The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-02-24

OLYMPIA, Feb. 18th, 1899.
The senate by a vote of 81 to 2 pass
ed the House capitol bill with few
amendments. The amendments were
slight notifications excepting the one
which limiting the time of guarantee
ing interest on the $500, 900, to 10
years. The amendments were i'm
mediately concurred in by the House
bya yofe.d 81 to s. 1t is now with
the governor, who, it is said will surely
veto it.
The Normal school appropriation
bills are now in the hands OF the
executive and, it is believed, will be-
come effective without his signature.
The state is now composed Of 30
counties, the Governor having signed
the Ferry County bill, but the county
commissioners have not as yet been
appointed.
The bill allowing the rebate of pen
atty and interest on delinquent taxes
prior to the taxes of 1898 was passed
with the amendment of interest charge
Of 6 per cent per annum until paid.
The time during which the taxpayer
may avail himself of its provisions
continues till Nov. l, 1899. The Sec
tions giving the county commissioners
the right to rebate on property ex-
brilliantly assessed as high as 80 per
cent, was defeated, being considered
an injustice to the taxpayers who have
all through the hard times paid their
taxes.
A constitutional amendment, allow
ing aliens to own 800 or more acres of
land in the state of Washington, will
in all probability be submitted to the
voters in 1900.
The committee bill relating to fish
ing, fshtraps, and licenses, after being
discussed in the committee of the
whole for about 3 hours, passed the
House by a vote of 60 to 0. The
main difference between Chapter 80,
Laws of 1897 and the present one just
passed is the raise of license fees, prin-
cipally on the traps and canneries,
though the license on the average
fisherman has been raised about $500.
The anticipated revenue from the new
measure Gf it passes the senate in the
same form) will be about $4,000 an
nually, enough to build and maintain
10 new hatcheries in addition to the A
already established.
Both houses adjourned Tuesday
evening till Thursday owing to the
fact of Wednesday being Washington's
birthday. A resolution was introduced
in the House requesting the members
of that body to be present at IL o'clock
Wednesday (also inviting the senators
to be presently to listen to the reading
of Washington's farewell address, by
representative Pendergast and an adj
dress by Hon: F. x. Schoonmaker on
the theme, George Washington"
Despite the fact that Wednesday
was a. legal holiday the majority Of
the legislators did committee work all
day.
The number of Superior Judges may
be reduced from 81 to 16, and Lewis
and Thurston may be added with Ma.
son and Chehalis to form one judicial
district.
The law creating a board of pardons
has been repealed at least by the &C
tons Of the house.
The railroad companies seem to b.
able TO handle majority of the com
mittees of both houses, and all sub
terfuges are resorted to, to delay ant
defeat railroad legislation.
i The committee on edu cation ar
wrestling with free text books, b,
counties, by cities over ten thousand
State uniformity, county unifolmit,
or independence of either. r.