The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-17

He Signs More Measures Of
Benefit to the People.
FENCE BILL % NOW 4 LAW.
And Farmers Otoek VIM Ne 0afo-1Ao
Appropriations Have Been Trimmed
. Cenlern Win Needs.

Ana 1aFmeE's 0seek VIM Ne 0afe-TAe
- Cenfern with Needs.
OLYnPIA, March 16-rspecial EGov.
McGraw today reduced the number OF I'M
signed bills to four BY transmitting the
others approved to the secretary Of state.
The four yet unspprovsd are the general
appropriation bill, the capitol building
bill, the bill prohibiting the appointment
Of SHERIFF. - assigness or receivers and
the one to punish crimes against nature.
All the bills making appropriations, except
the general one, have now been signed.
The state fair bill and the bill providing
for the construction Of state road across
the Cascades from Whatcom county to the
Columbia river. being among the batch
the executive approval of which was an
nounced today. The wagon road bill 70.
quires the appropriation of s. 900 by What
com county and s, 900 each by Okanogan
and Stevens counties, to make the
state appropriation Of so, 900 available. but
a. the road will be Of great benefit to
the northern tier Of counties the condi-
tions imposed will, it is expected. be
promptly met. The location Of the state
fair at North Yakima Is considered .
proper recognition Of the growing inn
portance of tho agricultural and horticul-
tural interests of Central Washington,
and It is believed the act will be of prac-
tical benefit to the farming interests of the
whole state.
The governor gave additional evidence
today that he proposes to guard the inter-
ests of the people to the fullest extent Of,
his opportunities by signing the compul-
sorry railway fence act.
The general revenue bill. which was
among those sent by the governor to the
secretary of state today. leaves the ques-
ton whether or not it provides for mort
gage taxation open to dispute. Out of
the effort made near the close of
the session to modify the Neergaard
proviso making credits secured by
mortgages liable to taxation, has resulted
contradiction that may require an in
depreciation of section of the act by the
supreme court. In the proviso offered by
Neergaard to that section and adopted by
the house is found the follow
ing clause, defining in part the
kinds of personal property to be
subject to taxation "All credits. includ-
ing accounts, notes, bonds. certificates of
deposit. judgments, chooses in action and
all other debts, of whatsoever kind or ma
ture, due or to become due, whether Sc
cured or not by mortgage or otherwise"
It will be remembered that the senate re-
fused to concur in the Neergaard proviso,
and that the bill went to . conference
committee The result Of the conference
was the adoption of further proviso,
which was added to NeergaaSd's amend
ment and reads: provided that mort
cages, and all credits for the purchase Of
real estate shall not be considered as prop
erty for the purposes Of this
act" As the clause relative to mort
cages in the original proviso was
not changed, the two provisos are SEEM
ingly in conflict, one providing for the tax
alton of credits secured by mortgage, and
the other declaring that mortgages shall
not be taxed. A question has also arisen
a. to the meaning of tho last proviso, that
Is, whether it relieves from taxation only
such mortgages Is are given for the
purchase price of real estate, or
whether its terms include all mort
cages. The comma in the proviso after
the word::'' mortgages" is considered an inn
portsnt one in constituting tho clause, as
without such comma it might be held that
the exempted mortgages were limited to
these executed to secure the purchase
price of real estate. If both provisos are
permitted to stand the effect will be to tax
mortgages held within the state as repre-
senting the credits of homo investors. but
to exempt those that have been assigned
to non-residents.
An examination of the act providing for
a board of land commissioners, also ap.
proved today, has led Land Commissioner
Forrest to the conclusion that no leases
can be made under it to any of the lands
embraced in the reserved areas between
the outer and inner lines of harbors.
The bill as reported from the joint
committee on public lands. contained a
section that made ample provision for
leasing subdivisions of the reserved strips
for terms not exceeding thirty years,
for wharves and other structures in
aid of commerce, the first privi-
lege Of leasing being given to those
having Improvements on such strips.
and the terms 20 be Of such easy
and moderate character as not to consti-
tute burdensome tax on commerce. But
in tho progress of the bill through the
two houses this section was stricken out
and the following substituted therefor:
Section % The BOARD of state land commits
sioners shall have the power to lease. any and
all portions of the areas within the harbor lines
of the state OF Washington for . term not *.
ceeding thirty years. subject to and in con.
formity with any provisions OF law regulating
the making of such leases In force at the time Of
the making thereof.
missioner Forrest SAYS that he
knows Of no law regulating the making of
such leases and the latter portion Of the
section is therefore meaningless. This Sec
ton gives no preference right to present
occupants and is so indefinite that.
as stated above. the land commits
sloner is Of the opinion that the
leases in question can not be executed
until further legislation is had on the sub
iect. If this construction prevails i'm
provements on the reserved strips will be
retarded by the uncertainty of future leg
islation, but those occupying the reserved
areas will probably escape the payment OF
rental for two years. A curious amendment
was made to the section of this bill relating
to the powers of the commissioners. Some
members who evidently thought that
without an express prohibition the COM
missioners would have the right to act
contrary to the constitution, offered the
following proviso, which is now part OF
the act: