The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-05
HE WON AND LOST
Martin Wins Two Battles
Then Meets Defeat.
1t All Occurred Over Public
Utility Bills.
FINAL VOTE WAS ST. TO 81
Vote to Strike, Out Both Martin
Amendments.
Harley Defends Rights of Pub
lie Corporations.

Frank L.. Martin of Reno county
won two big fights in the house Fri
day. Then Tom Harley of Douglas
county kicked the skates from under
his followers and Martins score was
nothing flat
1t all happened IN the fight over
passage of the public utilities COM
mission bill as presented by the state
affairs committee. In a half days
hard fighting, Martin succeeded in
writing into the bill two vital amend
ments- One provided that one COM
missioner instead of three should han
die the business. The second restored
to Kansas towns and cities home rule
rights to regulate their own affairs as
affecting any public service corpora
ton operating in whole or in part in
that city. zs4
He Made Pretty Fight.
Looking at the fight from any an
gle, it looked as tho Martin had sud-
denly returned to power. had sur
rounded himself with-an army of
Staunch apostles and was marching to
control 1t was a pretty fight Martin
made Harley, McDermott, Uhls and
roster were unable to turn back the
demand for reduced commissions
flat saving of $4,000 a year. On the
1lrst test Martin won by a vote of So
10 40. 1t was ssn a roll call, too, and
the majority which stood together to
take liberties with the commission
Dill looked strong enough to fight a
cage full of wild cats
Then Martin advanced his home
rule plan. He made a short speech
urging its adoption.
The opposition fought stubbornly
But it was a fight against stone wall
deflance. The farmers and country
town merchants had been led to see
the horrors and iniquities of state reg
ulation of utilities. If they could
merely turn the job over to the town
councils and commissions, there would
be lower rates and the appeals of the
pubic utilities for increases would
never have a chance. They voted
thru the Martin plan almost without
dissent.
He Showed I'm a Ghost.
Then something happened Tom
Harley showed the house a ghost. He
moved to strike out all of the Martin
amendments and to recommend the
Dill Tor passage as originally drafted.
he made a speech in which he told
the house members that their little
plan sounded plausible and had its
appeal. But it wouldn't work. He
held up the federal court Injunction
and told the house that even a public
utll1ty has Its rights and that the town
council plan of meeting the rate
problem would merely drive capital
from the state rather than invite it to
come.
There was. hearty chorus. that
joined Harley. For nearly an hour
the debate went hot and strong and
Loud. Then there was another roll
call There was a scramble for the
CLOAK rooms. An unkind member de-
manded call of the house. At the
end of the voting Harley's motion was
adopted 81 to So. The members who
had so cheerfully Joined with Martin
early in the day had seen things.
Maybe they will see things all over
again when the final vote is taken
tuesday. No one knows. But by
agreement the public utilities bill will
not be taken up for final passage I'M
til Tuesdays session. In the mean
time all the high powered organizers
around the legislature are working to
affect that vote