The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-06-19
CLAIMED RAILWAY COMMISSION
WILL BE FOR THAT PURPOSE
BY THE GOVERNOR
Effort May Be Made to Land Mead in
by Party Leaders

Governor Mead invited a political
fight when he named John S. McMillin
of Roche Harbor and ]. c. Lawrence
of Garfield, as members Of the rail-
road commission, is the way the Sc
attic Times puts it. These appoint
ments serve as an ultimatum to the
lumber interests of the state, the job
bling centers and the powerful political
influences that sought recognition from
the governor.
The commission, as the governor has
organized it, is a personal machine, an
integral part of the Bellingham ring.
Headed by Fairchild, who has man
aged the personal campaign of Mead
since the Bellingham lawyer was
dragged from obscurity to carry What
com county, will head the commission
when it is organized next Wednesday.
He will be the dominant political man
ager in the Mead administration, the
man upon whom the executive will re-
Iy to carry out the program Fairchild
inadvertently advertised in his impas-
stoned appeal to the legislature last
winter
MY God, if you pass the bill you
will be in power for fifty years." Fair
child cried at that time, and the selec-
ton of the membership on the COM
mission from the personal and political
following of Mead and Fairchild is in
dicative of a program Of political con-
troll which is left in Fairchild's hands.
To Do Mead's Bidding.
McMillin, as has been told before,
was one of those who financed the per-
sonal campaign of Governor Mead.
Lawrence was added to balance the
commission and give eastern Wash
ington representation. He is a good
organization man. but Lawrence
need not be troublesome to the Mead
organization even though he should
prove to be more loyal to the Ankeny
interests than to the gubernatorlal
ring. With the control in the hands
of Fairchild and McMillin the commits
sion will be at Mead's bidding. And
Mead's bidding, it is certain, will be
the bidding of Faircnild and the Bel
bingham organization.
Mead had grouped the best Offices in
the state in Bellingham to reward his
friends. He gave place on the railroad
commission to his personal manager,
Fairchild. He turned over the Stella
COON asylum, with it's machine, to DR..
Van Zandt. He stationed S. A. Call
vert at the Soldiers Home to control
that vote. He gave his brother in law
E. N. Beals, the oil inspectors job, and
the latter made H. E. Thomas mis-
chief deputy. T. r. KershaW retains
the fish commissioners Office to handle
the fish vote.
This is the nucleus of the Belling-
ham rings new machine. Each point
where important political prestige is at
stake, is guarded by part of the Bel
bingham organization. The fact that
the personal friends of the governor,
E. w. Purdy, is guarding a part Of the
states deposits in his bank, placed
there by c. J. Lord, head of the finan-
cial faction of the gubernatorial organ
ization, is another feature of the ma
chine.
There Is something as yet unex-
planned about the gubernatorial hesl-
fancy over the announcement OF MS
commission. 1t has been known to
politicians that the personnel was
agreed upon about this first of the
month. There was no apparent rea-
son for delay, yet the governor put OH
the formal announcement until ne mad
spent day in conference with Harry
Fairchild. Then the current reports of
his choice were confirmed Another
conference will precede the announce
ment of the appointment of F. w.
Graham as S ecretary. This is expect
ed after the Olympia meeting on We'd
nesday.
If the Graham program is not upset
the commission itself will add the only
man with any knowledge concerning
the work it is to do. Graham is traV-
Northern. and will owe his appoint
ment to the fact that he was formerly
station agent at Bellingham and a
close friend of Harry Fairchild and