The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-01-11
STATE LEGISLATURE
CONvENESAT Of MPIA
Organization, Governors Mes
sage and Introduction OF
Bills Mark First Week.

! of the more important committees and
the introduction Of number of new
| bills marked the first week of the
session of the eighteenth legislature.
In getting under way the legislature
spread out its activities over the week:
organizing the first day, selecting the
committees the next, then listening to
! the governors message, taking a night
| off on Thursday to attend the fegis-
lative ball that introduced the winters
! social season and preparing to call it
a weeks work on Friday.
| The governors message, always the
| big feature of opening week of legis-
| lative session, surprised members both
because of it's brevity and its concilia'
tory tone. AS though taking cogni-
| zance of criticism of the administra-
tive code, the governor took the legis-
i lature into partnership on the respon-
| sibility for the act of 1921 and sug-
gested that the members study the
working of the code and make such
| changes as time had indicated were
necessary.
l OOuS SUdU9SS OT8SN.
Governor Hart himself urged two
important code changes. one of which,
ct least, could pave the way for a
consolidation OF departments. He de-
clared that the supervisor of highways
should be taken from the department
| OF public works and made an appointee
| of the governor so he could serve more
freely with the highway committee
that consists of the governor, auditor
and treasurer. Then he suggested
that the legislature repeal the pro-
visions in the code that created state,
county, city and other taxing board
examination bureaus in the depart
ments of efficiency and taxation and
examination. What the governor AIM
ed at was the abolition of all the state
| functions performed prior to 1921 by
the bureau of inspection and super
vision of public offices. Under the
code this work was divided between
two departments. The biennial re-
port of Auditor c. w. Clausen sug-
gested that the old bureau be re-
established In his office.
In dealing with the code the gov
ernor declared the new law had in
creased efficiency and economy and
| in q months time had substituted =
| balance for q deficit in the general
| fund.
No Deficit confronts Session.
The introduction of Governor Harris
message was q review of state II.
nances, showing that two years ago
the legislature was confronted with
deficiency appropriations aggregating
. million and = quarter of dollars and
. million-dollar overdraft on the gem
eral fund. This session finds no de-
ficiencies Of any sort and balance
Of cash and bonds Of 93.s84,325.S1 In
the general fund Excluding the total
poll tax collections Of 5000. 201 the
treasury shows an Improvement in
condition asgregating $1.ss9. sS4.6o.
The tax committees report was re-
ferred to the legislature without rec
ommendstion, but attention was called
TO the fact that the Inheritance tax
law does not impose heavy hpEdens on
requests. Governor Hart tho
right to make testimentary Iltion
| Of property is purely = statutory right
and in doing so no person had . right
| to disregard the rights of the state
| which had protected him in the acquis-
ition of wealth during his life time.
especially when efforts were made to
dispose of property to strangers to
A. q, IN
heritance taxes on property left to
| non-relatives was urged. A careful
| revision of county and state fee .sys-
| TENS was urged to make more offices
| self-supporting. The 2-cent gasoline
tar was endorsed.
Amendments to the veterans com
pensation act to pay so-called PRO.
fessional soldiers" and few depend.
ents overlooked by law were urged.
y Legislation confirming the sale of ST..
100000 of bonus bonds, to the general
fund Is necessary or the bonds must
be offered on the market, the governor
said.
Recommends Donahue Law Repeal.
Repeal of the Donahue road law was
recommended on the ground that
though much good had been accom-
plished it left the door open to serious
abuses. AS Washington has one OF
the best child labor laws in the coun
try the governor suggested that this
state take the lead in urging con
stitutional amendment that will per
NIT effective national legislation Oh
that subject. He called attention tc
the necessity for state legislation tt
take advantage of the Shepherd-Town
er, or maternity, act passed by Con
gress.
Discussing normal schools, Governor
Hart presented statistics to show tina,
there apparently is no demand fol
the third and fourth year courses ant
held that the state university and state
college take care of this work. He
urged the law be amended to curtai
the courses in normal schools He alst
called attention to the fact that il
/ \.