Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-03-14

JABS At LEGISLATORS
Observation-Disclosures.
Scores misrepresentation
(Skagit County Times.)


(Skagit County Times)
1t is fortunate again that the state
has a man for governor who not only
understands the conditions under
which the present population is strain
ing as we'll as the needs and means of
relief, but who also regards the keep
ing of his pledges to the people as Of
greater value than the empty honor of
his own and his party's future prefer
ment obtained by betrayal of the con-
fidence the people bestowed upon him.
The states chief misfortune is the
membership of the lower house of the
legislature, whose every act, with very
few exceptions and without regard for
political Affiliations, has been of con-
tempt for either the welfare or rights
of vast majority of the constituents
who elected them. Without regard for
the burdens that are now weighing a
limited population down; without re-
gard for the fact that immigration to
tlllO ctdlC 90 COllPulCu VIII tAdC Sums
on elsewhere has practically ceased,
the main object of this aggregation of
misrepresentation has only been to
heap other and additional burdens
upon those here, and place deterrent
distractions in the way of others who
might come.
Everybody, except these legislative
marplots, is perfectly cognizant Of the
two principal things that have stopped
people coming to this state to live, and
they know that one of these things is
our tax rate and the other difficulty
of land clearing, yet these alleged
statemen have made no effort to do
anything than increase the first and
ignore the last, while they pander
solely to the instructive pleasure of
the few under the false pretext pro-
gressiveness.
1t is believeable that the senate is in.
clined to do right and it is an unde-
niable and evidently appreciated fact
that the governor is trying to do right,
and If the people had gone directly
to Steilacoom and selected the same
number of men to constitute their
house of representatives, the people
would have been nearer right.
Would Change Legislative System.
(Kittitas Spokesman
Absolute lack of results from the
present session Of the legislature gives
rise to the query whether the system
of conducting the business of the state
through partisan representatives has
not become too archaic for present
day requirements.
At an estimated expense of over
$500 per day throughout the session
the members have accomplished moth
ing in the way of constructive legis-
lation, devoting their time to log-roll-
Ting in an endeavor to make their poll
tical fences hogtight.
While corporations and commercial
houses attain greater efficiency every
year in the conduct of their business,
little, If any, progress is made in meth
DDS Of doing public busixDs, though
its cost grows greater. The same in
competence and reckless extravaganza
that marks the latter would. If ap-
piled to private business affairs, make
bankrupts of us all.
A commission composed of half q
dozen ordinary business men and a
system of initiative and referendum,
honestly framed to learn the will of
the people, would give this state more
real value for its money in five years
than all the legislatures since territor-
ial days.