Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-01-01
LEGISLATURE FACES
WET ISSUE AGAIN
HALF DOZEN PROPOSALS WILL
BE UP FOR SOME ACTION
IN SESSION.

Members-elect of the fourteenth
legislature, which convenes here Jan
uary II, 1915, had almost without
exception hoped, until about two
weeks ago, that the vote of the
people on the prohibition bill last
month would put a quietus on the
liquor question for the time being, at
least, according to an article in the
Oregonian, which goes on to say
that hope is practically gone now,
for the various interests affected
by the dry" law are making it their
business to see that the liquor ques-
tion is brought to the forefront again,
in an effort to eliminate at least some
of the drastic provisions of the law
that the voters, by $4,000 majority,
enacted to become effective January
I, 1916.
The state constitution provides that
an initiative act once approved by the
voters cannot be repealed or amend
ed by the legislature within two years
OF its passage. There is no bar, how
ever, against the voters themselves
amending or repeating a piece Of
direct legislation at any time.
Want Election Next November.
Accordingly, the sponsors of half a
dozen separate and widely divergent
proposals, besides standing on the
common ground of seeking to provide
few scattered oases in an otherwise
arid state, are asking the legislature
to do the same thing, call a special
election for November Is, 1915, at
which the people may vote again on
the liquor question, so that the action
taken then will become effective be-
fore the prohibition law goes into
effect, January 1, 1916.
The different proposals thus far ad-
vanced as to the form which this new
measure, to be initiated by the legis-
lature, shall take range all the way
from allowing existing breweries
alone to continue business to fiat
repeal of the prohibition law.
The proposal chiefly in the public
eye at present is the Ferdinand
Schmitz initiative measure, known
officially as initiative No. IS. This
measure would allow breweries to
continue in business, would allow
hotels with SO or more rooms to serve
liquor, and would repeal the right of
search" provisions of the existing
prohibition law.
Hotel Men Back Petition.
The promoters of this measure, the
hotel men of the state, had until the
elose of business Thursday afternoon
10 file with the secretary of state the
|signatures of 1885 qualified voters
to insure the success of their cam
paign, and If the check of these sig
natures as made by that official shows
that number valid, the legislature
will be forced, whether it so desires
or not, to submit the measure to
popular vote next November Thurs
day morning the hotel men backing
the measure claimed to have in ex-
cess of $4,000 signatures to their Pc
titions and said the check of them
by Seattle and Tacoma officials indi-
Gated that the count would show 80
per cent of them valid.
Another proposal for which petit
tions are to be circulated Immediately
would preserve the present local op-
ton law and would protect both
existing breweries and large num-
ber of saloons, but would limit the
number of saloons and increase
license fees, with the aim of reducing
by more than one-half the number OF
retail establishments. The petitions
circulated for this measure will have
no legal effect, but will be presented
merely to impress the legislature, the
aim again being to have the measure
submitted to vote next November.
Repeal Plan Fails.
A number of Bellingham business
men started brief movement to have
the prohibition bill re-submitted to
vote. with the end of its repeal In
view, but this proposal has not been
given serious consideration, in view
NJ the fact that there has been nc
noticeable change in sentiment since
the election, at which 33 Of the 81
counties in the state voted dry"
The ultimate proposal to be sub
mitted to the legislature by the brew
cry interests may be a bill to ALLOW
existing breweries to continue in bust
! ress, but continuing in all other re
,ects the provisions OF the existing