The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-01-18
LEGISLATURE GETS
DOWN TO BUSINESS
except for Adoption Of Perma.
aent House Rules All Organ
ization Work is Completed

nlvmpia - (Speclal.J - Inc leg1sla'
100 has settled down to work in the
-..ond week of the session. All the
.,reliminary organization work was ac-
a.omnlished during the first week with
no exception of the formal adoption Of
,he permanent rules of the house. A
house policy on rules was adopted the
nrst day when a group of members. led
- Representative Thomas r. Muir.
mime of King, a defeated candidate
Or sneaker, attempted to force some
changes, the principal one being an
amendment that would permit the ma
tority of members present at any time
"a make such changes In committee
assignments as it might desire.
though the majority In the house in.
terpreted this attack as a political
uaueuver 1t served to bring out sew.
sral interpretations Of the rules by
sneaker Mark e. Reed. These were
ealled for by Representatives E. A.
sims and L. H. Cute, majority leaders,
and the speaker taking up several rules
n turn demonstrated that the house
fbr many years past has been governed
- rules that permit the majority to
control at all times, especially in the
natter Of taking up bills ont Of order
q recalling them from the committees
A. the atmosphere had been cleared
lsst week, the Importance of formal
action Monday on permanent rules was
iiacounted.
Committees Start to Work.
The appropriations committees of
18th houses started work last week on
he bill that will provide necessary
funds for the support of the state gov.
enment and its institutions. 1t is the
wesent intention to exclude all other
subiects from this bill SO 1t can be
dearly understood just how much
noney Is required to keep going the
necessary functions of government.
gubcommittees are investigating state
pfces and institutions and special
hearings before the committees have
been provided. Incidentally the house
has special committee composed of
Representatives E. H. Cute. of King:
4 r. Banker, OF Okanogan; "A. l.. VIII
hite Of Snohomish; Fred G. Remain,
Of Pierce, and Charles H. voss. Of Spo-
knne, Investigating administrative code
offices and conditions. It probably
win require two weeks. additional time
y complete the appropriations commit
tees work along these lines.
IN the meantime all those pet prof
ects which involve creation Of new
state functions and involve heavy ap-
'Dropriations sppear to be under a
cloud. Groups In both houses have
sought an opportunity to go on record
AGAINST new appropriations and In IA
yor Of cutting down the old ones. Va
fious Hobbies which have endorsed
movements that cost the state money
ere holding their proposals in abey.
anee.
Tax Hearings Held.
The revenue and taxation committee
opened the present week with series
ct three public hearings on taxation
matters. The public sessions were ar.
ranged to give chance for members
q the special tax investigating COM
nittee to explain its findings and rec
lamentations, but the hearings broad
eaed as the week grew older. The
Nightly meetings In the house cham
ber attracted both members of the leg
stature and small army of lobbyists
who are urging various taxation pana-
eeas.
AZ nearly as members of the legisla-
sare can judge there are about half q
dozen distinct taxation Hobbies. In
some particulars their programs agree
notably on reduction of expendi.