The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1917-01-19
STATE LEGISLATURES
WORK AS REVIEWED
Washington Solols Get Down
to Business With Little
Friction.

Organization Work Consumes First
Week of sesson-Lobby is Not in
EVidence-strinsen Dry Measure
10 lntroduced-Ten Educational Bills
Appear-Blll for Compulsory Mill
tary Training in High Schools ls
FIled-saIary Bills First.
Olympia.-Aside from organization
very little was accomplished during
the first weeks session of the state
legislature. This is nothing unusual,
however, for it is the habit of legis-
latures to do very little during the
first week of the session.
There was no pickering over organi-
cation In either house. Guy E. Kelley
Of Tacoma was elected to preside over
the house and Ralph Nichols, of Seat
tie, was selected as president pro tenn
Of the senate without fight.
The present session is remarkable
for the absence of a large lobby. Usu-
ally sessions. are infested with lobby
lists, but the state house corridors are
comparatively clear of the whispering
brethren so far this session. Another
feature of the present session is the
lack of desire to fight Governor Lister.
Although many members of the pres
ent legislature were members Of the
1915 session, when there was strong
desire to antagonize the democratic
governor, there seems to be little in
clination to make fight on the states
executive.
Bone Dry Bill Appears in House.
A bone-dry bill was introduced in
the Washington house and it brings
straight prohibition up as a legisla-
tive issue. The measure is fathered
by Representative E. E. Halsey, of
Asotin, and it has the Endorsement of
the Anti-Saloon league. The measure
prohibits the. shipping of any liquor
into the state. except for sacramental
purposes, and then only after hear
ing before the county auditor. Alco-
hol importations for druggists and
manufacturers alone are permitted.
Penalties for the first offense are
fixed at from 500 to $3.50 or 80 to 80
days in Jail; 5000 to $500 for the sec
ond offense and 80 days to six months
Imprisonment, while the third offense
is made a prison penalty of from one
to- FIVE years.
II the bill is passed with an emer-
gency clause it will go into effect i'm
mediately and cannot be sent to a
referendum.
House Sentiment Against Restriction.
Sentiment of the controlling organi-
cation of the house is understood to
be opposed to passage at this session,
on the argument that the present law
is sufficient for the present and OPP
portunity should be taken to note the
working of total prohibition in other
states that have adopted it. Represen-
tatiye Halsey said, however, that a
fair chance has been promised the bill
by the rules committee and he is con-
fident that it will meet no fatal oppo-
sition.
Interest in the dry prospect was
further increased when w. w. Conner,
speaker last session, and always here
tofore classed as wet, addressed the
house under courtesy and mentioned
prohibition as one issue the people
had Overwhelmingly expressed them
selves in favor of; sentiment, he
said, the Legislature could not do 9TH
erwise than follow.
Educational Fight On.
Preliminaries for one of the main
contests of this session of the legis-
lature we're arranged for when Victor
Zednick, member of the state educa-
tiopal survey commission, introduced
q set of ten bills which incorporate
the commissions recommendations
for regulation of higher educational
institutions of the state.
The issue is to be tried out before
the Legislature between the state col
lege at Pullman and the state univer-
sity at Seattle Both institutions have
had active supporters on the ground
since the session convened preparing
for the battle.
Where the real storm will center,
SO far as the legislature generally is
concerned, will be over one of the
bills which provides for an increase
of millage tax for education purposes
from Les mills to 100 mills in order
to carry out the commissions recon-
mendations.
For Military Training In High Schools
Aside from the bone dry bill, the
most important bill filed was that
providing for compulsory military
training in high schools. The law
would apply to all high schools with
30 or more pupils and the course of
training, which must consist of at
least two hours week, must be laid
doxyn IN tho state hoard of education