The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1914-06-01


er regulation this inflow of money
should be safeguarded, but under the
present proposed measure we fear
that large part of such funds must
be diverted to other territory and
this state suffer accordingly.
Outside the sale of lands, this meas
ure will not greatly affect the farmer
! for when he has paid all the bills,
his surplus remaining for investment
in bonds and securities will not
cause him to lose sleep for any great
length of time.
The enforcement of this measure
is left with the Public Service com
mission, our most important state
board, which is now burdened with
more responsibility than it can dis
charge to the best advantage and to
increase it's responsibilities by this
measure would tend to nullify the en-
tire usefulness of this important
comm ission.
Not Remedy At All
Initiative Measure No. 7 vests in
the state auditor all the powers and
duties of the bureau of inspection
and supervision of public offices,
which is abolished. 1t is more
matter of bookkeeping than anything
else, to take a duty from one depart
ment and turn it over to another.
This measure does not remove any
objections to the bureau as it now
exists nor does it afford relief, worth
mentioning, from the cost Of main
tanning the little army of examining
boards and inspectors of various
kinds now running up and down the
state.
Employment Agencies
Initiative Measure No. forbids
employment agents collecting fees
from persons seeking employment
and the only fees that can be collect
ed legally are from the employer. 1t
is not necessary for us to dwell upon
the advantages to the farmer of hav-
ing to pay the employment agent to
get his help, and pay whether such
laborer is satisfactory to the farmer
or not.
Initiative Measure No 9 is the
first aid to the injured and requires
that in hazardous employment, the
employer is liable to the extent of
500, for medical, surgical and hos.
pital treatment of an injured work
man. However much such accident
may be the fault of the injured man.
the employer has no redress and he
may not deduct single cent from
any money due the workman. This
measure also puts an end to the vari-
Gus hospital associations that have
been built up by the laboring men
voluntarily contributing a nominal
sum from their wages each month.
The Road Mea sura
Initiative Measure No. 10 provides
for the employment of all convicts
upon the public highways, without
being taken to the state penitentiary
or state reformatory, provides for the
compensation to dependent families
of convicts provides for half mill
levy on all the taxable property of the
state for a State Road fund to be ex-
pended by a state highway board
where it may deem proper and ap-
propriates out of the state road fund
the sum of So, 900, COO to be used in
the purchase of tools and materials
and the construction of stockades and
convict camps. According to state
law, an initiative measure can cover
but single subject and reading OF
this bill will convince anyone that
the proposed measure is unconstitu-
tional on this account.
Convict labor is expensive at the
best and when it is remembered that
it is proposed to support the depend
ent family and add to this the cost of
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