Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-01-15

The eleventh biennial session of
the State Legislature convened in
this city Monday, and began work
with an alacity that indicated that
its members were wound up for re-
suits, whatever they might be-
There were practically full attend.
ance. The work done the first day
was organization of both Senate and
House.
Senator A. S. Ruth, senior mem
err, was elected President pro tenn.
and the remainder IF the slate of
appointees, arranged by caucus. went
through without a kick. 1t was as
follows: w. T. Laube, Seattle, Sec
rotary; Marvin Arnold, Spokane, AS
sistant Secretary; James ". Hays,
Tacoma, Sergeant-at-armS; A. ].
Ahola, Klickitat county. Assistant
Sergeant-at-armt.
A committee of five was appOin ted
on the matter of Senate employees,
the resolution providing that not
more than "a be employed. Sena-
tors Allen, Smith, Kline, Roberts
and Huxtable were appointed.
Upon recommendation of the COM
mittee, George Gregory of King
county was appointed as Mail Clerk,
and A. T. Hays of King as Door
keeper.
A committee consisting of Booth,
Graves and FalcOner, was named to
notify the House the Senate was or.
ganized and ready for business.
In the House, the session was
called to order by former Chief Clerk
l.. o. Meigs, now member from Yak
ina county, and a few minutes after,
ward he was elected Speaker of the
House, J. w. Slayden of Pierce county
having withdrawn from the race a,
the caucus held Sunday.
The remainder of the caucus SLATE
went through without a hitch.
In the caucus contest for the chic
clerkship the King county delegation
was divided. Representative Jeffries
placed in nomination ]. w. Lysons o.
Seattle and w. C. McMaster of the
same county nominated Mr.. Grin
stead, also of Seattle. 1t was purely
a King county fight and is peculiar
in that the split in the delegation
did not affect MIR. Grinstead's candid
acy. This was due to +. w. Mid.
daugh of Spokane throwing his sup
port to Mr.. Grinstead.
The House had a two-hOur session
adiourning to 10 Tuesday morning
The Senate appropriation of $50, OOt
for legislative expenses was passed
Last year the original appropriation
was $4,000, with another of s., OO(
besides later appropriation of $40,
900 for incidentals.
Resolutions were adopted for /;
joint committee of six to arrang'
special survice in observance of Elm
coins birthday, February u.
Four bills voted last session b.
the governor, were returned to tn
House and were TO come up undo
special order Friday morning.
The first bill introduced was char
acteristic Of that body. 1t was TO
appropriating $95, 900 to pay thei
own per dicm and mileage. Alread,
the trend towards treasury grabs i
wonderfully apparent. The A. Y. z
exhibition is early in the field for al
additional appropriation; two add
tional Superior Judges and salarie
are demanded; a bill for appropria
ton of $2O9, 900 that has been de
feated so often before, to pay tn
illegal nOrmalschOol warrants issue'
under act of 1895; bill to create
bureau of inspection of public &C
counts, with more salaries, etc.
Tuesday was mainly devoted to.
joint session to canvass the Stat
election returns, and side-trackinl
in Senator Booths attempt to rail
read his bill providing for an add
tiOnal Superior Judge through b!
making it general order. The at
tempt was abandoned by recOmmen
dation of the King delegation an
general protest for making it an ex
ceptiOn to the usual course.
Quite a number of important bill
have been introduced but as there ha
been a delay in appointing standing
committees but little progress ha
been made in perfecting Legislation
On Wednesday another Joint con
ventiOn was held to receive message