Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-05-13

proposed acts of the two states arr
in no wise analogous. In fact thu
suggested amendment in this stat
to the alien land law makes the Law
far less restrictive than it orginall!
was and, even in it's original form
1t does not contai nthe clause tina
has made a national case out of tn,
pending California bill.
The measure pending before tn,
California legislature does not pro
hibit aliens from owning land, bu
prohibits those who are "ineligibl1
to citizenship" from owning land
Secretary Bryan has stated that thes,
words are tantamount to specificall!
legislating against Chinese and Jap
anese, as they are the nations whose
subjects are not eligible to citizen
ship. These three words form tn,
whole contention between the nation
al government and the California
government.
To compare the situation in tn,
state of Washington, which has bee,
made. to bear prominent part il
the discussion at Sacramento, thu
present constitution of this state or
this subject follows:
The ownership of lands by
aliens other than those who in
good faith have declared their
tention to become citizens of
the United States is prohibited
in this state, except where &C.
quired by inheritance, under
mortgage or in good faith in the
ordinary course of justice in the
collection of debts; and all con-
veyances of lands hereafter made
to any alien directly or in trust
for such alien shall be void; pro-
vided, that the provisions of this
section shall not apply to lands
containing valuable deposits of
mineral, metal, iron, coal or fire
clay, and the necessary land for
mills and machinery to be used
in the development thereof and
the manufacture OF the products
therefrom. Every corporation,
the majority of the capital
stock of which is owned by
aliens, shall be considered an
alien for the purpose of this pro-
hibition.
The amendment to be voted on by
the people of this state does no
change this section in a single word
1t remains exactly as it is, but tn:
following proviso is added:
Provided, however, that this
section shall not apply to convey
ances of lands lying wholly with
in the limits of municipal cor
porations when made to resident
aliens. In the event a resident
alien becomes a nonresident for
the term of five years his inter
est in lands in the state of Wash
ington shall be vested in the
common school fund.
This proviso will have to be rati
fed by the voters at the 1914 cleo
ton before it becomes a law. Unde
this amendment any alien, whethe
he be Japanese, Chinese or English
can own property within the limits o
a municipality so long as he remain
resident.
This amendment was known in tn
legislature as house bill Is and wa
introduced by Representative w.
Hughes of Whatcom county. Hous
bill Is, as originally introduced b
Mr.. Hughes, did contain the objet
tional feature that now appears i
the California case. This objection
al feature was in the words: 'Wh
are ineligible to citizenship becaus
of race or color"
In it's original form the bill wen
through the house committee and &c
to second reading, when the Wasl
ington legislature received protes
from Philander c. Knox, then seer
tary of state. Secretary Knox prt
tested that with these words inclut
ed the act would be in violation {
the treaty with Japan.
The house at once amended TIL
bill, striking out the objectiOnabl
clause, and placed it in the form
which it was finally passed up to tn
voters of the state.
To sum up the situation III TIL
state, it cannot be compared with tn
present California case, for regar,
less of whether the voters in l91
approved the new amendment or NJ
there will be nothing in the Wasl
ington constitution containing tn
features found Objectionable by tn
national government in the Califo
MIA case.