The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-03-17
LEGISLATIVE DO|NGS At
OLYMPIA THIS WINTER
Some Laws of Importance En-.
acted, Others Not Important.
Political Bee Buzzins in Most Leg
islative Ears -Solons Seem to Be
Willing to Sacrifice Themselves
forthe Dear People Good Show
ing of Board of Control.

Olympia, March Is When the bill
providing for the appointment of com
mission OF three members to handle the
affairs of the state land department and
to abolish the Office OF commissioner of
public lands was indefinitely postponed
in the house Representatives Larue
and Mccoy voted for the indefinite post
ponement OF the bill, while Representa-
tives Todd and Mcclure voted against
its indefinite postponement. The fight
over this bill was one of the most inter
esting conflicts OF the session. James
McNeely of Pierce county led the oppo-
sitiOn OF the bill and made the best
speech of the session in defense of Land
Commissioner Ross. This bill was one
recommended by the investigating COM
mittee who probed the state land office
some months ago. The Ross faction
some time prior to the action on this bill
claimed they had SO votes "roped and
branded" to defeat the measure, and the
result of the vote showed they were
right, as the bill was killed So to Il.
How Our Senators Voted.
Senators Hall and Arrasmith of Whit
man county voted together in favor of
the employees compensation act which
went through the senate by vote of %
to 10. A series of pensions for injured
workmen is provided by the bill and a
maximum amount OF $4,000 is fixed in
case of death.
Counting Chickens, Etc.
Most OF the members were taken by
surprise when, just before the legislature
adjourned, James McNeely of Pierce,
chairman Of the roads and bridges com
mittee of the house, announced that be
had something of Importance to com
municate, and proceeded to say that
Howard d. Taylor of King, speaker OF
the house, would be a candidate for the
Office of governor, that W. NJ. Beach
: would be a candidate for congress from
the Second district and that George E.
Dickson would be a candidate for a state
office or for congress in the Third dis
trict. He also mentioned J. FL. Davis as
a candidate for the office of mayor of
Tacoma and E. l.. French was mentioned
for lieutenant governor.
Resume of Legislative Doinss.
The 1910 legislature closed it's session
at midnight Thursday, and among the
new laws written on the statute books
are direct legislation; recall for state,
county and municipal officers; the old
state aid road law has been repealed and
a new one substituted; approximately
nine millions OF dollars has been appro-
priated for all purposes; a bill has been
put through requiring the land commits
the state treasurer so that the state
may draw interest on it; new insurance
code has been passed; port districts
have been created; the commission form
of government made optional with all
cities over $500 population; the coun-
ties have been reclassifed; the supreme
court is put back in the primaries; one
new county has been created, Pend
d'Oreile, being formed out of the east
hall of Stevens county: six new superior
court Judges have been created, two for
oh fOr
Yakima, one for Clarke and one for
Lewis: a new public utilities bill has
been passed, which brings all public
service corporations under the commits
sion; the eight hour law for women,
exempting those working in fish and
fruit canning establishments has been
passed; the township laws have been
amended; the new banking code provid-
ing that the state bank examiner shall
act as receiver for defunct banking insti-
tutions; the mill tax for higher educa-
tional institutions has been passed; the
naval militia organization has been pro-
vided for and $4,000 appropriated for
it's maintenance; a new capitol has been
ordered built commercial waterways
districts authorized; the Pinchot policy
of conservation has been denounced; a
new cigarette law which applies only to
minors has been passed; the teachers
pension bill has been killed; the state
horticultural inspectors Office has been
moved back to Tacoma from Kennewick
and new irrigation code has been
passed.
Competent Man Reappointed.
John L. Riseland of Bellingham, state
fish commissioners, has been reappointed
for a our.year-term to succeed himself.
In reappointing him Governor Hay is
following out the policy he adopted
uhao he took Office of reappointiup men