Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-03-27
WHOLE NUMBER 2,2S3.

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good reason for their allowance. With
out the slightest disrespect to the Leg
islature, it must be admitted that a
court is the proper tribunal for deter
mining suoh questions.
Senate bill No. 1863 appropriates two
thousand dollars for the relief of E. G..
Bickerton. 1t is based upon the claim
OF Mr.. Bickerton for services rendered
as auctioneer in the sale of certain
State lands. This claim not being q
legal obligation against the State,
Senate bill No. 169 is disapproved.
House substitute bill No. 80, appro.
PIRATES out of the general fund one
hundred and ten thousand dollars
ten thousand dollars for the salary of
a Highway Commissioner, to be ap-
pointed by the Governor, and the ex.
penses incident to that Office, and one
hundred thousand dollars for roads in
various parts OF the State. No doubt
some of these roads are badly needed.
Could do so, it would afford me great
pleasure to approve the items for such
roads. But the situation is this: The
appropriations made by the Eighth
Legislature, out of the general fund,
amount to something over two million
eight hundred thousand dollars, while
the estimated revenues for that fund
during the next fiscal period, un-
der the most liberal estimate, will not
be more than two million two hundred
thousand dollars. The appropriations
made exceed the estimated revenues
by at least six hundred thousand dol.
lars. 1t would not be good business
policy to permit the State to incur an
additional Indebtedness of that amount
in the next two years, nor could there
be any justification for such a course
Reasonable provision must be made
for our State charitable, educational,
penal and reformatory institutions
The running expenses OF the several
State departments and the expense of
legislative sessions must be met.
Money in the building OF State roads,
and in other directions, could be used
to the advantage of the public, did our
revenues permit. But, if the State is
not to be burdened with q constantly
increasing indebtedness, our expenses
must be limited to our actual necessi-
ties, until such time as the Legisla-
ture, in its wisdom, sees fit to subject
to taxation property now escaping tax.
alton altogether, or assessed at only
small fractional part of its value.
When the people of the State insist
upon this being done, our revepues
will be ample for all legitimate pur-
poses.
Solely upon the ground that our
financial condition will not justify it
am compelled to disapprove House
substitute bill No. 80.
House bill No. 3l3 appropriates two
hundred dollars for suitably framing
the Photographic groups of the several
legislative bodies, modestly including
that OF the Eighth Legislature. This
desire of the Legislature to perpetuate
its fame, by having its Photographic
group" framed and hung, at the public
expense, in the capitol, is highly COM
mendable. But, unfortunately, the
appropriation flood-gates were lifted so
high, and so many other things per-
mitted to run through, that this meas.
ure must fail. Solely upon the ground
that our financial condition will not
permit this just recognition of services
rendered, am reluctantly compelled
to disapprove House bill No. 313.
House bill No. 1872 seeks to appro.
pirate ten thousand dollars for the
establishment and maintenance OF q
branch of the }" State Soldiers Home" :"
This bill is disapproved for the follow
ing reasons:
First-We have State University
at Seattle, an Agricultural College
and School of Science at Pullman,
and State normal schools at What.
com, Ellensburg and Cheney; insane
asylumns at Steilacoom and Medical
Lake; a penitentiary at Walla Walla,
Soldiers Home at Orting, q reform
school at Chehalis, and . school for
defective youth at Vancouver. The
cost of maintaining these institutions,
owing to their being scattered through.
out the State, is much greater than
it would be had they been grouped at
two or three central points. This
policy OF scattering" should not be
given further encouragement.
Second-The revenues of the State
are not such as to justify the expendi-
ture.
I Senate bill No. IS, appropriating
$450.39 for the relief of the Puget
Sound Sawmill & Shingle Co., is here
by disapproved for the reason that the
condition Of our revenues will not, at
this time, permit its approval.
House bill No. $50 makes provision
for the payment OF bounty for sugar
manufactured in this State. 1t has
been claimed this is not an sppropria-
tion bill-that no payments could be
made under its provisions for the next
fiscal period, and that has been urged
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