Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1925-01-16
18TH SESSION or
Legislature Meets
Revision Of Tax Laws Seems
Likely 10 Receive Early
Attention.

teepth regular session Of WashinGton's
legislature convened Monday with nc
outstanding issue recognized as likely
to become the storm center Of the 60
bers agreed, that the legislation to BIT
pushed hardest at the outset would be
revision of tax laws designed TO give
the state supervision over the listing
of property for taxation. Whatever
may be the outcome, legislative lead
ers agreed that the present admins
tratlve code organization of the state
taxation department would be revised
both the outgoing and incoming state
administrations being agreed upon the
necessity for that.
The effort to slash state appropria,
lions is met at the outset by demand
for a multitude of increased allow.
ances, ranging all the way from the
essential funds needed to care for a
growing states business to appropria-
lions for several new Institutions.
There was, roughly, treasury balance
of $4,5G0,000 in the state general fund
last month, and this has encouraged
some of the demands for extra funds.
However, the state equalization COM
mittee did not levy property tax for
general fund purposes this year, es.
timating instead that the present bal.
ance and revenues from indirect
sources would meet legitimate needs
This apparent conflict between de-
sire for taxation reform and the insist
ence upon swollen appropriations fur
nished the basis of most of the early
discussion of the serious work of the
coming session.
State Administration Changes.
However, legislation was overshad-
owed in interest by the changing Of
administrations and the resultant poll
tics in the organization of the two
houses and the makeup of the new
state official family.
Coincident with the converting of
the legislature on Monday was the
opening of the January term of the
state supreme court at which Warren
w. Tolman, of Spokane, succeeded
John F. Main, of Seattle, as chief JUS
tice, and the formal meeting of the
presidential electors who cast this
states vote for Coolidge and Dawes.
The news of these two sessions had
been extracted long ago for as the
senior of the trio of supreme court
justices whose terms end in January,
1927, Tolman naturally inherited the
position of chief justice, while the
electors, Immediately after election
agreed to select Mrs. Samuel G. Cos
grove, of Seattle, widow of the former
governor as this states messenger
WHO will deliver the states vote to
the president of the United States sen
ate before January &c. Accompanied
by a grandson, Mrs. Cosgrove started
east this week.
State administration changes occur
ed Wednesday, The two houses of
the legislature con ened and organized
at noon on Monday; met in Joint SEES
sion on Tuesday to canvass the vote
cast at the last general election, aud
on Wednesday, Governor Roland FL.
Hartley, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS w. Lon
Johnson and State Treasurer W. G..
Potts were sworn in and took over
their offices.
cleary President Pro TEN. of Senate
E. ]. Cieary, senator from Whatcom
county, was elected president pro tenn
pore of the senate at caucus here
Sunday night, defeating Senator Con-
ner of King county 90 votes to is
Two senator's We're absent, but theil
votes were counted for Conner, making
the final result % to 20. The caucus
ended tremendously Conner moving
to make Clearys election unanimous
The final message of retiring Cover
nor Louis F. Hart was delivered to the
legislature on Tuesday by common
consent This arrangement permitted
of a public Inauguration of Governor
Hartley, held in the Liberty theater
because of insufficient room in the
temporary capitol building, at which
the installation of the governor and
the delivery of his inaugural address
were The sole features.
Gov Hart Reviews Administration
Governor Hart left the field OF legis
latiyc advice TO the incoming governor.
contenting himself on Tuesday with a
review of the work of his administra-
ton. State finances were stressed in
the message. He quoted the state
treasurer's report to show that on the
last day of December the condition OF
the general fund has been: In 1920
an overdraft of $1O16,S60.79; in 1922,
cash balance, s2,4S4,325.s1; 1924. cash