Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-03-16

OLYMPIA, March l5.-Tne ninth legis
lature has vanished, vamoosed, de ma
terialized.
Hon. ]. OBJ. Scobey aptly expressed
the Olympia feeling on the floor Of the
senate Thursday night. Being Exam
CARGO" session he was privileged. when
hailed before the bar, to tell the truth,
which he did as follows: "We were
pleased to have you come, very glad TO
have you with us and-we're tickled to
death to see you CO."
Judging by the celerity with which
they made their getaway the latter feel.
ing was mutual, for when the session
closed at II 80 of the statutory day,
legislative time, or :35 next day Pacific
time, the end and aim OF nineteen
twentieths seemed to be to get home in
the shortest possible time.
The relations between many of the
legislators and the capital city were
strained, and in one instance they re.
suited in open rupture. An eminent
bunch-grass senator contracted for
suite OF rooms at $50, for the session,
paying $25 down. Later he availed him
self OF the hospitality of Candidate
Sweeny, who had rooms to burn, and
did not use the contracted rooms. But
he disdained to cancel the contract, and
when the inexorable landlord by the aid
OF the justice court held him up for the
remaining eight ounces of flesh, his
lurid remarks were weighted with regret
that as hold over he would have to re.
turn two years hence.
The thoughtful observer of matters
political does not look for the best results
where any party is in an overwhelming
majority. Some Of the sins of omission
and of commission of the late legislature
can be traced to that cause, others to the
personnel OF the legislature.
While the people and press of the
state have been almost universally ad-
verse to the present legislature, it is but
just to say that along some lines they
did fairly good work and in some things
even excellent.
If there is any virtue in railway COM
mission the bill which passed this session
must be all right since it was passed by
those who pin their faith to the commits
sion idea.
An excellent measure is that which
provides that the transportation of
criminals, insane and defective be under
the control OF the institutions. To be
sure it does away with an important per.
quisite of the sheriff's office. But it re-.
Iieves them Of that much Of RESPONSE
bility and puts the work in the hands of
those with special training along those
lines.
The collection OF the states percentage
Of the liquor licenses has been put upon
a sound basis by the requirement that
licenses must bear the endorsement OF
the state treasurer before going into
effect.
The hunters license law of IS is more
than excessive for local hunters, though
it cheapens the tariff for professional
sportsmen who formerly paid 81 for each
county AS game laws seem to be made
exclusively in their interest we suppose
it is all right.
The legislature has provided for the
expenditure of some $500, 900 during
the next two years, over $4,000, 900 being
from the general fund, though the most
liberal estimates show that but 81, 500, 900
can be expected to come into that fund.
Governor Mead has approved OF this
expenditure. He is not unmindful, per-
haps, of the fact that one thing which
led to the downfall of Governor Mcbride
in convention was his vigorous use Of
the pruning knife.
1t is easy to say that economy" is
fatal to efficient public service when one
realizes that the men who make or mar
political fortunes are in favor of liberality,
not to say extravaganza.
1t will be hard to convince the hard
headed business man who pays the taxes
that a deficiency OF some half million
yearly is not an evil to be avoided even
though it stands in the way Of raise in
the salaries of clerks and deputies al.
ready much better paid than the same
| talent in private enterprise.