The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1921-03-31
P0LLTAxSTARTS
TALK OF RECALL
MEASURE CALLING FOR IS
NOT POPULAR IN
SOME QUARTERS
Governor Lops More Than Mil
lion Dollars From Legislative
Appropriations.

One OIL the principal QueSIlOuS lHdl
is disturbing the body polite of the
state at this time is the collection Of
the poll tax. Before Governor Hart
signed the bill calling for the con-
tribution of five dollars, cash, from
every man and woman between the
ages of q and SO, pressure was
brought to bear on him from every
corner of the state to have him veto
it. However, he signed the measure.
The matter of the collection of the
tax has been an item that has been
discussed in many quarters and it's
unfairness in taxing the property
man, already taxed, and hitting the
married man twice, have been thor
oughly talked over. The height of
the discussion was reached when
plans were started for recall of the
governor. Just how far this move
will go is a matter of question at this
time, with the chances against 1t
ever reaching the polls
In defending his position on the
poll tax, Governor Hart made the
following statement:
This S. poll tax is equivalent to
words, is sufficient to take care o:
the entire general fund taxes OF the
state. This tax is paid by all the
people, whether they own property
or not, and probably more than the
equivalent of 1-mill tax levy will be
Il yuh
tribute one dollar to the expense OF
government and yet who cost the
government more in police and health
regulations than does all the prop
erty of the state. 1t seems to me
wiping off all general fund tax levy
from your property will make your
$40 poll tax mighty good invest
ment.
81 can understand why man who
has no property, but who stands
around on the street corner and
cusses the government can well at
ford to condemn the poll tax, but it
seems to me that a poll tax when
once in good working order, and it
should Re by the next session of the
legislature, will justify a constitu-
tional amendment which would per
NIT of an exemption Of from $1,000
to $4,000 in assessed value of the
honest-to- God homes of the state
When it came to cutting off items
from the omnibus bill the governor
swung the ak with a free hand. In
all he pruned $S64,350, bringing the
total he has saved through his veto
power up to 81 62006.02. He vetoed
10 $4,000 items for charitable insti
tutions, $4,000 for the children's
orthopedic hospital in Seattle, $121.
600 for the women's industrial home
and clinic at Medical Lake, $4,000
for repairs to heating lines on the
University of Washington campus
$2O5,4 for the Centralia normal
school and $250,000 for the compile
ton and equipment OF dairy build
ing at Washington State college.
Other items of the omnibus appro-
priations bill vetoed by the govern
or were: Attorney generals Office
legal and other expenses in special
rate or public utility litigation, $685.
600; Western Royal Live Stock show
$4,000; relief of Hilda Rasi, $500;
Pacific Northwest Tourist associa-
ton. 100000: completion of a dor
mitory at the Cheney State normal,
$4,000.
In vetoing the money for the dairy
barn at Pullman Governor Hart
stated it as his opinion that the con
struction of a number of small model
barns. costing from $4,000 to $4,000,
would be more appropriate. There
had already been $175,000 apprO-
priated for the construction of this
building and the governor said he
could not see how student in dairy
ing, taken from any of the farms III
this state, could appreciate his sur
roundings in barn costing $425,O0O.
He said he thought the students
should be trained in barns more
nearly in accordance with those In
which they would have to work when
through training.
In the matter Of the appropriation
for the live stock show at Portland,
the governor said that only $1,000 was
spent for premiums on the states
own fair at Yakima and he could
not see why the state should be
spending more money on show in
another state.
Other bills vetoed by the governor
include:
Substitute house bill Is, regulating
sale of narcotic drugs to addicts
II. B. 263, providing for payment
of state compensation to dependents
of service men who have died since
discharge.
II. B. IS, appropriating for the re-
lief of Arthur NJ. Larson from the
workmen's compensation fund.
II. B. 253, amending methods OF
highway improvement under the
Donahue act.
II. B. IT,, providing for certiiica-
ton Of irrigation, drainage and dixie
district bonds.