The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1917-03-09
May Lose Funds for Inspection.

LOT comment on MS tlrSI nasty survey
of the bill He discovered that an
appropriation of $4,000 for the state
labor bureau, as presented in the
printed bill, had been inscribed as
$500 in the engrossed bill signed by
the speaker and eutenant-governor.
Unless the omission can be correct
ed in a supplemental budget there
will be practically no funds for fac
tory inspection in the next two years,
and factory inspecting is the chief
function of the labor department. The
total allowance for the department is
left unchanged at SAB 900, which leaves
S13,500 in the budget that is not ap-
propriated for any specific purpose.
Money Not Provided for Rise.
The governor further discovered
that while the new mining code in
creases the deputy inspectors salary
to $2400, the appropriation bill allows
him only $500 year, the former fig
ure. In passing on relief bills the
governor will call upon the appropri-
alton committee for the detailed in
formation upon which it acted in
granting the various items
Considerable curiosity is expressed
as to what the governor will do with
an item of $4,000 allowed for two
years maintenance of the mansion,
since he declared last fall that he
would not occupy the mansion after
April l and refused to allow any reso-
luton for it's maintenance in the
state board of finance report as the
result of the state auditors action in
disappearing certain vouchers on the
mansion fund returned by the cover
| nor.
The joint appropriation committee,
Notwithstanding, included the mansion
maintenance this session, adding en-
tertainment as one of its legal uses
and making vouchers upon it subject
to approval of the governor alone. 1t
has been intimated that Governor
Lister would be willing to devote the
mansion fund to the investigation of
the state auditors office, which he
recommended in his message, and a
bill to authorize which has been in
troduced in the house by representa-
tive Hodgdon, of Grays Harbor.
Powers Denied Governor.
Senate bills passed make federal
farm loan bonds legal investment for
trust funds; change certain closed
seasons on game birds; fix industrial
insurance commissioners bonds at
| SIS, 900, and the commission claim
agents at $4,000; permit county road
work amounting to more than $4,000
to be transferred to the supervision
of the state highway commissioner;
| places the sale of tuberculin under
supervision of the state agricultural
commissioner, and authorize organi-
cations of cooperative credit associa-
lions under the rural credits plan.
A bill by Kuykendall and Johnson,
intended to insure rigid enforcement
the governor to remove negligent
peace officers upon complaint of the
Encouragement was killed on argu-
ment that it conferred too much pow
er on the governor.
| House Adds More to Tax Burdens.
By a vote of "a to Al the house
passed house bill "a, establishing
fourth normal school at Centralia, and
authorizing a one-tenth mill levy, rails
| Ing 100000 annually, as the initial
provision for financing the new insti-
| tuition.
BY vote of rs to Is, the house also
passed substitute house bill 249, estab-
fishing a half mill levy to raise $780,
900 annually, for immediate prosecu-
ton of the capitol building program,
without awaiting sale of the capitol
land grant.
These measures, together with the
educational millage tax bill, as passed
| by the senate, and the military code
already passed by both houses, pro
vided increased millage taxes aggre-
eating 1.55 mills, which if passed in
! their present status would add ST.
| $50 900 annually TO the state tax roll.
The last state levy was no mills,
the bills in question carrying an in
crease of more than 20 per cent, with
out taking into consideration whether
the general fund appropriation of the
present legislature will necessitate an
increase in the general fund levy.
! II is reasonably certain that some
Of the increases proposed will be re-
duoed considerably before they reach
the governors office.
Divorce Law Tinkering.
With 10 dissenting votes the senate
passed the bill by Palmer authorizing
granting of divorces on simple show
ing of eight years separation, aimed
to correct special cases in King coun-
ty, coupled with a provision making
the divorce law more rigid in another
particular by removing the power of
the Judge 10 grant a decree for any
cause not named in the statute.