The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1911-03-18

houses.
The record Of the Legislature shows
81 Senate and 70 House bills passed.
a total of 1856, as compared with 2ls
two years ago. The total appropria.
tions probably will reach sS,2E0,000.
Important Measures Passed.
Among the largest questions dis.
posed of by the Legislature were
passage of the initiative and referen-
dunn and recall. the repeal of the old
state aid law and the substitution of
another one, the refusal to act on any
of the recommendations of the spe.
cial legislative investigating commit
tee of two years ago; the passage Of
new insurance code, the prevention
of all liquor Legislation in either
house, the defeat of the game code,
the passage of a port district bill; the
eight hour for women measure, the
capitol building BILL
All legislation for the Improvement
CT the Columbia River and other state
rivers was side tracked.
An effort to secure an investigation
of the fish department failed; also
efforts to have committee appointed
to investigate the tax commission and
to continue the investigations of the
public lands department The House
passed bill eliminating the second
choice provision of the direct primary
law, but it failed to see the light of
day in the Senate.
Commission Form Passes.
The supreme court was restored to
the direct primary, and cities and
towns with more than $4,000 popula.
ton can install the commission form
of government.
One new county was formed, al
though the proposed county of White
Salmon maintained a strong lobby and
was neatly carried through the Sen.
ate. Chehalis County took the mem
bers to Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Mo.
clips on a junketing trip with all ex-
penses paid in an attempt to get rid
Of Montesano as the county seat and
have the Grays Harbor country put in
Q separate county. All to no purpose.
The county of Pend d'Oreille out
Of the east half of Stevens. was car.
ried early in the session.
There was no. more important
piece of legislation passed than the
workmen's compensation act, which
had been prepared by the state liza
bility commission and was the cause
Of more wrangling and sacrasm on
the floor than any other one measure.
Utilities Bill.
The public utilities bill will 60 into
effect in June and will place control
of water, light and gas companies in
the hands of the present railroad COM
mission-H A. Fairchild, ]. G. Law.
renee and Jesse T. Jones.
Women Are Favored.
OF special interest to women is the
passage of the eight-hour law and the
measure to exempt women from jury
duty if she wishes to plead her sex as
an exemption This exemption is now
afforded to physicians, clergymen and
teachers. AS the bill was passed, any
woman if called to jury duty can serve
or not as she pleases. The eight-hour
law has been signed by the governor
and will become effective in June.
A congressional apportionment bill
failed to get through, although its
author amended the provision that 1t
should not become effective unless
Congress passes an apportionment
bill when 1t convenes again. The bill
provides that in the event this state
receives four congressman the dis
tricts shall be unchanged and one
elected at large. II more than five
are given, all over that number shall
be elected at large. A similar pro-
viso was made in the Oregon act and
is approved by Attorney General Bell
of Washington.
A tax Of one mill is made for the
maintenance of the higher educational
institutions-state university. three
normal schools, and state college at
Pullman.
A naval militia was authorized and
$4,000 appropriated for its expendi.
lures for the coming two years.
The appropriation Of $350.ooo for
the erection Of a temple Of Justice
was the most pleasing measure to
Thurston County, and work will be
begun by the beginning Of April, as
the money is to be taken out Of the
general fund and repaid as the cap.
ital lands are sold to advantage.
The legislature elected Miles Poil.
dexter United States Senator in rec
ord hrooLipv TINA of 70 minutoa from