The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-03-03
WASHINGTON SOLONS
PARTIAL TO HOLIDAYS
Less Than Two Weeks Remain
and Many important Meas
ures Pending.

those in a position to know say this
session has accomplished less actual
work than any previous Legislature
since Washington became a state.
Much valuable time has been wasted
by the inclination of the legislators
to take a holiday upon the slightest
pretext. Less than two weeks of the
session remain and many important
bills, among them the direct legisla-
ton measures, workingmen's COM
pensation bills, banking code and
public utilities code are yet to be dis
posed of.
The most conservative and expert
enced members are not slow to re-
mark that never before has there
been such a mass of freak legisla-
ton proposed as at this session, al
though so far but few important meas
ures have actually been passed up to
the governor.
One of the Senate bills, passed in
the Senate and not yet before the
House for final action, is the meas
ure creating an appointive board of
land commissioners. From all indi-
cations the House will defeat that bill
as a majority of the members say
they are opposed to Governor Hay,
who, they declare, plans to build up
a political machine through appoint
i've commissions.
Governor Hay and his legislative
friends seem ."peeved" at the House
for not taking up the land commits
sion bill According to members OF
the House, strong pressure is being
brought about to force final considera-
ton of the measure before the end OF
the week. Some House members de-
clare that the administration lineup
is stretching the point to force the
issue and that the tactics of bluff and
intimidation will result in nothing. In
view of the situation, the House ac-
ton on this bill is awaited with in
terest.
House Passes Appropriation Bill.
The House, with only one dissent
ing vote, passed the general appro-
priation bill for maintenance and ex-
pense of the administration and inst-
tutions. The bill carries in round
numbers s7,60O,OOO.
1t is said that this is the first time
in the history of Washington that the
committees budget was approved en-
tirely, without change. No item met
any protest on the floor, excepting the
appropriation of $4,000 for the
Southwest Washington Fair. An
amendment to strike this item from
the list was lost by large ma
jority.
School for Blind Criticised.
The most dramatic incident of this
session of the Legislature occurred
in the House when bill was intro
duced to appropriate $4,000 for the
erection of a school at Vancouver for
blind children. Members who recent
ly visited the school report deplor-
able condition existing at the home OF
these most unfortunate of the states
charges. While the fight was in prog
ress Speaker Taylor, who was evil
IDENTIFY much affected by the reports
he had received of the lily kept in
stitution, took the floor and made
personal plea for the children.
IF there is a member of this
House." said the speaker, who has
visited this institution without it
bringing tears to his eyes, he must
have a heart of stone"
House Kills County Option Bill.
Standing by the agreement reached
at the opening of the session that dis
cussion of the liquor question would
not be taken up on the floor, the
House waived all debate on the coun-
ty unit bill already passed by the Sen
ate, and defeated the measure by
vote of so to AZ, with only three
members absent and not voting. The
result was not a surprise, as the
"wets" had been assured for some
time that they had enough votes in
line to defeat the measure at any time
it came up for final action.
Both "drys" and "wets" are glad
that the question is settled, as they
say they will be able to consider leg
islative matter to better advantage
now. The House action kills all local
option bills for this session.
Game Bill Passes Senate.
If the faunal code passed by the
Senate, 30 to 10, is acted upon favor
ably by the House and approved by
the governor, Washington will have
one of the most rigid sets of game
laws of any state in the Union.
The faunal code virtually wipes out
all existing laws and sets up new reg
ulations on wild animals ranging from