Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-01-15

OF delinquency penalties has been a
mistake. Where penalties are too low
taxes will surely become delinu,1cnt
and revenues will fail to meet csti-
mated and necessary income.
RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
| have nothing to add to my former
recommendation that minimum
charges for transportation should he
secured to shippers in Il spirit of cx-
act justice to railroads and their
patrons. My views, which were set
forth with urgency, did not met with
approval and the legislature failed to
grant the relief so long desired in this
State. ! have only to say that a fair
and honest regulation of railroad rates
can work no real hardship to corpora
ton interests. What the government
at Washington has done, the govern
mcnt i'll Washington should do. The
same principles of law and Justice
which apply to and govern the inter
state commerce commission should APP
ply to and govern in this State.
STATE LANDS.
For a detailed statement Of the con-
dltlon of the State lands refer YOU
to the report of the commissioner Of
public lands and the bOaId Of State
land commissioners, whose statements
and suggestions | concur with and
endorse. You will see from these re-
ports that the important LAX of selec-
ton OF granted lands il completed SO
far as the board is concerned, and will
be complete when the reservations
OF unsurveyed townships, already
made by me in accordance with law,
are surveyed, and reserved areas
selected. The laying of the harbor
lines, the plating and survey of the
tide lands Of the first class in front of
cities have been completed, and the
hearings OF contests over preference
rights to purchase have been disposed
oil so far as the State is concerned.
This important and delicate work has
been completed without legal objection
by any parties. The facts that the
Commissioners OF Public Lands was so
largely occupied by the necessary
duties OF his office, and that the care
full and judicious exercise of judicial
discretion in the selection OF lands and
the hearing OF tide land contests,
formed the principal reasons for the
continuance of the board OF State Land
Commissioners. Their special work is
now practically completed, therefore
would concure in their and the COM
missioner's suggestion, that there no
longer remain and need for the board 3
continuance in its present form.
HARBoR AREA LEASES.
An uncertainty in the law, and a
praiseworthy desire to obtain the most
thorough knowledge of the practice OF
seaport cities throughout the world,
has led the board Of State Land Conr-
missioners to defer the preparation OF
lease regulations until the Legislature
should meet. The policy of the con-
stitution makers in creating harbor
line areas was that by the States aid
excessive tolls on commerce should he
avoided. You should provide h nomi.
nal rate for leases, and at the same
time restrict lessees' charges to an
equally low rate.
STATE CAPITOL.
For u full account of the transac-
tons of the State Capitol Commission
| refer you to the detailed report of
that body, which will be laid before
you. The substance of that report
and the facts are that the State has
the very best possible foundation for
the capitol building, constructed UNI
der the most rigid and conscientious
supervision, as you oan all readily see,
and at large cash loss to the con.
tractors, which is unusual in such
cases. Further than this it will be
seen: That the work of the commits
sion has been economical; that every
effort has been bent towards securing
complete construction, and that the
effort was unsuccessful owing to the
fact that it was found impossible to
sell the capitol fund warrants by rea-
son of the unsatisfactory condition of
the law and that of the money market.
The security in itself-the capitol
land grant-was and is considered
adequate, and the lands already Sc
lected are ample in value in a normal
market to cover the cost of cOnstruc-
ton. The capitol should he built.
Under the decision of our Supreme
Court the liability for construction
cannot fall upon the State itself. The
obligations incurred can only be a
lien against the land grant. The
grant was made by the federal gov
eminent for the erection of State
capitol, and for no other purpose. 1t
cannot be alienated. Those persons
who have thought that the capitol
was to be built or could be built ut the
States expense have been mistaken in
their views. The State is virtually a
trustee for the federal government in
the building of the capitol, and the
State should act as soon rs conditions
will permit. If the federal govern
ment had granted money for the build.
ing of the capitol there could have
been no possible question as to the
liability of the State. Because the
federal government granted lands for
this purpose instead of money there
is not created thereby any State liza
bility.
RELIEF FOR DEBTORS
The tendency of state legislation in
this country has been for the relief Of
debtors the principle seeming to be that
conservation of existing forces is Of
sound wisdom and greater benefit to the
social organization than disintegration
and reorganization. But the courts have
invariably held to the inviolahlity of free
contract and have tolerated no interior.
ence with its operation. AS ameasure OF
conservation, l have heretofore recon-
mended that when property is sold under
foreclosure of execution proceedings and
is redeemed by the debtor or his agent
he be allowed to recover the net income
or profits of the property during the re-
demption period from the purchaser or
creditor. Such a measure, | think, is
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