The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-01-13

toose who advocate the reform declare
that the state, being responsible LOT
the money should draw interest on II
;rc+ead of having it lie idle in the
bank.
For so of the 60 days during the last
session. the members of the Leg1sla-
ture were lined up in bitter factions
over the local option question. An
effort will be made to keep the liquor
question out of the coming session,
hut it is likely to result in failure for
the reason that the "drys" have an
nounced that they will be able to put
through a county unit measure. In
addition to this, a bill has been drawn
which provides for the South Carolina
dispensary system to be worked in
conjunction with the local option law.
Under the South Carolina system, the
state would take over the liquor bust
ness and regulate it's sale; in short,
make it state monopoly. There are
also bills drawn providing for state
wide prohibition.
Roads Fight Due.
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 pur-
hoC charcoal fhof
the state highway commissioner is in
efficient. These matters have been
threshed out in the good roads asso-
citation, but from all reports, the legis-
lators themselves are far from unit
upon any one proposition. They are
agreed that state aid is a good thing,
but it is question of what kind of
state aid they want. The Investigate
ing committee that probed the charges
against the highway department ex-
onerated the highway commissioner
and showed that he was running his
Office in highly efficient manner.
Then there will be bills to reform
everybody and everything in sight.
The cigarette law passed by the last
Legislature was held to be unconstitu-
tional. It is coming up again. The
criminal code has been attacked from
all sides and not only will an effort
be made to repeal certain sections OF
it, but also the whole bill. A fight is
to be made on the state tax commits.
sion and on the state bureau of in
spection. How far the opponents of
those two bodies will go is hard to
estimate, but both are coming in for
some severe criticism
The school system is also under the
searchlight in certain quarters. 1t is
charged the taxes are too high, that
the higher educational institutions are
costing too much money and some
want the institutions shifted around
and the State Board of Control to take
complete charge of the financial end
of these institutions.
Two Counties Want Division.
With all these matters before them,
the Legislature will also have to deal
with at least two county division
fights, as Stevens county and Okano-
gan county want to be divided. The
counties along the Columbia river are
going to ask permission to bond them
selves for the improvement of that
stream and will ask for state aid in
this connection. Every section west
of the Cascades that has any kind of
a stream flowing through it, is going
to ask the state to help hold it in
check during the high water season.
Everett, Aberdeen, Walla Walla and
North Yakima are anxious to have
armories for their companies of mill
tia.
In 1907 the Legislature broke all
records by having $5,OOO,0OO bud
get; in 1909. $1O,OoO,OOO was spent,
and the 1911 session promises to ex-
coed the latter, for the State Board
of Control is asking for the state
institutions sum which with that
asked by the higher institutions of
learning exceeds $5,OO0,OOO. A finan-
cial policy to meet the heavy demands
will have to be outlined. The propo-
sition has been advanced to bond the
granted lands of the various institu-
tions to raise money for them, and it
is also planned to bond the state capi-
toll land grant in order to get money
to build the new statehouse in Olym.
pia. However, if this bond issue is
granted, it means reduction of a
similar sum from the appropriations
made in 1909. for while the Legisla.
ture authorized the sale of this land in
1909, it has never been sold and the
money realized.
Water Control Sought.
There will also be introduced hills
to have the state take over the com.
plete control of all waters in the state
A bill will be introduced to have one
commission to handle all state de-
partments that are now handled by
the various boards, commissioner
and individual heads of departments
VINO are appointed. Another bill pro-
poses to make the railorad commits
sion public utilities commission. and
TO give mat body complete supervision
and control over all public service
COrnOr4f1Onc both