The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-01-16
AMEND DIRECT
PRIMARY LAW
MEASURE BY METCALF AIMS TO
CORRECT DEFECTS IN OLD
LAW.-PROVIDES FOR ROTA-
TION OF NAMES.
Special to the World.

Special to the World.
Olympia, Jan. 15.-Senator Ralph
Metcalf, of Pierce county, introduced
bill in the senate today to amend
the primary election law. The bill
has been approved by the Direct
Primary League, and contains all the
remedies suggested by that organiza-
ton for the defects in the present
statute
All cities of the first class which
have charter provisions for nonpar-
tisan nomination of candidates will
be permitted under the Metcalf bill
to proceed as before; that is to say,
the proposed statute excerpts cities of
the first class from the operation Of
the law in municipal elections. Where
no salary is attached to the Office,
the filing fee for candidates is re-
dueed from $40 to 81.
One feature of the bill which pro-
poses to prevent any unseemly scram-
bic for position on the ballot is
adopted from the Minnesota law. 1t
provides for rOta alton of names. If
the name of one candidate is at the
head of the list in one precinct, less
favored position will be given it in
another, so that by rotation all Of the
candidates will be equal in the mat
ter of position on the ballot.
The Metcalf bill will make it posi-
BILE to announce the result of a pri-
mary election within half an hour af
ter the polls close. Two sets of cleo
ton officials ami ballot boxes are pro-
vided, and it is required that when
fifty ballots have been cast the Off
Gals shall withdraw to another room
and count them.
During their absence the second set
will be receiving votes. and they in
turn will count when they have fifty
ballots.
The expense of the two sets of
election judges for one days work
will be no greater than for one set
for two days work.
The present law makes no provision
for state committees. The Metcalf
bill provides that county committees
shall elect members of the state COM
mittee within five days after the pri-
mary election.
To prevent recurrence of the le-
gal proceedings which the retiring
lieutenant governor has brought
against Lieutenant Governor NJ. E.
Hay, it is provided in the proposed
law that candidates may advertise
in newspapers, paying the regular
rates. It is restricted, however, to
a simple announcement of candidacy,
giving the name, address and party
of the candidate.
A clerical error in the present law
which requires that candidates file
statement of their campaign expenses
N not less than ten days after the
p, imary election will be corrected to
read within twenty days.
The section of the primary law
prohibiting the sale of liquor on cleo
tic2 day, which was left out of the
present statute, has been restored in
ne Metcalf bill.
A. present. al voters except repub-
licans and democrats are prevented
from selecting candidates for judges.
ir asmuch as the candidate that re-
ceives the highest number of votes at
the primary is the only one whose
name appears on the ballot for any
particular office. This is amended to
who receive the highest number of
votes shall be placed on the ballot.
The official ballot will contain double
the number of candidates for supe-
rior or supreme judges as there are
Offices to fill. The nonpartisan idea
of electing judges is made clearer.
A separate ballot for judicial candi-
dates is rovided and a voter may
call for the judicial ballot without
voting either of the party ballots.
Independent voters and members
Of parties not large enough to place
on the ballot may call for and vote
the judicial ballot. The Metcalf bill
legalizes the use of stickers Under
the present law the use of stickers
vas upheld in some counties and n
others it was prohibited.