The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-27
REVIEW OF THE WEEK
The Short Term Senators are
Not Content.
EFFECT or sRowNs ATTITUDE.
synepsis Of the work Aeconplished-The
HIll Code BfIl-Prospects of
Adtournmsnt.

OLYMPIA, Jan. o6.-The absence Of 20
many members on the tide land iunket
and on leave for sickness and business. has
left the Senate without working majority
and the House Is but little better off, The
average attendance in the former has been
about twenty and in the latter from fifty
to fifty-fve. At least one bill was defeated
because OF slim attendance. and champions
and friends of many others have prudently
foreborne TO urge their various measures
to passage. The Senate has passed just
three bills. TO none OF which there was OPP
position, while the House has succeeded in
disposing OF eleven. The record of both
houses for the week has been:
BY BOTH HOUSES.
s. B. No. ss, by Kinnear- Relative to
prosecutions by information.
H. B. No. "A, by Gandy-Appropriating
10000 for completion Of asylum at Med
ical Lake.
s. B. No. 81, by Kinnear--In relation to
official bonds.
BIZ THE HOUSE.
III. b. No. 127, by Rotch-To prevent
banking institutions receiving money when
insolyent
II. B. No. I59-To prevent the spread of
Chinese and other thistles.
H. B. No. %, by Person-To compel rail-
roads to erect deposs.
H. B. No. 15s, by Bush and Kennedy-To
require railroads to be fenced.
II. b. No. i3l. by Randali-Relative to
the protection of large game.
H. B. No. 13l, by Bird Relative to ap-
poiniment Of deputy sheriffs, narshals, ETC.
H. B. No. 1888, by Evans-Relatlye to
furnishing Of seats for female employees.
H. B. No. 157, by Blair-Relative to ap-
pointment of . commission for location of
state reform school.
II. B. No. a5-To authorize payment Of
81 900 for printing auditors reports.
The trip OF the tide land committee,
taken at this time, when the legislature is
at its busiest, has been characterized as i'm
prudent and unlikely to produce beneficial
results. When it was proposed many
members. especially in the House, earnest
ly protested and declared it to be q fragrant
waste OF time. The temper of the opposi-
tion found expression in the somewhat axi-
omatic declaration of Pickrell the Whitman
county lawyer. that ''tide fats are tide
flats, and no free-lunch junket could prove
different or words to that effect. In the
abstract Pickrell was right; but he had for
gotten the immense commercial establish
ments that cover the tide fats of Puget
sound and the inlets of the Pacific, and the
complicated and diverse interests involved
in the settlement OF the tide fat question
and the adjustments Of the rights Of claim
ants TO the possession of these lands. A
Ind 10 m0fe than : superficial knoWIedeo
of the status Of the tide lands and their i'm
portance to the commerce OF Washington.
They wanted to know. but they had no
means Of knowing. They had never looked
into the matter which they were called
upon to aid iii disposing of. When the
tour OF the Sound and the trip to Gray's
Harbor was proposed in the Senate, they
seized upon the idea with aviditv. The
Senate committee was instructed to make
the rounds. The House committee was in
vited to accompany them, and they did so
gladly. after obtaining reluctant consent
from the House.
The committees return tomorrow hav-
ing accomplished their mission. From
actual observation and contact with par
ties in interest they know more of the great
tide land question than they did when they
started. They ought to have broader and
more liberal views. and be better able to
enact just and equitable laws than before,
when the question presented itself to them
in its abstractform. The legislature has been
the loser by their three weeks absence; but
unquestionably the state viii be the gamer.
No phase OF the land question has beeR
settled by either House. There are bills and
propositions innumersble, all with .
scheme intended TO work for the good of
the state The general tenor of bills for
school and granted lands is that they shall
he sold or leased under the supervision of a
board consisting OF three state officers, OF
whom the state land commissioner is al
ways one. There are several other bills.
also, which have relevancy to the school
land subject. One. for instance, Is that OF
Judson of Pierce, giving rail-
way companies the right OF way
through school lands, for which sub
stitute was yesterday proposed The most
curious proposition yet is that OF Dean, OF
Spokane. who wants to sell the school and
granted lands only TO those who have
actually resided upon them for i've years
a modification of the homestead law and
recognition of saustters' rights that will
hardly meet with favor in the House or
Senate. One of the FIRST bills. and one
most widely advertised, was that OF Clark,
of spokane. He has already used up his
s. allowance of postage stamps is sending
copies Of the bill to persons inquiring for
them, and he has had 500 extra copies
printed at his own expense Clark IS
very small man. put his brain has evolved
many big schemes of legislation, good. bad
and indifferent He got his township
organisation bill through TO engrossment
in good shape Friday. and if he is as sue
eesSfal with his other bill, he viii accom-
plish more than any other member But
there Is trlbalaticn ahead for Clark and his
many measures. Few OF them VIII pass
wi;Bcat serious notification
Consideration OF the university bill has
only begun in the House The only thing
dcne so far has heen 60 strike out all refer
enes TO scholarships No plan has yet been
proposed hul the blank viii doubtless be
filiei when the subject is again taken up.
There Is very frieadiy feeling among
members toward the university and dis
position to lay the foundation OF great
and durable institution OF learning. The
proposition 70 give the university 10 per
cent az the proceeds OF the sales OF tide
lands Is regarded with general favor and
doubtless this os some similar plan Of en-
siaxassns all be 7dortes. A scheme will
Re devised ia give the institution an in
eonse for the present and Tor the ensuing
Zee years. with the ultimate vseS OF nssk-