Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-01-29
COMMITTEE KILLS
BILLS OF REEVES
Republicans Do Not Like DEM
ocratic Bills Providing for
Commission Reductions
SURVEY ABERDEEN ROAD
House Committee Recon-
mends Bill for Survey Of
Highway to Raymond

OLYMPIA, Jan. 2S-Republican
members of the legislature and Re-
publican state officers do not like the
democratic bills rearranging the land
and equalization boards. The judic-
iary committee of the house yester-
day gave the quietus to the bills in
troduced by Representative Frank
Reeves of Chelan county, Democrat,
and. at the same time sent out the
McArdle bills, covering the same sub
jects, to the house file. Needless to
say. the Reeves bills will rest with
the committee for good and all.
One of the principal points of diff
ference between the two groups OF
bills is the distribution of little
patronage. The Democrats are open
ly charging that when the Republican
measures become law, both Repre-
sentative l.. D. McArdle and Repre-
sentative Victor Zednick will get jobs
in the land commissioners office.
These Democratic charges are sup
ported somewhat by a rumor which
has been heard in the capitol corri-
doris for several days that McArdle
will be the assistant tax commission
er, and that Zednick will be a deputy
land commissioner, also assigned to
the tax department.
"It's no more than taking a job
away from republican and giving II
to democrat" said Secretary of
State Howell of one of the Reeves
acts that would take from his Office
the collection of automobile licenses
and place it in the hands of a new
tax commissioner appointed by the
governor.
Differences In the Bills.
The Reeves bills propose to reduce
the tax commission to one man, who
will be appointed, as at present, by the
governor. The McArdle bills propose
that the land commissioner will be ex.
offcio tax commissioner, with author
ity to appoint such help as he may
need. They do not specifically create
any offices, so that the constitutional
bar against a legislator accepting a
position created by the legislature will
have no force. Mr.. Zednick since the
last session has been employed as a
statistician for the state.
Gov. Lister has indicated to his
friends upon several occasions that he
cares nothing for the patronage. and
that he would be pleased if he could
lay aside the responsibility of making
any appointments. In urging the
Reeves bills, he is fully aware that in
stead of having three tax commission.
ers to appoint he will have but one
He believes that the important work OF
the tax commission could be perform.
ed by one man, who, however, should
not be subordinate in another office.
On the other hand, the proponents
of the McArdle bills aver that Land
Commissioner Savidge will have time
to give to the work of the tax commits
SIGN. and that with competent assist.
ants the states interests will not
suffer.
eack-Pedaling a Surprise.
|
The back-pedaling on the McArdle
bills, which had been advanced to
second reading was something of a
surprise. The Reeves bills had been
disposed of effectively, and at that time
1t was we'll understood they would die
quietly in the committee on privileges
and elections. The hue and cry from
Democratic sources that no consider.
alton had been given the Reeves bills
reached the ears of the house leaders
and they set about screening the move
ment Of the rolling machine. When
the McArdle bills were sent to the ju
dietary committee they were shuffled
with the Reeves bills, but it was signi
ficant that the McArdle bills only came
out.
In the judiciary committee Reeves
sought to have the two groups of bills
referred to the committee of the whole
house, but he was outvoted. Repre-
sentative F. w. Hastings was the only
Republican who supported the plan tc
pass the selection of the bills up te
the house. He also voted against the
iplan to make the tax commissioner
Office an adjunct of the land office. Mr.
Hastings will present a minority re
port tomorrow, signed by four othel
members.
! The first bill to be marked in &C
cordance with the terms of a join
resolution requesting that bills pro
mulgated by state officers and offeret
to legislators to be introduced be &
designated, made it's appearance yes
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