The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1901-02-15
WHAT THE LEGISLATURE Is
DOING
THE HOUSE.

COuuJlcS VI dklIud onN
though there will be strong fight; the
majority in the territory to be COM
posed in the new county favor 1T and
the old counties unanimously object
The bill (No. S2), providing Tor
county and city uniformity meets with
much opposition despite the fact that
school books may be purchased cheap
er than the ones adopted. In many
cases the retail prices quoted in the
catalogues of various book Publishing
houses, are lower than the ones now IN
use and on which we are now supposed
to have discount of 50 per cent. In
other words, standard books may be
bought for $3.50 to So that now cost
the state 1928.
Re-apportionment bills apportionlng
the legislative districts (and senatorlal)
are being considered and it seems at
this time that the old districts may re-
main as they are.
The appropriations asked for for state
roads amount to over five hundred
thousand dollars, and the disposition
seems to be to refuse to pass a single
state road bill as the roads heretofore
organized have proved impractical.
A bill with an appropriation OF
100000 to erect monument to the
memory of the dead soldiers ip the
war with the Philippines has passed
one house. This applies to the Wash
ington soldiers only.
Tuesday was kept as holiday by
both houses in memory of that great
Observation-Disclosures Lincoln.
The oyster land legislation suggested
by the Oystermen's Association OF
Puget sound will not be endorsed by
the oystermen OF Willapa harbor.
Bill to make the Offices of clerk and
marshal in cities of the fourth class
elective instead of appointive has been
introduced.
The committee on roads and bridges
Is wrestling with a county uniformity
road law. The difficulty met with SO
far in that. line is to make it apply to
the different conditions.
The poll tax has been cut down to
$500, to be paid in money.
Railroad legislation moves very slow
ly in both houses, largely due to the
inability of Eastern Washington mem
bers wins are most affected thereby to
agree on what they really want.
About 81 bills and resolutions have
passed the house to the senate.
Bill making it the duty of hecounty
superintendent to appoint board of
examiners to examine the graduates
in the 9Th grades of common schools.
A ditching act has been passed by
the house, also a mining act, as well
as one imposing fine for the mutlla-
ton of sign boards and advertisements.
THE SENATE.
Nothing OF Importance has trans
pired this week although grist of
minor bills, many of them to regulate
practice IN courts, have either passed
the senate or died without coming to
vote. The vote on the railroad bill
was reconsidered Wednesday, but re-
suited as before, Is to 10, and the
Preston commission bill may be con-
sidered as dead and buried. The COM
mittee has now recommended the Tai
man commission bill, which gives the
appointment to the governor, and the
fight will be continued on somewhat
different cline up"
A desperate effort was made to secure
more strength for the Preston bill, and
it at one time jeopardized the capital
bill, but the trade evidently fell
through. The condition occasionally
arises when membere find it impossi-
BILE to stay with measures when they
become perverted" by amendment or
trades from the original proposition.
These conditions cause as hard think
ing at times as the average legislator
is capable of, and require change of
position, which might seem question
able without, acknowledge of the facts.
The fish trap, oyster lands and
several other measures of more than
ordinary interest are being considered
by the committees of either house, and
none of them have yet been reported,
so that the hardest work is yet 10 come.
There is no telling what the fvte oil
these measures will be, but the inter-
ests of the county in preserving its
natural oyster beds will likely suffer
There.ls a considerable pull from out
side persons who want slice of the
oyster reserves. 1t is unlikely tina,
they can be kept intact as at present
but the main seed beds are quite safe
although to he better protected. The
Ifshtrap men arelfghting among them
selves, but are also united against the
common enemy, the "abolitionist,