The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-01-26
Continued From Last Week.

" OnIllltlcU FROM l1dNJ w ttk
Had we been willing to accept the
governors terms go per cent of all votes
cast in the election must be in favor of
a constitutional amendment to adopt the
same) we could have secured its passage
Better, thousand times better to do
without it than to cucumber our consti-
tuition with an initiative amendment
that we could not use. A maiority of
the vote cast for a constitutional amend
ment always has been sufficient to adopt
it heretofore why go per cent of all votes
cast in the election, under the initiative
method?
Recall II. B. No. 81.
This bill as introduced applied to all
elective officials, state and all political
subdivisions thereof, on % per cent
petition basis. 1t was returned to the
house with two committee reports.
Messrs. Locke. Sims, Fisher, Foster and
IIaroldson, favoring SO per cent petit
tion which would make the recall use
less, Messrs Dcnman, Phipps and Camp.
bell recommending that the original bin
do pass.
Following this 33 per cent amend
ment was offered and adopted. after
which the bill went to the rules COM
mittcc. For Sc days we tried in vain
to get the rules committee to put it ON
the daily calendar for final considera-
ton, but our efforts were in vain. In
the meantime the governor had been en-
deayoring by every known method to
force the house to pass senate bill No.
III. This bill created a board of three
land commissioners, appointiye by the
governor, two of whom should be APP
pointed Immediately upon the passage
of the act. Its. purpose was twofold, to
create two more appointive positions for
the governor to fill and to secure con-
troll of the office of the land commits
sioncr. The house indefinitely post
poned this pet measure on the fifty
eighth day of the session whcrcupon the
governor. through his influence with
some members of the rules committee,
secured the release of the recall bill. 1t
was again amended SO as to read;
"The percentages required shall be.
state officers Iother than judges, sena-
tors and representatives., city officers
of cities of the first class, school district
boards in cities of the first class, county
officers of counties of the first, second
and third classes, twenty-five per cent.
Offices of all other political subdivisions,
cities, towns, townships, precincts and
school districts not herein mentioned,
and state senators and representatives,,
thirty-five per cent
In this form it passed the house with
but six nay votes.
The bill was introduced in the senate
between 9 and 10 Il. m. on the last day
of the session, read (by title) and placed
on the calendar, was carefully GU con
sidered and passed before 2 p, m. Nes.
it is easy when the administration is
with you.) Some friend of the supreme
court tour divine judges was on the
job, however, for Senator Collins moved
to exempt judges of courts of record
from the bill, which amendment was
passed.
Workmen's Compensation Act
This measure, fathered by and known
as the Teats BILL was prepared by a
committee composed of five employers
and five workingmen, appointed by the
governor as the result of a conference
held under the auspices of the Tacoma
Commercial club.
The committee after several months
of arduous volunteer work in which they
were aided by Attorneys Harold Preston
and Govnor Teats, completed their work
a few days before the converting of the
legislature. The completed bill met the
approval of representatives of the mm-
Der and mining industries and was en-
dorsed by the State Federation of Labor
at its last convention.
We had presumed that the employers
on the committee represented all the
employers of the state and were sur
prised after the introduction of the bill
to learn that chambers of commerce and
manufacturing associations were oppos-
ing its passage. As originally drawn
the bill contained what became known
as First Aid provisions. The first aid
portion provided that the cost of surgi-
cal, medical and hospital attention for
all workmen injured in the course of
their employment should be borne equal
ly by employer and employee during the
first three weeks after injury. Plainly
speaking, this meant, hospital care for
the injured under direct state super.
vision cutting out the grating institu-
tons which are through collision with
employers collecting. usually 81 month
ly, from workingmen and giving them
as little as possible in return. Natur-
ally hospital associations, doctors con
nected with same and employers receiv-
ing a percentage of the monthly amount
they withhold from workingmen with
out the latters' consent resented such
interference with their source of profit.
Employers who are not Withholding hos
pital fees for profit approved of the nrst
aid.