Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1916-08-25
ANALYSIS OF THE
REFERRED MEASURES
Seven of Them, All Bearing on
Taxes and Industries of
Washington.

vides that petitions must be kept at
registration offices, accessible to yo-
ters at all times. Reduces the cost of,
the initiative and referendum process
to the taxpayers. There are other
provisions equally as important. 1t
clothes the initiative and referendum
principle with a reasonable dignity,
and hampers it's use as a weapon to
"get even" or to inflict freak" and
tax-eating measures. Vote Yes.
Referendum No. 4.-Provides that to
recall an officer, legal voters equal in
number to rs per cent of the votes
cast for that office shall sign the re-
call petitions This measure will en-
able officials to know positively that
25 per cent of the legal voters who
voted to fill that office are DESTROYS
of recall election, and saves tax
money by avoiding recall elections
started by defeated candidates with
out reasonable endorsement by voters
and taxpayers interested. Vote Yes.
Referendum No. 5-Provides for
party conventions and declaration
of the principles upon which candi
date will stand. 1t does not interfere
from the individual any of his partici-
patton in the selection of candidates.
1t gives the voters knowledge OF
what candidates stand for This law
makes an official responsible not only
TO the individual taxpayer and voter,
but also to an organized group of
voters and taxpayers, whose condem-
nation means dismissal from future
service. To sustain Referendum No.
5 vote Yes.
Referendum No. els known as the
anti picketing law 1t provides that
pickets or sentinels cannot approach
nearer than 500 feet of the farm, fac
tory, or business institution for the
purpose Of driving away custom or in
timdating persons applying for en-
ployment. Picketing is an un-Ameri-
can practices, used chiefly to force sub
mission to demands by organized la
bora practice against which the en-
ployer seems to have no legal redress.
SPicketing. may result whether the de-
nands are reasonable or unreasona-
BILE: it nearly always brings violence,
which in the natural sequence brings
added expense to taxpayers, and often
the destruction of property. 1t rarely
settles any question at issue. vote
Of YES" will place this much needed
law on the statute books.
Referendum No. 7-"No new public
utility to render service similar in
character and location to the service
endered by any existing public utility
this state shall be- constructed,
maintained or operated without first
obtaining a certificate of public ne
aessity and convenience from the pub
lie service commission. Upon the fill
ng of an application for such certifi-
cate the commission shall give reason.
tble notice in writing to the owner or
operator of such existing public utility
If the time and place when such ap-
plication will be heard and after hear
ing and investigation if the commits
sion finds from the evidence that pub
lie necessity and convenience require
additional service the commission
shall grant such certificate of public
necessity and convenience to such op-
orator as the commission shall deter
mine" Passed almost unanimously
and approved by the Governor. Vote
YES on Referendum No. 7.
Referendum No 8-This measure
provides that the Mayor, the County
Engineer and the County Attorney
shall be members of the board, with
three elected Port Commissioners
of whom serve. without pay. This
measure applies only to seaport cities
in port districts of the first class. 1t
is merely an additional check and
added responsibility upon men who
handle millions of the taxpayers mon
ey each year. This bill had the united
support of the King county members
of the legislature, was passed almost
unanimously in both branches and was
approved by the Governor. 1t aims
for more efficient and economical
management of port affairs in districts
of the first class. Vote YES on Ref
erendum No 8.
Referendum No. 9.-Provides that
officials having in charge the disburse-
ment of public funds shall make an
estimate and statement as to just how
certain sums shall be expended. 1t
is called the Budget Law" and pro-
vides for officials making up budget
of proposed expenditures. Taxpayers
have a right to know what they are
taxed for IF thew ynta a sim for
bridges they do not mean that such
bridge fund can be- diverted to other
uses or to general expenses. Elmer
gencies are provided for. 1t is esti-
mated that this law will save the tax
payers of Washington million dol