The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1919-02-06
REVIEW OF D0INGS OF
STATE LEGISLATURE
$500 GOO aud Welfare Com
mission Are Provided TO
Help Needy Soldiers.

Session ons-Thlrd Oversize House
And foi senate Bills Appear
Fight over Auto License Revenue
Likely-Dry Law Made More strln.
asni-Measure Prohibiting Lobby.
ing passsd-AgrleulturaI School at
/ puyaliup Wanted
/ Olympia After letting almost
three weeks OF the session slip by
/ without passing any measures Of spe-
cial Importance to the state at large.
both houses vent into action last Fri
day and passed in record time one OF
the most Important pieces OF recon
sirlctlye legislation Ia the history of
tbs state. with no opposition of con
sequence in either house the lcgisla
ture passed the Veterans Welfare
Commission act which carries an APP
preparation OF 100000 for expenditure
through the commission Tor the bene
III 81 returned soldiers who may need
temporary assistance.
with the comment that in his opin.
ion il is the first practicable method
Of facilitating the return OF discharged
soldiers 20 civilian standing and EN-.
ployment 70 be adopted by any state
Governor Lister signed the Veterans
4 welfare corn miesgon itiIt
The governor particularly approved
the plan Of dealing with the men in
divldually through the commission.
according to their needs and the cir.
cums,ances governing each case, az
opposed to simply making grants OF
public money to be distributed among
discharged soldiers
Under the emergency clause, which
the governor also approved. the $500.
900 will be available as soon AS the
commission created to administer the
fund is appointed.
Committee Appointed TO Visit States
Both houses passed joint resolu.
ton authorizing appointment of leg
islative committee to present the
Washington measure to the legisla.
tures OF Oregon. Idaho and Montana
and to solicit the cooperation of these
states through similar measures The
members of this committee are Sen.
ators r. d. Rockwell OF King county.
A. h. Judd of Lewis; Representatives
w. w. Conner and Pliny l.. Allen Of
King, aud Maurice Smith, OF Spokane.
In substance. the veterans welfare
bill. originally introduced by Repre-
sentative Conner, Of King, establishes
s commission of five men, appointed
and removed by the governor, who
will serve without compensation, ex.
cept for actual expenses. Immediate
organization is required and authority
to hire necessary assistance given.
Their duties are defined to include
disbursement of the fund appropriat.
ed for the welfare of the soldiers,
sailors and marines of the war with
Germany, with preference given to
those who were bona fide residents
OF the state.
The commission is to adopt any
course that in it's judgment will best
facilitate and promote the return Of
veterans to ciyil life. II may establish
employment agencies, provide for any
institutions II fihds necessary. make
grants, loans or exercise any other
discretion for the purpose specified.
one-Third of Session over
When the legislature adjourned for
the week end one-third of the 60-dsy
session was over. In the house 1919
bills had been introduced and in the
senate 101 prospective laws appeared.
OF this grist Of bills but three have
gone through both houses and reached
the governor. Two provide for legis-
lative expenses and the third is the
veterans welfare bill
The senate passed 1e of its own
bills and five house bills. The house
has passed sS of its bills and two sen
ate bills.
A fight on diversion Of auto license
revenue into paving or highway con.
struction funds is likely Representa-
tive J. c. H. Hubbell, chairman OF the
house roads committee, has drawn
bill to aboiirh the present license issu-
ing department under the secretary OF
state and distribute its work among
county auditors, leaving one license
department empIoye in Olympia to
keep the necessary record Under
Mr. Rubhell's bill. license plates man
ufactured at the penitentiary would
be distributed to county auditors
through the state board Of control.
Make Dry Law More Effective
BY passing house bin No. 2s. by
Cross OF Adams county, the house
showed its disposition 10 tighten the
restrictions around the Illicit traffic
in liquor. The Gross bill simpifes