Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-02-19

son. His message on the land board
bill. addressed to the house, was:
Il herewith return House Bill No.
"a without my approval. This is
IAN Act Relating to the board of
state land commissioners. its compo-
siton, powers and duties, amending
section 6605 of Remington q Balm
gers Annotated Codes and Statutes
of Washington, and declaring an
emergency
The bill provides that the men,
bership of the board of state land
commissioners shall consist of the
commissioner of public lands. the
secretary of state and the state treas
urer. Under the present law the
board OF state land commissioners
consists of the commissioner of pub
lie, lands the state fire warden and
forester, and the three members of
the state tax commission.
IN considering this bill it is nee
essary to also consider in connection
with it house bills Nos. So and 55,
for the reason that the bill provides
! for a change in the board of state
land commissioners which would be
necessary should the law creating
the state tax commission be repealed.
In this particular group of bills.
House Bill No. SO is the one provid-
ing for the abolition of the state tax
commission. This bill, while passed
by the house of representatives, has
not, up to the present time, been act
ed upon by the state senate. 1 have
/. therefore before me only house bills
Nos. "a and SIS.
I'm my message to your honorable
body I recommended the abolition of
the state tax commission and the
placing Of the duties of the tax COM
mission in the hands of one tax COM
! missioner.
Certain Changes Necessary.
"In connection with that recon-
mendation stated that certain
changes would have to be made in
the membership of the board of state
land commissioners and of the state
board of equalization, should my rec
concentration be adopted, for the rea-
son that the three members Of the
state tax commission were also men,
bers of the state board of land COM
missioners and the state board of
equalization.
''If bill is not passed abolishing
the state tax commission there can
be no real need shown for a change
| in the membership of the board of
state land commissioners or of the
state board Of equalization. The
change in the commission is not
called for as result of inefficiency
on the part of the membership of
these two commissions, in fact, the
feeling seems to be quite general that
each of the commissions has been
efficient in the performance Of its
duties.
Had House Bill NO. SO, abolish
ling the state tax commission, or
House Bill No. 38, creating the office
of state tax commissioner and abol-
ishing the state tax commission. been
/ passed, so that either of these bills
might have been considered in con-
nection with house bills Nos. "a and
81, there would have appeared some
reason for legislative action on the
two bills before me.
! IT also desire to make special men
ton OF the emergency clause provi-
sion attached to House Bill No. "a,
Under the constitution of the state.
provision is made that all laws shall
be in effect 80 days after the close of
the legislative session, except such
laws as may be necessary for the i'm
mediate preservation of the public
peace, health or safety, support OF
the state government and it's existing
public institutions
| Not True Emergency.
1T have carefully scrutinized this
bill and fail to ind IN It's PROVISIONS
any language that would indicate a
situation requiring it to become q
law Immediately. The provision OF
the state constitution, as above
Quoted, without doubt is intended to
allow the legislature, in cases OF i'm
mediate necessity, to have the power
LOT placing law in effect immediate
ilv whenever such a law comes under
this constitutional provision.
"As view it, it cannot be said that
the enactment into law of House Bill
No. "a is necessary Immediately, for
the preservation of the public peace,
health or safety, support of the state
government and its existing institu-
TONS
while this particular bill might