The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-02-22
AT THE LEGISLATURE

AT THE LEGISLATURE
Appropriations calling for the ex-
penditure of s22,000,000 in state
funds are being asked of the legisla-
tture. At the session two years ago,
the final appropriation bills as passed,
aggregated $40 100000. Already tax
alton in this state has become a serious
burden and the legislature will be
doing the people a great injustice #
large appropriations are granted again
at this session.
AS the legislature is on its last lap,
every sort of Influence is being
brought to bear on the law makers
by their constituents in favor of pend
ing legislation Nearly all of this leg
islation calls for appropriations from
the commonwealth till. But the line
must be drawn somewhere and If the
legislature follows the policy of econ
omy which 1t mapped out at the be-
ginning, probably all state taxpayers
will be grateful
Now that the water and light sit
uation has become acute in North
Yakima, the discussions which have
been published in these columns from
time to time relative to public utili-
ties commission, will appear timely.
Two bill are before the Legislature,
one in the senate and the other in
the house. The latter was drawn by
Walker Moren of this city after the
famous Governor Hughes bill of New
York. 1t is a model and Representa-
tive Moren writes that this bill is
meeting with favor and aside from a
few amendments on smaller details,
will probably be adopted. The SEN
ate bill is very similar, but less ex-
plicit.
There is nothing that this state
needs so badly as a public service
commission. AS the situation now
stands, the people are at the absolute
mercy of public utility corporations
and North Yakima, as a case in point,
u forced to pay higher rates for wa
or and light than any other city in
the northwest The Pacific Power &
Light company. recently reorganized,
asks the public to wait and be pa
tent. In the meantime that COM
pany will continue its defiant policy
and continue to wiring dividends from
us on it's millions of watered stock.
Realizing the seriousness of the sit
uation, the friends of Representative
1oren are urging him to stand pat on
his public utilities bill and fight for
its passage to the last ditch, embody-
ing as it does constructive legislation
than which there is no more import
tant now being considered by the law
makers at Olympia.
" \ X
Much abuse is being heaped upon
some members of the legislature be-
cause they are not in favor of the
county unit local option bill, but are
in favor of the present law The
stand that these men take is that the
local option question should be let
alone for another two years, permit
ting the present law to demonstrate
its effectiveness or defects. Naturally
this attitude is obnoxious to the radi-
cal temperance advocates who do not
hesitate to brand a legislator as a
wet" if he chances to disagree with
them in any method which they may
advance for fighting the liquor traf-
fic.
This is the stand taken by Repre-
sentative Moren and Chamber lain.
Both of these men refused to sign an
agreement during the campaign last
fall to vote for the county unit bill.
Naturally the advocates of county
unit are putting forth every effort to
bring them round before the legisla-
ture adjourns.
Local option as a means of fighting
liquor abuses has met with a consid-
cradle degree of success throughout
the country. AS a rule it's success or
failure has been directly traceable to
local conditions existing in each COM
munity where it has been put into
operation. Sometimes the county unit
local option law, has been the most
successful. The present law makes it
an affair of local self government,
pure and simple.
With the extreme radical of any
question, there is never any room for
argument He is right about it and
that ends the matter. Any man who
essays to public office must face the
brunt of attacks from people who
take this point of view They Shift
their position from moral to econo-
mic and back again as best suits their
own fancy and no legislator or legis-
lature ever escaped unscathed. That
they have "a good clean, conscientious
legislator in Walker Moren makes no
difference to them Probably Mr..
Moren like all of his predecessors
will have to do the best he can in
Olympia and await times vindication