The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-01-24
LEGISLATORS
MARKING Time
FOR PRESENT
ny TIED" COOK
Especial 10 The Star,l


OLYMPIA. Jan. ss-with two
weeks work done. and six more TO
70. the state legislature is marking
time today Floods are holding
ahou, half 81 the legislators here.
ard the other half Is distributed IN
Tacoma and Seattle for the week.
end.
The standpst majority orvaniEa.
ton in the senate il still working
with machlne-like precision. An air
Of calm peace prevails on the sur
face. The crucial hours Of the ses-
sion have not arrived.
Howard Taylor. the senator from
Eagle Gorge. Is floor manager for
- emonstrated his ability TO handle
the rules with a def hand, and keep
bis disciples jumping ut the crack
OF the whip. lie Is prompt to gain
the floor. or signal with nod or
frcwn tn his various followers. who
have ehildiike faith in his leadership.
Lieut.. Gov. Hart sits with gavel
In hand. able TO keep things moving
along. and content 10 leave floor
strategy TO Taylor.
smith Got Rough"
Senator Carlyon. who undoubtedly
does 10, OF thinking for the stand.
pats. makes very few plays In open
senate. J. II. Smith. an ambitious
Young senator from Everett. Is at.
tempting TO play a conspicuous part
IA the machine procedure. lie got
trough during the debate on
Hutchlnson's vice disease bill. and
was beaten back when he tried TO
Kill IL by sweeping amendment.
New he says he Is for the bill. i,
makes all vice diseases reportable.
and Is scheduled 10 80 to vote Mon
day.
The fight against secret law max
Ing and autocratic powers OF the
rules committee. which developed
early in the session. clearly revealed
the attitude OF the regulars and di.
rected the searchiight ON the line
Up.
Progressive Minority
Senators Iandon. MetcaR. Lamp
Ing, Lon Johnson. Phipps. +. Ben
s johnson, Morthland. Davis. Fair.
child. Hutchinson. iverson. Judd. MY
ers and OTfarra are the nucleus
around which must be built any
forces 20 fight for forward looking
legislation. Others. no doubt. Will cut
loose from the stand-pat reactionar-
j les before the session ends.
4 They see. more clearly than the
others, that there are big problems
OF the hour. on them depends bet
ter relations between capital and la
hor In this state. and a bigger mea.-
ure OF happiness among the plain
people.
Groups are not so clearly defined
In the house. Speaker Adams. young.
frank. and more or less positive. is
under the wing OF Jimmie Davis and
Mark Reed. two old timers who real.
ly run things on that side. Cute. OF
Seattle, Is also one OF the bunch.
Conner. Allen and Grass all have n
good deal TO say.
Laborites Hard Pressed
No leadership among independents
has developed A small group OF
labor representatives vote right. but
are more or less In the dark as TO
what fs going on because of lack OF
experience. And this game usually
goes 10 the old heads. who know the
mysterious ways OF blocking or
\ pushing when the ti-ne comes.
Many OF the important committees
are packed. and the cards stacked In
favor OF the old line. ultra-eonserva'
tive. safe and saners.
t,f
got a pretty fair shake In the house
on committees.
The most brazen COMMITTEES pack
ing was done In the senate. where
the public utilities committee IL
plainly recruited to please the power
people.
Exclusive OF the old veto measures.
the senate has passed but one bill.
II Is the measure OF Davis. Pierce,
making American history and gov
ernrnen. courses prerequisite 20 high
school graduation.
The house has passed seven bills.
which have gone 10 the senate. They
are ". Il. 81. reimbufsing s2,5o0 20
individuals who went down In their
pockets for the state council Of de-
Tense. HI. ~. -, appfopE aitttb s-s'VV
for state extradition expenses. H. ".
q. appropriating $500 for the de-
partment OF agriculture; II. p. -, re-
Iatlng to probate procedure: II. u.
20. providing equal pay for equal
service" TO women school teachers;
III. Y. 80. appropriating 5000 TO
state institutions for immediate use;
II y. Al, reappropriating f6i9.s4f 70
road construction which was halted
By the war.
m aNVcTeE1 S0