The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-12-16
CHANGES ARE LOOKED FOR IN THE
DIRECT PRIMARY LAW = INTEREST
CENTERS IN APPROACHING SESSION
Ralph Knapp will be Chairman of the House-Slms
and Reed Appear to have Working Agree
ment-Assessors Ask Change in Auto Law

the primary being enacted. There
is a strong chance, however. for
some bill similar to the one which
will permit party endorsements
being enacted.
Both republican and democratic
leaders are favoring some sort of
change.
The county assessors of the
state are going to send a group
of bills for consideration to the
Legislature. Several changes in the
existing laws are contemplated.
A fourth measure requires au-
ditors to keep an alphabetical list
of automobile owners obtaining Ii
censes in each county. This will be
of value to concerns seeking to
mail letters to automobile owners.
+ + +
For the first time in the history
of the state, plans are under way
for having group OF proposed
bills printed in advance of the ses-
sion so that each member will have
an opportunity to digest them be-
fore the session convenes. The
committee which has been in
charge of wedding out useless laws
and codifying others had drafted
thru Charles S. Gleason. 20 bills.
These are the first of 200 in all
which are to be prepared. wiping
out something between 400 and 500
old laws or dead wood statutes.
The last legislature was the first
which started pairing down the sta
tute books of the state, and if
the coming session acts upon all
| measures the committee introduce
es. it will create a few departure
| of taking more laws off the sta
tute books than it will place on
them.
| Rumor in political circles is to
the effect that James A. Drain,
former adjutant general of this
state. pater publisher of Arms and
| the Man, a service magazine at
Washington, DC, then major in
the A.E.F. and recently national
commander of the American Lee
gion, is contemplating moving to
Spokane and becoming, two years
hence, a candidate for the United
| States senate.
General Drain was in the state
aiding the campaign of Wesley L.
Jones last summer. He is said to
have informed some of his friends
that he believes he will make a
4 strong candidate against Dill pro-
viding that w. Lon Johnson is
not a candidate.
| In this respect it is interesting
to note that .Walla Walla has g
prospective candidate for the sen.
ate. There is whisper from thai
section that James Langdon, g
banker of Walla Walla. but mar
who has no former political ambi.
! lions is being quietly groomed as
a possibility. The fact that a mar
who has not been affiliated with
any political faction as candi'
date for public office, is likely tt
become an active seeker after ths
seat held by Senator Dill IS caus'
ing considerable comment. In fac
there is a growing feeling thai
maybe the time has come wher
candidates for congress and th'
senate be drafted from bushes;
and professional rather than pc
litical circles.
AS the day for converting thu
session draws near, the fact is be
coming more and more apparen
daily that Ed Sims of Port Town
send, one of the strongest men t,
ever sit in the house and Mark E
Reed, recognized as one of the re
publican leaders of the state, hav
come to a complete understanding
and when the lawmakers assembl
they will find these two powerful
!. factors working hand in hand.
The combination will be an ides