The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-07-16

Sufficiency of the "Seven Sisters"
initiative petitions will be determ-
ined by the state supreme court.
This has been announced definitely
by both proponents and opponents
of the proosed laws.
Miss Lucy Case, favoring the bills,
declares each contains sufficient alb
solutely legal signatures. She in
sists that the names should not have
been thrown out on preliminary
check and predicts that by what
she terms illigal methods other
names will probably be thrown out
on the second check, SO that not
enough will be left to fill the re-
quirements under the primary law.
Unless all of the seven are ap-
proved she will apply to the Thurs
ton County superior court for an
order compelling the secretary of
state to approve the petitions. This
application must be made within
five days after the secretary acts.
No appeal will lie from the de-
cision of the superior court. but
the supreme court may within five
days review the decision of the
lower court by certiOrari.
More than one hundred clerks
are now working checking the petit
tions. Day and night three crews,
each working eight-hour shifts.
Hundreds of names are being
thrown out on the checking with
the polling lists and registration
books. Secretary Howell expects to
finish within the allowed time, but
it will be close work to do SO.
According to statements made
by Secretary of State Howell, based
on the checking already done. al
least half of the 112,101 signatures
to the prohibition bill and about
$4,000 of the $1,000 signatures to
the Socialist 8-hour bill will
found valid when the checking is
completed, insuring both a place on
the ballot.
Both the dry and the "wets"
have filed with the secretary OF
state their respective arguments
which will be incorporated in the
book to be circulated among the
voters before the election.
The first court case to arise
out of the initiative proceedings
has been brought In the supreme
court by Govnor Teats Of Tacoma
on behalf of Miss Lucy Case to COM
pei Secretary Howell to accept sew
en- arguments filed late Monday on
the Seven Sisters" measures.
Miss Case rendered the seven ar
guments in the last hour for filing
under the To-day limit fixed by law.
She refused, however, to deposit the
$500 a page, or $400 an argument
as required by Secretary Howell. set
ting forth that the scharge not only
is excessive, but that it is not re-
quired by the initiative and referen-
dunn law.
Secretary Howell refused to ac-
cept the arguments, holding that ne
was within his rigts in demanding
the 5000 a page to cover the COM
plete cost of printing the arguments
for distribution among the voters OF
the state as required by law.
Miss Case and Attorney Teats de-
clare that the law cOntemplates the
deposit Of only enough money to
nav for the paper used in the print
ing. and they rendered to Secretary
Howell, as their estimate OF this re-
quirement, $3.50 an argument,
which was likewise refused by him.
Chief Justice Herman D. Crow
of the state supreme court on Tues-
day named August IA as the day
on which Secretary OF State How
ell shall appear in court to show
cause why he should not accept the
seven arguments for the Seven
Sisters" initiative bills offered for
filing by Miss Lucy Case. repre-
senting the Direct Legislation
League of Washington.