Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-02-27
THE LEGISLATURE.



to the powers and duties of Superior
Court Commissioners.
Notwithstanding laws relating to
municipal elections so that notices
thereof shall be published but two
weeks preceding such elections in the
official city newspaper.
On Friday the following new bills
were introduced in the House num-
bered from 4l2
Cole of King-Providing for incor-
poration and regulation of mutual
casualty insurance companies and as
sociations.
Parcel and Ranck of Clark-Provid-
ing for river improvement districts
(same as Rand's bill introduced in the
Senate few days ago..
Wells of Spokane-Providing for
the submission to vote OF the people
the question of amending certain Sec
tions of the constitution Of the state.
Section 80 to read as follows:
1t shall be the duty of the Legislature
to pass laws requiring all railroads and
transportation companies having or here
after acquiring franchises through the
State, to carry, free of charge, any State,
county or municipal officer of the State
when travelling upon public business.
H. B. No. IL, designed to take cleo.
ton of Judges out of party control,
failed to pass by vote of 80 to 4S.
The House then passed, under sus-
pension of the rules, House bill 1877, by
Brewer of Chehalis, amending the
tideland act SO that buyer who bad
become delinquent in payments and
lost the land could again come in as
a buyer and have the amount prev
iously paid credited on the second
purchase.
The Jones bill establishing truant
schools in cities OF 10000 inhabitants
was also passed, under suspension of
the rules.
The House passed Senate bill 1879,
appropriating $500 for the celebration
OF the 50th anniversary of Territorial
organization.
Saturday morning and disposed of
two bills on second reading. The Com
stock bill which provides that any in
surance company shall not maintain
more than one agency in any city
except by paying an annual license of
$500 for each additional agent, pro.
voked an attack from Dickson, Of
Kittitas. who declared that it was
intended to create monopoly. The
friends of the bill stated that it was
to protect the regular agents from
curbstone agents and large manufac-
turers who sent their insurance direct
to the head Office. Dickson secured
an amendment reducing the license
OF additional agents to $25.
The Jones direct primary law was
passed to third reading with some
slight amendments, an attempt TO re-
strict its operations to cities of the
first.class being defeated.
The House adjourned until Monday
afternoon at 2 o'cl ock.
The Senate, Monday, passed Senator
Hamilton's bill which exempts all
property, real or personal, owned by
any school or college in this State
supported in whole or in part by gifts,
endowments or charity, the entire in
come or revenue of such school or COL
lege after paying the expenses thereof
to be devoted to the purposes OF such
institution. The bill provides that
such property shall be used either for
educational purposes, or the revenue
from such property be devoted exclu-
sively to the support and maintenance
of such institution. The object OF the
bill. plainly, is to exempt sectarian
schools from taxation.
Graves OF Spokane led the fight
against the bill. He said it was both
Unconstitutional and pernicious. In
support of his argument that it was
unconstitutional, he made two points
The first was that the State Constitu-
ton forbids the donation of money for
sectarian purposes. Excepting sectar-
ian property from taxation. he de-
clared, was a virtual donation OF money.
His second point against the constitu.
tionality of the measure, that the Su-
preme Court OF tho State in the ia
nous personal property exemption
case, held that private property could
not be exempted from taxation under
the constitution. Graves argued fur.
ther that the bill left the way open for
fraud.
"Any man who wants to make
money out OF a private school," he
said, can have some friend make him
| a a. al I'D
dollars, and thus come under the pro.
visions of this bill and escape taxa
ton.
Graves said that a private school
might own million dollars worth Of
property, all revenue. producing. and
thus come under the provisions OF the
bill. He cited the fact that such Q
condition existed in Spokane, and that
the bill, If passed, would add greatly
the burden OF private taxation in Spo.
kane and other counties of the State.
Hamilton admitted that he did not
know whether the bill was constitu.
tional or not. It had been drafted, he
said, by good lawyers. He argued for
the bill on the ground that private
lSOlCkco 0uu cCbOOio NV SCSuAO
endowments where the property pur-
chased by such endowments was sub
ject to . heavy rate of taxation. Ham,
ilton was supported by Tucker. The
bill passed by the following vote:
| Yeas-Baker. Baumeister. Cornwell.
Davis. Earles, HALEY, Hamilton. Hur-
ley. Kinnear. LeCrone, Mckinney,
O'Donnell, Palmer, Potts, Rands.
Ruth, Sharp. Stansell, Stewart, Tuck
or, Van de Vanter. Welsh, Wilson-23.
| Nays-Angle, Crow, CARRIER, Graves,
Hallett. Rasher, Tolman, Welty, Mr..
President-9.
Absent or not voting-Clapp, Ham.
mer, Heinrich. Moore, Moultray, Re-
ser. Smith of Snohomish, Splawn,
Sumner, Warburton-1O.
There was quite q discussion over
Hamilton's child.labor bill, and the
section forbidding the employment oil
children under IA years of age in fac
!. otrsck ont