Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-03-08
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.

hogan county was adopted.
The House at an evening session.
Wednesday, defeated Piper's bill
that gave to the councils in the cities
of the first class, authority to make
appointment of officers when the
Mayor persisted in placing nomina-
tions that body would not confirm.
On Wednesday the Senate defeated
House bill providing that none but
attorneys be eligible for justices OF
the peace.
Also House bill authorizing the
Tax Commissioners to investigate
books of State officers.
The Senate passed the reciprocal
demurage bill practically as it came
from the House, also a bill enlarg-
ing the powers of the Railroad Com.
mission, so as to include an inspector
of tracks and equippage.
On motion of Senator Ruth the
Graves press-gag bill was resusci-
tated, on promise of its originator
to eliminate part of the objection
able provisions. 1t is again on the
calendar.
Among the Senate bills passed by
the House Wednesday, was one al
lowing of apportionment of State
school funds for support of normal
training schools; one authorizing en-
plOyment of convicts, in construct
ing State roads; remaining the re-
form school Washington State
Training School," and one increas-
ing salary of Fish Commissioner to
g, 400 and of his deputies.
The most exciting legislation of
the session was the consideration of
the direct primary bill, Wednesday,
in the Senate, consuming practically
the whole time of the day sessions.
The measure came from the Senate
committee with a substitute for the
bill which had passed the House,
differing somewhat from the League
bill, which, under campaign pressure
q majority of the members had
pledged themselves to support, with
out change or amendment. The
bill did not, however, embOdy all
the essentials required by the Senate,
and it was evident that it would
meet with decided opposition. Knick-
erbOcker moved to substitute the bill
recommended by the League, and
very general personal explanations
resulted, wherein it was demonstrat-
ed that many Senators had rode in
on o promise that they now found it
difficult to perform. Some OF them
drew in a long breath of exultation
when it was maintained that change
from the League bill released all
members from support of any direct
primary bill. The proposition was,
however, defeated, to substitute that
bill by q vote of 43 to 6. Metcalf
then moved to amend the dates of
holding the primaries from Septem-
Der to June, and the judgeship prim-
airy from June to May, to meet the
demands Of Eastside farmers. who.
it was alleged, could not attend
primaries held in the months sug-
gested by the bill from the demand
on their time from harvesting opera
tions, and it seems, some Western
dolce far niente constituents had made
the same request as it would interfere
with their season for communion
with the clam-beds. Link" Davis
professed to see some partisanship in
the attitude of certain members, and
he was glad of it. At the beginning
of the session he declared an attempt
to form party organization on old
time lines had failed and he had
thought partisanship was dead. He
was glad to know that the bill under
consideration would revive and pre-
serve the party spirit.
How about the other fellOws?"
inquired Stevenson, Didn't they
favor party organization"
Yes" responded Davis, and
they have been sore ever since, and
from the. whisperings about the
Statehouse, they seem to realize they
have made more mistakes than
Moses"
The amendment carried by o vote
OF 20 to 10; three absent.
After voting down q motion to ad-
jOurn the Senate took q recess till
las. 1t was then that the real fight
begun. Motions to amend came
from all parts of the Chamber, but
the majority, under the leadership of
Metcalf, kept their forces together
enough to defeat all such PROPOSE
tions, and it was finally forced to o
vote, which was unanimous with the
exception of Rands, who filed his OBJ
jections in writing on voting no. He
changed his vote to aye, however,
and gave notice that he would at the
proper time make . motion to re-
consider. Metcalf moved immediate
reconsideration, and Cotterill moved
to lay that motion on the table.
Both motions carried and the Presi-
dent ruled that that action laid the
bill on the table-virtually killed it,
by indirection. Then the Senate,
without the fOrmality of q recess, be-
came q veritable house of misrule.
Parliamentary manuals, rules of Con-
gress, and everything bearing upon
the ruling, were sought, and for the
greater part of an hour, pandemon-
ium reigned. Finally o reading from
autocrat Reed, when he held the
whip over the U. S. House of Repre-
sentatives, and decided that q mo-
ton to reconsider, laid on the table,
did not carry with it the subject
matter under consideration, settled
the matter. The chair then recalled
its ruling and the bill was, under sus-
pension of the rules, at once sent to
the House for concurrence.
During the progress of the debate,
Ruth, on q question of privilege,
claimed that he had been assailed
and misrepresented by the P-L,
which had stated that he had formed
an alliance with Piper to fillibuster,
in its reports and editorially. So far
as the reporter of that paper was
concerned, he was a young man earn
ing a livelihood and he would pass it
over at that, but for the editor he
had only contempt; he was an old
maid" On reconsideration, Mr..
l.