Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1897-05-06
G1LKEY'S BOOM BILL
''"" ]" was Defeated in the Senate Conn
"ittee-Influence of Boom Conn
pahies-A secret Session
EDITOR tribune:

5000 'o"' ""HioiouS iopSeTS ana men
who have owned and operated booms,
and it was intended to be fair to the
boom owner and to bring small meas.
ure OF relief to the loggers OF Western
Washington by making the boom COM
panles responsible for the logs they ham
die, instead Of the present vicious system
OF making the hard working logger who
Is poorly paid for his logs and cheated
IN the scale, stand all the loss when his
logs are lost through the negligence of
the boom companies, and it also reduced
the price to be charged for booming logs
so that it would compare somewhat with
the low price Of logs in recent years.
Exact justice between logger and boom
company was the object sought and l
believe that bill, had it become law,
would have been as near as it is possible
to get under present conditions. 1t was
known as House Bill, No. 80; was re-
ferred to house committee on harbors
and waterways, OF which / was a MEM
Der. found by the attitude OF the COM
mittee that it was probably going to be,
to some extent, opposed by the Republi-
cans, for the Republican members OF the
committee caused two weeks delay on
the report by attempting to get in an
amendment or two, but finally it was re-
ported to the house with the recommend
alton that it pass and it had clear sailing
through the house and passed with 81
ayes, Ii noes. / believe there was not q
Republican voted in favor of it,
On my motion it went Immediately to
the senate. Senator Deckebach was
chairman of committee on harbors and
nIbor lines and as the rule in the senate
is tfll 1iii f. referred to the commit
tees by vote lhstc.(e ~
l thought it probable that he would try
to get it before his committee, as had
heard that it was his intention to work
against the bill and kill it if possible.
So talked with Senator Grow, chairman
OF committee on corporations other than
municipal, told him that would like to
get that bill before his committee, lie
said he would try to do so. | also spoke
to nearly all the members Of the com"
mttee, and got their promise OF co-opera-
ton and support but when the bill came
up Mr.. Deckebach claimed that the bill.
by right, belonged to the committee Oh
harbors and harbor lines, for the reason
that it had been before similar com.
mittee in the lower house. His argu-
ment, while not sound or reasonable,
had enough plausibiity to look fair to
those who did not know that he wanted
the bill in order to kill it. Mr. Crow,
true to his promise, moved to have it
referred to his committee and all to
whom l had spoken voted with him but
some had failed to see did not under
stand the importance of it and did not
vote. All the Republicans voted with
Mr.. Deckebach, so his committee got the
bill. That committee consisted OF Deck
ebach, Lesh, Pusey, Republicans, and
Van Patten and Rheinhart, fusionists,
so of course I now had no hopes OF
getting a favorable majority report for l
had found long before that Republican
members OF the fifth legislature always
voted against the interests OF the COM
mon people and | expected them to do
so in this case.
l talked with Deckebach about it and
told him he could not afford to vote and
work against that bill, that there was
almost a universal demand for it among
the laboring classes. He replied that
when the committee met l might come
before and make plea for it. asked
him when the committee would meet;
he said probably Saturday night. Sat
urday morning l went to him and asked
him where they would meet. lie said
in the senate chamber, but not till Mon
dav, as he had sent for Geo. IL. Emerson,
Mr.. soule, of Hoquiam, White, of Cos
mopolis, and Andrew Burleigh, who
represented the boom companies OF the
Sound. They came, all but Emerson,
who sent letter. They also brought
Mr.. Lytle, of Hoquiam along as logger
to testify that LoGGERs did not ask Tor
any better law than they had, or words
to that effect. They all forgot (?) to say
that Mr. Lytle was boom owner. l
have since heard that he is,
Mr.. A. {. Little OF Aberdeen, went to
the committee with me and we did all
that could be done honorably to get a
favorable report on the bill. The oppo-
sition testified that lower rate OF boom
charges would break up the boom COM
panies, etc.
| want to state right here that Senator
Van Patten had just been away and was
nearly sick, so he did not attend the
meeting OF the committee. 1t was very
unfortunate, for he is a most reliable
and honorable man, and it is my opinion
that had he been there the action OF the
committee might have been different, in
some respects at least.
As soon as the testimony was taken
Mr.. Deckebach called the committee to
another room for a secret session. | was
on seven committees and was before