The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-03
AN OBNOXIOUS BILL.
Merchants Exchange Opposes
New Attachment Law.
COMMITTEE SENT TO OLYMPIC
Serious Objections to the Measure Urged
- Rushed Through the Senate
Without Discussion.

change last night uttered another vigor-
Gus protest against senate bill No. Ill, re-
lating to attachments and garnishments,
which is now before the legislature in the
hands of the house judiciary committee.
having already passed the senate. The
meeting of the exchange was q large one,
and was called at the request of COM
mittee which has already visited Olympia
to work against the bill under instructions
from former meeting. The sequel
showed that this committee realized the
probability of the bills becoming law,
and the object of last nights discussion
and action was to kill the bill if possible.
Several members of the committee re-
ported informally upon their visit to
Olympia. including F. G. Pohndorff, E. c.
Cheassy, +. Toklas and G. w. Fischer.
They found the bill in the hands of the
house judiciary committee. having already
passed the senate without dissenting
vote. The bill was introduced by Senator
Claypool, of Pierce, who is considered one
of the leaders. and whose sanction alone
was enough to gain the bill many friends.
No one appeared before the senate to urge
objections against it, and the very fact
that it passed the senate unanimously
Members of the King county delegation
had, previous to the visit of the COM
mittee, heard no objections to the bill, but
when its Objectionable features were
explained to them, several promised
to vote against it. Representative Gilman.
who is considered a careful and conserva-
tive member and is on the judiciary COM
mittee, told the committee that unless his
constituents presented objections suffi-
cient to convince him that the bill ought
not to pass, he should vote in favor of it.
He was inclined to think it too late to kill
the bill as whole, but efforts could be
made to amend il. Mr.. Gilman had pro-
cured a postponement of consideration of
the bill until Friday evening to give the
committee time to present its objections.
The contents of the bill, which relate to
attachments and garnishments, were dis
cussed for over an hour. during which
time Judge NJ. l. Baer read sections from
the present law for purposes of COMPARE
son. The very general conclusion was
that the present law includes all the good
features of the new bill, which contains
several Objectionable features not in the
present law. J. s. Goldsmith, who occu-
pied the chair in the absence of President
Neufeder, explained that under the pres
ent law if an attachment were put on .
merchant he could then make an assign
ment for the benefit of his creditors. and
this assignment dissolved the attachment.
The new bill proposes to change the
law so that an assignment will
not dissolve the attachment. This
he thought. was very bad feature, As it
would enable foreign creditors to do injus-
tice to home creditors. If a small dealer
became unable to pay, he might be honest
and his home creditors would give him q
chance to work out the claim; but mean
time some foreign creditor, who might not
be so fully posted on the debtors condi-
ton, could jump in with an attachment to
the detriment of the home creditor. He
thought the present law much preferable
because it gave all the creditors an equal
chance.
Judge Baer explained another objection
able feature of the bill which requires tho
sheriff to select two appraisers and have
made within twenty-four hours after at
tachment is served, if practicable, an in
ventory. to be made part Of the return of
the writ and filed with the county clerk.
He showed the difficulty of always find
ing disinterested appraisers in country
districts and the expense Of this method.
Then because the law said IF practicable"
loophole was always left by which an
attachment without an inventory could
be made worthless. The bill also provided
that, if more property were attached than
was sufficient to satisfy the claim, itcould
be released by the court and plaintiff made
to pay all costs.
After some discussion As to the best
method of attacking the bill, it was decided
best to 60 before the house judiciary COM
mittee this evening and endeavol to secure
adverse action. On motion Of Mr.. Weldon
an additional committee was named by
the chair to accompany the former COM
mittee to Olympia and secure an attorney
who should formulate their objections be-
fore the legislators. The committee was
appointed and the Endorsement of the ex-
change given to any legitimate means it
should adopt to prevent the bill from be-
coming q law. The members Of the COM
mittee will 60 to Olympia on the boat this
afternoon. to be present at the meeting OF
the house judiciary committee this even
ing, and are as as follows: 6. W. Fischer,
F. G. Pohndorit. f. Toklas, Z. c. Cheasty.
+. A Allen. J. II. Calvert, q. B. Adair. J.
s. Goldsmith. Col. Joseph Green. John
Schram and G. W. Hummer.