The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-01-12
Much Work OF Importance Con.
fronts Lawmakers This
Session.


sergeant at arms; Arthur Prague, of
Spokane, postmaster; and from all in
dications the session will be stormy.
Hardly a day goes by but some new
wrinkles for reform are advanced by
members of the legislature. The in
surance question is going to be a big
one and one that will cause nasty
fight. The insurance code commission,
which Is going to revise the insur-
ance laws Of Washington, in addition
to recommending that the office of In
surance commissioner be made ap.
pointive instead Of elective. as it was
prior to 1907, is said to have un-
earthed some interesting data cen
corning the insurance business in
Washington, to put before the MEM
bers Of the legislature some startling
developments are expected.
Liability Law Probable.
On top Of this, the commission ap-
pointed to draft an employees COM
pensation or employers liability law.
has recommended for passage a bill
u great magnitude; in reality, the bill
is more far-reaching than is ordinar-
lily supposed It is admitted by those
In authority that II the continental
system OF pensions Ia adopted, that
1t Is less than a step to the establish
ing OF old-age pensions. The bill
bears the Endorsement of the big
manufacturers of the state and many
OF the leading union labor leaders, and
Is reported to be approved by unor-
ganized labor.
Many have forgotten that the re-
port Of the investigating committee Of
the various state offices Is to come up
for consideration at this session. EN-
bodied in this report is long series
OF recommendations in regard to the
state land office. The proposition has
been advanced to wipe out the Office
AZ now constituted and to have a
board of three land commissioners,
one Of whom Ia to be elected and two
to be appointed. This will meet with
more or less opposition from various
sources and is bound to stir up trou-
BILE. Already bill has been drawn
to have the money now held in the
name of the land commissioner depos.
tied so that the state will draw in
terest On it.
Roads Fight Duo.
There has never been a session OF
the legislature in which the good
roads question has not come up. The
1911 legislature is going to have a
long and bitter fight over this propo-
sition. Attacks have been made upon
the present state-aid law and upon
the one mill tax made for state road
purposes, and 1t has been charged that
the state highway commissioner is
inefficient. These matters have been
threshed out in the good roads asso-
citation, but from all reports, the leg
islators themselves are far from q
unit upon any one proposition. They
are agreed that state aid is a good
thing, but it Is a question of what
kind Of state aid they want. The
Investigating committee that probed
the charges against the highway de.
partment exonerated the highway
commissioner and showed that he was
running his Office in q highly efficient
manner
Budget to Be Large.
In 1907, the legislature broke all
records by having a $5.oUO.o0 budget:
in 1909. 100000 was spent and the
1911 session promises to exceed the
latter.
The direct primary law is also go
ing to come up for consideration and
an effort will be made to place the
supreme court nominations back
within its provisions. Likewise, Of
forts will be made to limit the con-
junctive powers OF the court and to
keep interstate corporations doing 4
strictly state business in the Washing
ton courts, and also to limit the
power Of judges to punish for con-
tempt committed outside Of the court
room.
A public service commission to dis
place the present state railroad com
mission and broaden its field is pro-
posed In q bill to be introduced at the
coming session Of the legislature. The
bill has In view the regulation OF the
railroads. street railways. electric
light and gas. telegraph ana telephone
corporations operating within the
hcuAdefies Of the state,