The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-01-26

was pointed out tnat several SESSIONS
ago the Legislature was convin ced OF
the brutalizing effect of public execu-
tions and made it imperative that
such punishments could only be in
ficted at the state penltentiary and
in the presence of only such officials
as were necessary. An effort to in
definitely postpone the bill was lost
and there is every prospect that 1t
will go through with flying colors.
Combine State Offices.
In the Senate there is a bill already
in committee following cut the recon-
mendation of Governor NJ. Z. Hay
that the offices OF Acknowledgements
auditor, insurance commissioner and
commissioner of public lands be abol-
ished upon expiration OF the terms OF
the present officials. 1t is proposed
to combine the work of the auditor
with that OF the secretary of state and
the work of the land commission with
the tax commissions work
Emp.oyes' Corporation Bill.
1t is believed that no measure will
engage the serious attention Of the
Washington Legislature more or al
feet the interests of the state at large
more than the employees compensa-
ton bill. The commission appointed
by Governor Hay has submitted Its
report with a draft OF the bill
Arguments advanced for the passage
OF the bill are based on statistics
showing that sums of money paid ty
the employer for employees liability
insurance have been little, if any, in
excess of 20 per cent of the amounts
that have actually reached the injured
employe or his family. In Washington
the sum paid for liability insurance
last year is said to have been more
than 5000, 900, of which nearly 100000
was absolutely wasted.
Antitrust Law Proposed.
Representative Hugh c. Todd, Of
Whitman County, has introduced bill
in the House to prohibit trusts and
combinations in restraint of trade.
The proposed law is based upon the
California statute as amended in 1909,
which has been proved valid in the
courts of that state.
Under the terms of Mr. Todd's bill,
labor is not a commodity and labor
unions are specifically exempted from
the operations of the proposed law.
Violators of the antitrust law are
subject to fine of not less than $50
or more than $4,000, or to be impris-
oned not less than six months or more
than a year. Both fine and imprison-
ment may be imposed and each days
violation is made a separate offense.
To Curb Insurance Trust.
If Senate bill providing for a new
insurance code is made law by this
Legislature, it viii be a death blow to
the so-called insurance trust" and
the first effective weapon used by any
legislative body on the Pacific Coast
against the San Francisco Board of
Fire Insurance underwriters-a CON-
bination said to control the general
insurance business in Washington,
Oregon and California
That the bill will rid the state OF
the alleged trust is indicated in the
provision which forbids agents or
companies, either within or without
the state, from entering into COM
bination to control or regulate rates.
Violation of this provision Is punish
able by revocation of license for three
years. Every kind of insurance will
be affected. Fire, life, casualty. fra
ternal and live stock insurance.
For Better Roads.
The good roads and state bridges
associations are asking for goodly ap-
preparations. Senator H. o. Fishback,
chairman of the committee on roads
and bridges, has introduced a number
of good roads bills, the more import
ant of which calls for a series OF state
roads and carries an appropriation Of
s1,5O0,00O and provides that the coun-
ties through which the roads will run
shall pay an equal amount The high
ways designated in the bill are:
No. 6, the Pacific highway" from
Blaine to Vancouver; No. 5, Pacific
extension, from Chehalis to Aberdeen
and South Bend; No. Z, Washington
highway from Seattle via west shore
of Lake Washington to Renton,
through North Bend, Snoqualmie
Pass, Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Water
Vile, Coulee City, Wilbur and Spo-
kane to the Idaho border; No. s, Co.
lumbia highway, from Vancouver to
Walla Walla; No. 10, Yakima highway
from North Yakima to connect with
the Columbia highway; No. 20. Inland
Empire highway, from Spokane to
Walla Walla, via Collar, Pomeroy and
Dayton.
Amend state Bank Law.
Senator Stephen of Snohomish in
troduced bill in the Senate that
makes several radical changes In the
state banking act. He proposes to
compel all private banks to incorpor-
ate and to comply with the provisions