The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-01-24
STATE LEGISLATURE OPEN
Tacoma Woman First to Speak
Floor of House.

Olympia-Republlc and DEM
Gratis went down the line togeths
Monday at the opening of the Ian
session Of the Washington legislatu,s
electing their full caucus slate and
organizing both branches according +
their own desires.
Progressives, with slate of tbe;,
own, contested every inch of the wav
but could not muster up enough vote
to carry out a single caucus scheme
They held together almost to a unit
and upon a few issues mustered mi
struggling Republican and Democrats
votes.
Howard D. Taylor, of King county
was reelected speaker of the house
and Pliny L. Allen, also of King coun
ty, was elected president pro tenn Of
the senate. William T. Laube was
reelected secretary of the senate, and
w. R. Mayberry, chief clerk of the
house.
| The task of organizing the senat
was comparatively easy, the only real
opposition being on the position Of
president pro tenn. The majority Of
other appointments were made by ae
clamation. In the house, on the con.
trary, there was trouble from the
start.
Speaker Taylor was nominated BY
E. E. Halsey, of Asotin county, and
the nomination was seconded by half a
dozen Republicans and Democrats.
Thomas J. Cookery, Progressive, Of
Spokane county, was nominated by
D. H. Rowland, of Pierce county, and
the nomination seconded by Mrs. N.
Jolidon Croake, of Tacoma.
Mrs. Croake secured the honor of
being the first woman ever to speak
on the floor of the house as member
She declared that Mr.. Cookery was
the proper man for the speakership
and urged all to support him. C. W.
Masterson nominated Senator C. E.
Turnbow, of Walla Walla.
The vote for speaker was: Taylor,
60; Cookery, %; Turnbow, 2. De-
feated in the first skirmish, the Bull
Moosers lined -up for a contest on the
chief clerkship, and in the fight that
followed made their best showing of
the day. They nominated w. W..
Phillips, and the Republicans and
Democrats got behind Mr.. Mayberry.
The vote was tied on three ballots.
On the fourth Mayberry won by two
votes. William Price, of Kittitas
county, was elected sergeant-at
The senate session was opened by
William Laube and the new members
were sworn in by Chief Justice Grow
With the opening of nominations for
president pro tenn, Senator Josiah
Collins, of King county, got the floor
and nominated Senator Allen. A doz-
en- or more arose to second the nomi-
nation. Senator George Shefer, Of
Spokane, nominated R. A. Hutchin-
son, Progressive Of Spokane, and
seconds were made by several from
various parts of the state. The vote
stood to 13 in favor of Senator AL
len. Upon motion of Senator Hutch
inson it was made unanimous.
Mr.. Allen, upon being escorted to
the front by a committee, made a
short speech, in which he urged the
senate to forget party lines and work
for the best interests of the state. He
urged the elimination of personalities
during the session.
Mr.. Laube was reelected secretary
by reclamation after he was nominal
ed by F. c. Jackson, of King county.
John D. Logan was appointed SER
geant-at-arms and Edward Jorgeson
bill clerk.
The first woman to be given the po-
sition of postmistress in the senate in
the history of that body was Mrs.
Rose McCrosky, Of Palouse, who was
elected postmistress by reclamation.
George U. Piper, of King county,
introduced the first bill in the senate,
bill calling for a 500, appropri-
alton for the expense of the legisla-
ture during the session. The bill was
read and referred to the committee OF
the whole into which the senate re-
solved itself. It was Endorsed and
sent back to the senate and passed
with only two dissenting votes. 1t
went to the house and was passed by
unanimous vote.
M