSION
FOrty.FOur Measures Intro
duced in Senate Monday.
When Bars Were Let Down
Everyone Had a Bill.
PAYROLL FOR SALARIES FIRST
Several Matters of Particular
Interest to Topeka.
End Not Yet in Sight in Pre-
senting New Laws.

senting New Laws.
-Four senator's were on their feet
before the president of the senate had
finished Monday evening, declaring
that the next order of business was
the introduction of bills. Within five
minutes ferty-four legislative meas
ures had been presented for consider
! alton of the senate. Senator J. NJ.
johnson of Brown county finished the
/ race with Senate Joint Resolution No.
l and the body adjourned to think
over what they had done and to frame
| up new bills.
| Payroll Bill Is First.
The first bill presented was the
payroll bill, presented by the ways and
means committee and providing for
the appropriation of funds for the
| payment of the salaries of the legisla-
| tors and their employees.
| Several. matters in which Topeka is
vitality interested were concerned with
| the bills which we're handed in Mon
| day evening. The legislation asked
| for by the city commissioners, which
| is to@give them power to recurb and
regutter streets which have been
| paved for the past fifteen years or
more, with or without the consent of
| the property owners, when in the
| judgment of the city commissioners
such repair work is necessary, was one
of the bills which went into the hop
per-
The bill was introduced by Senator
Hugh I. Fisher of Shawnee county
who also presented a bill which fixes
the salary of the city treasurers of
cities of the first class with a popula-
tionef more than 10000 and less than
| 65.000-into which class Topeka alone
1 falls in the state of Kansas-at not
J more than $4,000.
Introduce Aircraft Bill.
Among the bills which are of gem
eral application and thru that fact in
lterest to Topeka, is the bill introduced
| by Senator r. c. Howard, of Arkansas
)City, providing for the establishment
of a state aircraft inspection board,
giving the state regulatory powers over
aircraft, and requiring all cities of
more than 5000 population to secure
and maintain landing fields.
Another is bill by Senator Hegler,
of Wichita, which provides for the
creation and functioning of city plan
ming commissions in all cities of the
state. Hegler also introduced a bill
authorizing a tax of not more than one
mill on the dollar for the purpose of
creating and maintaining, where the
city commissions approved, of munich
pal publicity BUREAUS. Other bills by
Hegler which are of Interest to every
Guy OIL the IlTSL CLASS IN Ine- stare, .au-
thoriZe the city commissions to regu-
late, by theSzoning system, the meth
DDS of construction, the type of aEchi-
lecture, and the purpose of buildings
erected not only within the city limits,
but in some cases within three miles of
the city limits. The latter bill is de-
signed to give the widest possible field
for growth in the planning of any city
in the state.
Want Capital Punishment.
A bill which would make capital
punishment for the crime of murder
in the first degree in the state of Kan
sas was introduced by Senator Cole
man.
Senator Coleman also introduced a
bill which fixes the qualifications and
the salary Of certified shorthand re-
porters for district courts, and pro-
vides for the examination of the re-
porters before they are certified. An
other of his bills. of interest to Shaw
nee county, was a bill which provides
for the reimbursement of county treas
urers for the payment of extra clerk
hire above the present limit of the law
A bill by Senator Kimball of Par
sons defined the duties and fixed the
salaries of the superintendent and the
secretary of municipal waterworks in
cities of the first class.
Municipal Government Bill.
Still another Hegler bill provided
for the appointment of one woman in
the department of labor and industry
of the state, as a state factory inspec-
| tor. Another by the same author
deals with the government of all cities
In Kansas, as regards to the constitu-
| ton of the city commission. Another
| Hegler bill provides for the selection
of petit jurors and prescribes the con-
ditions under Which hey shall be Sc
lected, in counties ofW stated pepula-
| ton. Architects who practice in the
state of Kansas must pass a prescribed
| test, and be registered. if one of the
| bills which Hegler introduced Monday
goes thru.
Hegler introduced thirteen of the
forty-four bills which were brought in
Monday night. Some of his other
measures provide for: the compost
| ton of district courts in~counties con-
shutting a judicial district and having
] a population of less than 100000 and
more than $4,000, providing for the
appointment or seleption, and defining
the duties and the powers of the Off
GERS of such district courts: relating to
| the legal standing of declaratory judg-
ments, rendered by court.
Some Echoes of Fight.
Some of the measures are echoes of
the fight which has been started in
! the house of representatives. The
| companion bill to the Martin house
bill which gives he ne rule to cities,
and permits them to deal with the
rates of public service corporations
| themselves, by ordinance, practically
doing away with the state public util-
| tiles commission, went into the senate
hopper as the work of Senator Carr
W. Taylor of Hutchinson:
Taylor was the author of another
bill of extra interest, relating to grand
juries, and providing that grand juries
shall be called at each term of the
district court except in counties having