The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1903-03-20
LEGISLATIVE RECORD
comment on the Doings of
WashingtOn's SOlOns.
work VIII Averge Up With
the Record of Past Sessions
In Very Good Shape.

1
Inc record OF the Eighth Legislature
OF the state OF Washington il q fairly
gooG one, when the circumstances nnder
wnlch that body was working are CON
sldered. warm factional fight in tba
ranks OF the dominant party was net
conducive to best results on all nrohlens
Whlch were presented for solution. but
the most OF the democratic members of
poth the house and senate took a higher
| ground than Is usually the case when
they happen to be in a position to mid
the party III power on its road tn de-
structlon. From a political standpoint
the lew democrats in the legislature had
| everything to gain and little or nothing
10 lose by standing to one side and per
mlttlng the factions Of the majority TO
nght TO finish. lU is to their everlast
ing credit that they tied up with neither
faction. Neither did they remain pass
| I've; instead, they joined with the better
element OF the majority party, and aided
IN passing the bills which posaessed
merit, and turning down those which had
| none.
Ihere ls always an element of uncer
talnty about new law, and, according
~ tne test OF time will need be applied
TO some OF the important bills which
were passed at Olympia at the session
just ended. Pre- eminent in Importance
among the long list OF bills which sue
cesstully ran the gauntlet down to the
governors signature may be mentioned
the new road bill and the tax commission
Dill. The former, framed for the DUR
pose OF improving the public highways.
IL IL fulhlls the expectations of it's pro
mOters, VIII not only succeed in that re-
spect, but will at the same time reduce
Tue cost OF road-building and repairing
throughout the state. 1t certainly
should have some appreciable effect in
"lplng out that old prejudice between
the city and country as to where the
money should be spent, for city members
OF the legislature were completely routed
when they attempted to get an amend
ment which would permit them to ex-
pend 70 per cent OF the road and bridge
funds IN the limits of the city district
where it was collected. The country
members demanded all OF it and got
what they demanded. The road bill
also provides for better distribution of
funds.
The tax bill provides increased faeili-
Ties for getting more taxable property
on the rolls. The bill is undoubtedly
superior to the railroad commission
Dill, Tor the reason that it provides that
not only the railroads shall be made to
pay their taxes, but all other CORPORA
tons must do the came. IL has, to a
large extent, eliminated the possibility
OF the commissions getting very far in
to politics, which was the chief objection
to the railroad commission bill, and il
1t proves as successful in it's operation
as similar laws in other states. the peO-
pie of Washington can forgive the
eighth Legislature for many of it's short
comings.
The aggregate amount carried by the
appropriation bill shows Washington To
be al expensive state to operate. The
appropriations made for the education
al, penal and reformatory institutions
and for handling the machinery of the
state in other departments ran 10 very
close to 1000, 900, while an additional
81 900, 900 is called for other purposes.
This is large amount of money, but
Washington is big state, and her very
'bigness," in more ways than one. has
caused the heavy demand on the public
purse. 1t is many hundred miles from
the ranches, forests and mines in the
northeastern part OF the state to the
fisheries and fruit farms of the south
west. A wagon road or some other pub
lie utility may seem OF vital importance
to the members from the northwest, and
taking the sponsors word for il. the
southwestern man assists in putting il
through. Reciprocity is practiced on
the same lines. In this way, consider
able money is appropriated which might
not come out so easily if the state were
smaller and it was easier for individual
members to take an unbiased view of
the matter. Aside from the two bills
mentioned, there was the usual large
number OF measures of lesser import
ance, many OF which, however, if inter
preted as the members introducing them
expect them to be interpreted, will aid
in increasing the revenues of the state,
and decreasing the expenditures.
Ii decrease in crime means reduction
in city and county expenses-and it un-
doubtedly dOes-the moral" laws
passed will save the state large sums.
Eliminating the financial factor from
the effect OF these laws, and they remain
measures Of unusual merit. With
gamblers and maquereaux subject to
punishment az felons. Washington
should shortly discern an improvement
in the moral tone of the entire state.
The eighth legislature OF the state of
Washington might not have been a
model in all respects, but it's work on
the whole will average up we'll with that