The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1913-01-23
WHAT WESTINGHOUSE
SOLONS ARE DOING
Little is Accomplished During
First Week of Session.
PR0GRESSlvES SHUT OUT


PROGRESSlvES SHUT OUT
House Republican, Democrat combIna.
ton Took Important Committee As.
signments and clerkshIps, Ignoring
Progressives--simiIar Combination
Selected Senate Heip-First Bill In.
troduced by Woman-Freak Bills
Are Numerous.
charlottesville from organization
and election of officers little was &C
complished during the first week of
the 18th session of the Washington
legislature. The chief interest CEN
tered around the combination Of re-
publicans and democrats which die
tated the election of Howard d. Taylor
as speaker of the house and Pliney l..
ALEU- president pro tenn of the senate.
Allen president pro tenn Of the senate.
who would get the numerous jobs and
seemed to forget that there were any
Bull Moose members. Even where
progressives signed petitions asking
that certain clerks from their home
towns be given clerkshirs, the choice
Of the combination prevailed.
The combination also took all the
important Craftsmanship and commit
ofsrv,v ar,to nrnUrnGQ1VnQ-
with % members in the house, got
eight unimportant committee chair
manships and practically no assign
ments to important committees. DEM
ocrats, with IS members in the house,
got II chairmanships and numerous
important committee assignments. The
republicans, who control the house by
one vote, got 80 chairmanships and all
the important committee assignments.
In the senate a similar combination
selected help that met with the desire
of the republican and democratic
members. The combination after Or
ganizing the senate suffered severe
shaking up which left the body with
each of the three parties fighting its
own battles. The republicans have
maintained a solid control.
Combination Splits In Senate.
The split Of the democratic-republi-
can combination in the senate came
as a result of the desire of republicans
to confirm republican appointments
made by Governor Hay. In confirm
ing these appointments the republic
cans will make it necessary for Gov
ernor Lister. to discharge the men and
in so doing show his purpose to be
political rather than the improvement
of the states service.
In the house there is decided un-
certainty as to how long the republi-
conference.-the combination will stand.
The two women representatives are
lined up with the progressives, but
neither Mrs. Axtell nor Mrs. Croake
shows q disposition to be very agrees
sive, although each one has already
introduced several bills for the ad-
vancement of women's interests and
the betterment of the condition of
female labor.
AS to how the legislators will line
up on the real issues that are to come
before this session, the first week
gave no hint. The fight on road meas
ures, on state and congressional dis
trict reapportionments. on state insti-
tuition appropriations, etc., are still to
develop.
First Bill lie . Woman's
The first bill ever introduced in a
Washington legislature by a woman
was House Bill No. /, introduced by
Mrs. N. JOHN Croake, of Tacoma, pro-
viding a minimum wage for girls and
women in Washington.
Mrs. Croake's bill provides a mini,
mum wage for women and girls in any
line at $1.25 day, or 16 cents an hour
where engaged in piecework. Excep-
ton Is made Of women who are unfit
by reason Of physical disability. A
penalty of from $50 to 500 is provided
for violation of the law. The measure
was referred to the committee on la
Dor and labor statistics.
Freak Bills Are Numerous
Both branches Of the legislature
were showered with freak bills In
the deluge legislators see bright pros
poets for many lively fuses during
tho remainder Of the two months ses-
sion.
II the wishes of the authors of bills
should be carried out It would be I'M
lawful to manufacture or sell pistols
or revolvers; treating in saloons would
be prohibited; sheets 80 inches in
length would be required in all beds
in hotels; all criminals and insane
would be sterilized within 80 days;
prisefighting would be regulated by a
commission; misstatements in adver-
Using matter would be subject the ad-
~tUH o1cw