The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-17
Radical Changes By State So|ons
at Olympia.
ELIMINATE EVILS OF 0lO system
EMPLOYEES LIST CUT DOWN
PETTY GRAFT is MADE
IMPOSSIBLE.

OLYMPIA, Jan. 1.-THE new rules
of the senate are designed to give
every opportunity for debate that
could be desired and even the motion
to postpone Indefinitely may be recon
sidered, the part of rule 81 reading
and there shall be no reconsideration
of vote on a motion to postpone in
definitely" having been stricken out.
In the past it has been common for
a meritOrious bill in the interest OF
the public to be put TO death without
any discussion whatever and senators
have been known to get rid OF bills by
slipping them in their pockets to ac-
cOmmodate the system
The first important amendment was
to rule g. which provided that the
president of the senate should appoint
committees This was amended by
adding: provided, however, that all
standing committees shall be ap-
pointed subject to confirmation by the
senate, such confirmation to be made
special order at 2:3O o'clock p. M,
on the day following their announce
ment by the president. If the senate
shall refuse to coutirm any commit
tee or committees, such committee or
committees shall be forthwith elected
by the senate"
Rule is so amended as to put the
progress of legislation in control of
the majority of the senate The sec
ION amended read that the committee
on rules and joint rules should have
charge of the daily calendar of the
senate and shall direct the secretary
how it shall be transacted" To this
subdivision of Rule s. is added the
following: "Provided. that a majority
of the senate shall have power to di-
rect a bill placed in any position on
the calendar and have power to with
draw a bill from any committee and
place it in the calendar.
List Cut Down.
Rule q was so amended as to car
ry out the amendment of Rule 8, just
quoted by making 'twothirds" read
"a majority
Rule 10 was so amended as to limit
the whole number of employees of the
senate to SO.
Perhaps the most important of all
the amendments to the rules were to
81 and So The latter was stricken
out. Rule 81 was amended SO as to
make a motion to lay on the table de-
batable The old rules specified this
motion as one not to be debated. The
rule was also amended in a way to al
low reconsideration of a motion to
postpone Indefinitely Rule 80. a gag
rule pure and simple, was stricken out.
1t was as follows:
"A motion to strike out the enact
ing clause Of bill or resolution shall
have precedence of motion to COM
nit or amend. and. if carried. shall be
equivalent 10 its rejection"
An entirely new rule was added
with the purpose of guarding the treas
ury against petty graft and eXtiava-
gance in the buying of supplies. 1t
reads as follows:
Carefully Audit Bills.
The committee on supplies shall
order the purchase of all necessary
supplies and shall carefully audit all
such bills before they are paid.
There were changes in the number
of members of some of the committees
and a new committee of three was ere
ated to have charge of the purchase of
supplies
The number of members of the ap-
preparations committee was increased
from l Ito IS: banks and banking
from to 8. The committee on manu-
features was consolidated with the
committee on commerce. making it "a
committee on commerce and manu-
features and the number of members
will be seven. The committees on
morals and miscellaneous were abol.
ished. as unnecessary, at the request
OF the lieutenant governor, and at his
request also there were added two
members each to four of the other
committees. This request was at a
conference between the lieutenant
governor and a committee. Besides
the increase in the membership of the
committees on banks and banking and
appropriations there were increc ses
in the roads and bridges committee
from nine TO IL and the railroads and
transportation committee from II to
IL