The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-03-02
BILL NOW BEFORE LEGISLATURE
DESIGNED TO GET RID
RID OF PEST.
Heavy Penalty Provided For Land
Owners Who Allow Weed
to Grow On Premises.

some people, but if enforced may save
Washington folks thousands of dollars
| is proposed by two members Of the
| legislature, Messrs Henderson an6
Weatherford. They have introduced
house bill No. 355, which is designed te
| rid the state Of thistles and burdock
This bill is, in part as follows:
Section 1. 1t shall be the duty OF
every owner, possessor or occupier OF
land in this state to cut down OF
cause to be cut down all the Chinese
Canada or Russian thistles and all bur-
dock growing thereon SO often in each
and every year as shall be sufficient tc
prevent them going to seed.
Section 2. If any owner, possessol
or occupier of land shall knowingly
suffer any such Chinese. Canada OF
Russian thistles Or burdock to grow
thereon and the seed to ripen, he shall
be guilty of misdemeanor, and upon
conviction thereof be liable to a fine OF
not exceeding $40 for each offense and
cost of prosecution.
Section 3. 1t shall be the duty OF
each road supervisor in each road dis
trict in this state to see that the pro-
visions of this act are carried out
within their respective districts, and he
shall give notice to the owner, pos
SCISSOR or occupier of any land within
his district, wherein Chinese, Canada
or Russian thistles or burdock are
growing, requiring MIN to cause the
same to be cut down within ten days
from the service Of such notice and,
in case such owner, possessOr or oc-
cupier shall refuse or neglect to cut
down the said Chinese, Canada or Rus
sian thistles or burdock within the
said ten days, then the said road SUI
pervisor shall enter upon the land and
cause all of said thistles to be cut
down, with as little damage to grow
ing crops as may be; and he shall not
vided, that when such Chinese, Canada
or Russian thistles, or burdock are
growing upon non-residents land and
the same is unoccupied it shall not be
necessary to give such notice before
proceeding to cut down Chinese, Cana
da or Russian thistle or burdock; and
provided, that in the case Of Chinese,
Canada or Russian thistles or burdock
growing on the right of way of any
railroad said notice required in this
section shall be served upon the section
foreman who has charge of that portion
of the right of way where said Chinese,
Canada or Russian thistles or burdock
may be growing.
Make Land Owners Pay.
Section 4. Each road supervisor
shall keep an accurate account of the
expenses incurred by him in carrying
out the provisions of this act, with re-
spect to each parcel of land entered
upon therefor, and shall offer or send
by mail a statement of such expenses,
including a description of the premises,
verified by oath, to the owner, possess
sor or occupier of such land, requiring
him to pay the amount. In case such
owner, possessor or occupier snail fail
to pay the same within 80 days after
such application said claim shall be
presented to the board of county COM
missioners of the country in which said
expenses were incurred, and the same.
if found correct, shall be paid the same
as other claims against the road dis
trict.
section 5. The board of county
commissioners to which said claim is
presented snail order the said claim to
be a tax upon the premises described
therein, and the same shall be levied as
a tax upon said premises, and entered
upon the tax rolls for the current year
and collected together with penalty and
interest as other taxes are collected
and when so collected paid into the
road district in which the land is sit
uated.
Section 6. This law is applicable
to cities and towns and when applied
to cities and towns the duties enum-
Grated in this act devolving upon the
road supervisor and county commits
sioners snail devolve upon the city or
town council, and the taxes collected
on premises situated in cities or towns
shall be used for the use of and bene-
fit of streets of the cities therein"
invaluable for Rheumatism.