The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-11-11

pccially IN the Western portion OF
the state.
Sentiment In behalf Of state aid
IN some form crystallzod To such
extent In tho past two years that ~
the last legislature there were sey.
eral bills introduced. with the gen.
eral aim of aiding the development
OF our agricultural resources.
Each contained some valuable
feature the others lacked. and 30
by a Joint resolution of both the
house and the senate. special
committee was created consisting
of nine representatives and five
senators, representing almost all OF
the counties In Western Washing
ton. to draft bin that should be
thorough and adequate.
Much Care Taken With Bill
The committee held daily open
sessions for more than month
The needs and conditions OF the
various counties were carefully OK.
amined. and the bill. as finally
drafted and passed, contains enough
latitude as to allow the difforent
counties 10 meet their own peculiar
problems.
The committee had as secretary
DR., Herman Brnucr OF the legls
lative bureau OF tho University OF
Warrington. n man with first hand
knowledge OF tho rural credit"
systems OF Europe. New Zealand
and Australia.
Experts on land clearing and soils
from the State Agricultural College
and the University OF Washington.
inventors and manufacturers OF
powder and various land clearing
devices, were heard and the data
OF the United States soil surveys
was used
Committees Conclusions
II Is safe TO say no bin OF recent
Years enacted Into law by the Wash.
lngton legislature had moro time,
care and effort spent upon II than
the loggodoff land law.
Before the final draft OF the bill
the committee arrived NJ these con.
illusions. and Il was around these
facts that the law was drawn.
That no one can clear land az
eheapiy or NJ we'll az the actual
settler.
That "home rule" 10 deslra.
bic. and for that reason dis
tricts In which the law should
operate should not be larger
than a county. That such dis.
triets can obtain selfqovernina
powers, as In port districts, by
the creation Of municipality"
That immensely large trae,s
on land In various counties are
held BY companies which do
nothing 20 encourage settle.
ment. which are holding their
lands for speculative purposes
Tar In excess Of their present
agricultural value. and which
are not paying a just proportion
OF the burden Of taxes.
That In some counties the
district or municipality could
purchase at an advantage urde-
seloped lands In large tracts.
develop them and sell then, 20
settlers on q 2o-year payment
plan.
That the power Of taxation.
with . maximum OF 2 mills In
any ore year was necessary In
counties OF low assessed salua.
ton, but this power need no,
be exercised IN other eountlesL
Tina, finances should be
raised by means Of bond,.
backed by the district. which In
turn would be backed by the
best security obtalnable-.he
land itself.
That the money raised BY
bonds, Including Interest,
should be repaid by those bene.
Tilted. thus eliminating the pos.
siellity Of higher taxes.
That only bona Hde settler.
be aided. and tina. no prof, be
charged the settler.
That the IrredueIble school
fund OF the state Of Wa.hlno.
ton which can only be used Tor
the purchase Of state. county.
municipal and national bonds.
could no, be used for a better
purpose than to aid our sorl.
cultural development.