The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-02-10
NEWS FROM STATE CAPITAL
A Grist of Interesting Reading from the
State Capital BY the Special Writer
for The Echo

for The Echo
The legislature is urged by the fruit
growers of the Northwest to protest TO
congress against legislation that would
infringe upon the legalized apple box
Of the state Of Washington. 1t is said
several attempts have been made by
Eastern states to have congress pass
standard apple box of different dimen-
sions from that established by law in
Washington, and that the apples grown
in Eastern states are almost exclusively
packed in barrels instead of in boxes,
and that difference in the size of
boxes would make Washington fruit sell
on the Eastern market under a handicap.
The vote in the senate on the reso-
luton appropriating $125,0 900 for the
purchase of the Wenatchee bridge and
authorizing the expediture of the same
by the state highway board stood % to
9, with five senators absent or not vot-
ing. Only two senators from Eastern
Washington voted against the resolution
while OF the absentees two were from
east of the Cascades.
In the case of the Wenatchee Bridge
Company against the State Of Washing
ton there has been ordered suspension
OF testimony. This is the case in which
the bridge company brought suit to
compel the state to buy the brigde for
which an appropriation was made by the
Legislature, but which was not complied
with on the grounds that the bridge
was not in perfect condition. Judge
Mitchell, OF the local superior court,
was appointed as referee by the supreme
court. The suspension Of testimony
was due to the passage by the legisla-
ture of the resolution making new
appropriation for the purchase Of the
bridge. The attorneys on both sides
have stipulated that no further testimony
be taken. The referee has ordered
the case returned to the supreme court
without report on the testimony.
AS shown by the vote on the ques-
ton of whether the proposed county OF
Pend d'Oreille should constitute sepa-
rate representative district the house
has an almost unbroken lineup in the
reapportionment matter in favor OF the
COW counties. Only the Kittitas and
Yakima delegations in the house and
Miller of Whatcom voted with the
members from Spokane, Pierce and
King counties.
The failure of the senate to pass
more than one house bill in the first
four weeks OF the session, as against
the passage by the house Of sixteen
senate bills, has caused some i'll feeling
in the lower Legislative body, and it
threatens to consider no more senate
bills until the senate acts on more
house bills. Seven bills, of which six
originated in the senate, have thus far
been signed by the chief executive.
1t was held by the supreme court a
franchise for the use Of public street
in first class city, where such use
amounts to a vacation of the street, is
invalid and the Legislature has not au-
thorized city councils to grant such a
franchise, nor given the railroads the
right under the eminent domain act to
acquire public streets to an extent to
exclude their use by the public. The
point is made by the court while abut-
ting property holders may be compen-
sated in the way OF private damages
the public as a whole has an interest
which cannot be taken away.
No state employe will receive an in
crease in salary through the work OF the
present legislature, according to house
and senate appropriations committees.
The budget submitted to the leg
islature, Incorporating the estimates
OF the various institutions and depart
ments, called for appropriations totaling
$500, 900, but it is said this will be
cut close to So, 100000 tits estimated
the total revenue of the state from all
sources during the first two years will
amount to but S7,000,000. The five
institutions OF higher learning and the
board Of control ask for an aggregate of
$500, 900; but members OF the legis-
lature announce they will not get this.
Governor M. E. Hay has communi-
Gated to the legislature list of the
pardons, conditional pardons and remis-
sion Of fines and forfeitures granted by
him since assuming the Office of gov
ernor, January 81, 1909. George Dali
ton, who was sentenced from Chelan
county July 8, 1909, for term Of one
10 fifteen years in the penitentiary for