The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-14
THE LEGISLATURES WORK.
Eastern Washington FsFed Better Thal
Ever Before.
Spokane Spokesman

Spokane Spokesman.
The second legislature Of Washington has
dealt more than kindly with Eastern Washing
ton. and this section of the state has little 70
complain OF in its record True, the Fellowes
bill was not passed, and there were many farm
ers in this section who were anxious to zee Is
enacted into . law. But 1t should be renem-
bered that while the bill was an extremely good
one for Eastern Washington IL bad many objec-
uonable features when it, application to the
western side Of the state Is considered Il
would have utterly wiped ont all the short lines
of railroad radiating from Puget sound points.
Even our own Spokane & northern would have
suffered, since the rates therein sought to Be
established would have made 1t impossible for
the Northern to have done business at profit
The WATSON bill, which passed, makes a heavy
reduction in the freight on all farm produce. Il
cuts dowE the freight on wheat and limits the
cost on -four transportation to 5 per ton, q q
maximum rate for 500 miles or less.
In the matter of appropriations the east side
gets more than the west although its popula-
ton Is only half as great The hospital for the
insane at Medical lake, the penitentiary at
Walla Walla. the normal schools at Eliens-
burg and Cheney, the agricultural college.
ETC., are all !udiciously provided for. In this
connection IL Is worthy of note that the
legislature has solved the problem of giving en-
ployment to the state convicts without hiring
ing on the interests OF the honest labor of the
state. A jute bag factory is to be established at
Walla Waila in connection with the peniseu-
tiary. and the farmers OF the Palouse valley and
Big Bend can buy their sacks at rate at least
cents per sack cheaper from the penitentiary
than they are now paying. II is hoped this
figure will even be reduced still lower when the
factory is fully and successfully established.
Notwithstanding the generous appropriations
for new public buildings and the beneyo,enee of
charitable and educational institutions, which
IL u -
expenditures: notwithstanding the necessary
extra cost incurred by getting the new state
machinery in motion, only million and half
OF dollars will be needed to the state for the
next two years. This is less than the old state
OF Oregon expends by nearly $4,000:
although Oregon believes in half-paid
judiciary, and only a COMPLIMENTARY
houararium to her governor and executive OIL
GERS. while Washington believes in and prac-
tees the maxim that "the laborer is worthy of
his hire" California. with three times the pop
ulation OF Washington, spends nearly 100000
year. Vermont, an old state with its public
institutions all built ard complete for years.
spends as mich as We do. in fact. there is no: .
state in the Union in which the state govern
ment costs less per capita than in Washington.
II should not be forgotten either that among
the extraordinary expenditures is slonOol
for the Worlds fair, for which ore.
gon did not appropriate q cent IL ia
the custom OF course IN Washington, as in other
commonwealth of this Union TO talk wildly az
public extravaganza and waste in public atfairs-
but when the cold facts and figures are con.
sidered and compared with other states the re-
suit appears conspicuously that the lawmakers
OF Washington have learned the secret of run.
ming state on a broad and liberal policy with.
out waste or excessive taxation
lake II all IN ali, Washington can congra:u-
late herself on the work OF her second lezisla.
ture.