The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1912-02-09
GOVERNOR Names
BOOSTER" DAY
ASKS SPURT OF ENTHUSIASM FOR
Washington. ...C0LFAX DOC.
TOR ON COMMISSION.


Eastern states, he has issued proc
lamation naming Monday, February
26, as Booster Day" in accordance
with the custom he established year
ago. The proclamation is as follows:
Whereas, The advertisement of
the resources of the state is most
important factor in securing develop
ment and progress; and
Whereas, All citizens by united ef-
fort can most effectively make known
the extent and nature of the states
resources;
Now, Therefore, l, M. e. Hay,
Governor of the State of Washing
ton do hereby me Monday, Febru-
ary 26, 1912, Booster Day. and l
recommend that on that day every
citizen purchase some made-in Wash
ington article and send to friends in
the Eastern StateS-a postal card, a
newspaper depicting or pamphlet set
ting forth something of the oppor-
tunities here for settlers and inves-
tors
Rock Lake Ranchers Want Station.
The public service commission has
received a complaint from the resi-
dents of Palisade ON the Milwaukee
railroad in Whitman county along
Rock Lake, that they are forced to
go seven miles one way or five miles
the other to get a train. They ask
that the train stop on flag at their
station. The commission will con-
slider the matter in short time.
Whitman Doctors Appointed.
r. ]. Skaife of Colfax, Paul E..
Weisel of Garfield and Earl ]. Else
of Pullman are among the IL newly
appointed examining physicians of
the state industrial insurance COM
mission. The commission has also
appointed FIVE eye and ear special
lists in various parts of the state.
Snow Still Has Money.
On the trial of Joseph M. Snow,
former state highway commissioner,
who was charged with grand larceny
by embezzlement for failing to ac-
count for s2,145 of the states money,
which was paid to him in trust by the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound
railroad for the right-of-way owned
by the state through Snoqualm1e
Pass, he was acquitted by the jury
after it had been out Is hours. The
case was tried in the superior court
of ThurstoD county, and the first time
the case was brought to trial the
lower court sustained a demurrer on
the ground that it was not state
money. The supreme court however
ordered the case to trial saying that
the money did not belong to Snow.
How Snow will dispose of the money
now is not known.
Express Rates in Question.
For the first time the public SER
vice commission will proceed against
the express companies of the state, as
it is soon to take up the question OF
the reasonableness of the rates
charged by such companies. A series
of questions inquiring among other
things how the rates on various artl-
cles compare with each other and
what branches of the business are
most profitable are being prepared
to be sent to the various companies,
and following these letters citations
will be issued and the express COM
panies called in for hearing and
the commission will then determine
whether or not the rates charged are
too high.
Help for Hungry Chinese.
In accordance with the request of
President Taft, Gov. M. E. Hay has
issued proclamation asking that
the people of the state aid the Red
Cross in its efforts to raise funds for
the relief of the Chinese who are
starving.
Rates Can Be Raised.
If the public service commission
has the right to lower rates, it also
has the right to raise them, holds the
supreme court in a recent decision in
the case of the Independent Tele-
phone Company of Seattle. The SUI
preme court has issued an injunction
restraining the King county superior
court from doing anything to prevent
the putting into effect of the in
creased rates of the Independent
Company, ordered by the public SER
vice commission, which found that
the company was not making money
and that it could not make money on
the rates charged. The supreme court
holds that the state has the para
mount right to regulate public SER
vice corporations and that the new
rates are effective. Municipalities
have the power by franchise or ordi-
nance to regulate all public service
corporations until such time as the
state acts, but that the authority OF
the state supersedes that of the mu-
nicipality.
State Gets Inheritance Tax.
AS the result of the protest of the
state tax commission against the val
uation placed on the property OF a
Chicago woman owning property in
Chehalis county, the state has col
lected an inheritance tax Of $4,000.