The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-03

fees, either state or county
with fireproof vaults, and in s,,n
offices is there anyone enough
ested in historical archives 40 go,
give the time and attention from h,s
round of daily duties to M, So
documents in proper order an, Co.
that they are carefully kept A care
less official or one driven hard nv h,s
official rounds of work gives little or
no thought of these precious records
while they do not enter into any reg.
ular work of the office.
THE state should create an arch
ives commission who should have au,
thority to accept these papers in Or
der that, If they are surrendered they
may not pass out of official custody.
and to endeavor to scientifically ar
range and catalogue them with a view
to their permanent preservation. No
official is likely to be willing to give up
the records for which he is responsible
under the law unless it is to someone
authorized by law to receive them and
then only on the legal right to have
free access to them for reference pur-
poses. Hence, an act would be nee
essary to create board or commission
with proper powers and proper vaults
for the reception of the records. The
proposition to move, the state library
into the basement of the capitol would
furnish it an excellent vault room, and
hn oh 10
and capable of scientifically attend
ing to the matter without any expense
to the state.
1.-THE other matter to which l beg to
call your attention is one to establish
in connection with the state library
legislative reference department for
the systematic reference of reliable
and up-to-date information regarding
matters liable to come up at the ses-
sions of the Legislature. If our legisla-
tors could know definitely all the laws
enacted in the various states and how
each has worked, whether we'll or bad
ly, and the results of the lifelong stud
les VI tHOSC CLIiHShI III 'hS AAAASS va
which legislation is attempted, so that
they would not need to depend on the
statements of lobbyists or of those
sincerely and honestly de string to Sc
cure legislation, then the sixty days
in which they turn away from their
emplOymentS to give attention 10
lawmaking usually a business in which
they have had no experience what
ever, would be far more liable to re-
suit in good legislation. To accumu-
late this fund of reliable data, to have
it we'll digested and ready for instant
use when a bill is under consideration
not only takes time but one skilled in
handling such material.
Reports Available.
For the first time the 5000 or 10000
volumes of state documents and de-
partment reports which have been ac
cumulating here for years are avail
able, being shelved and catalogued by
subject, state and date of issue. While
much cannot be done without complet-
ing our files of current legislation and
making a comparative digest of it,
still something can be accomplished at
the coming session if a clerk is as
signed to do this work. One has been
selected who is a practicing lawyer of
some years standing in this state, and
also familiar with library methods, who
is willing to come if provision can be
| made for his salary during the session.
The senate will be asked to provide
a library clerk to serve every senate
committee that needs to have this work
done for it, and thus will be demons
! trated the practical working Of legis-
lative reference department"