The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1909-12-31
OF IMPORTANCE TO
THE ENTIRE STATE
Coming Convention of the Good
Roads Association.
Progress of Road Building in This
Country Has Not Kept Pace With
European Standards--Po Politics Is
Too Much in Evidence.

Seattle, Wash, Dec 20 Census Super
visor Kelley Of, the Second district pre-
diets that the forthcoming enumeration
will show the population OF Washington
to have doubled since 1900. If the state
can count 100000 inhabitants next
year, it will be entitled to at least five
representatives in congress and maybe
six. This will require redistricting. The
more densely populated portion OF the
state west of the Cascades will probably
get four of the six, leaving two for East
ern Washington.
The coming convention of the Wash
ington Good Roads Association at Aber-
deem. January 20 and 81, is Of import
ance to the whole state. 1t will consider
the expenditure of 81, 100000 now avail
able in the state road fund. Progress in
road building in this country has not
kept pace with European standards,
largely because of undesirable political
influences in the administration OF high
way affairs. Washington has taken an
important step to get better roads and
the state association is an earnest body,
Governor M. E. Hay is in favor of a
daylight saloon law" patterned after
the one in force in Nebraska. This per-
mits the sale OF liquor only during the
hours between sunrise and sunset. He
declares himself as strongly opposed to
statewide prohibition, but believes the
local option law now in force a good
one. As the score now stands, 35 munic
ipalities have gone dry to 19 wet. The
dry section includes two county units,
Stevens and Whitman.
In recognition of the important part
played by voting women in the solution
of the divorce evil, Governor Hay has
appointed the president of the Washing
ton Equal Suffrage Association, Mrs
Emma Smith Devoe, a delegate to the
national divorce congress, to meet in
Washington, D. c., from January IA to
II, in response to call issued by Presi
dent Taft. The congress is to suggest
remedial legislation for action by the
senate and house, and in view of the fact
that divorces have decreased II pei
cent in New Zealand since the women
were given the ballot some Is years
ago, and that Wyoming, which has had
equal suffrage longest, has the lowest
percentage of divorces OF any state in
the Union, the suffragists represented tC
the governor that the appointment O
some woman would be exceedingly fitting
President Kane of the Washington
State University makes the interesting
announcement that the enrolment fol
the first term to date equals that OF all
three terms last year. Out of the tOta
of 21OO students in attendance only
one hundred have entered as Specials
Washington leads all of the states o.
the Union in two lines OF productive in
dustry-lumber and fishing. In Other
industries it also takes high rank. Wash
ington stands first in the production o
wheat per acre, although several states
exceed it in the total amount produced
As -four producer, Washington promises
to take high position when the next
census figures are compiled, probably
second place. Puget Sound now holds
third place among the ports OF America
in the tonnage of shipping engaged il
foreign trade.
1t is believed that half million acres
of Washington school lands now held in
federal forest reserves will be released be
fore very long. Land Commissioner
Ross is going to the national capital in
January to take up the matter with the
head of the forestry service, Clifford
Pinchot, who has expressed himself at
willing to provide way for granting
the state lieu lands for those included in
reserves.
MARRIED.