The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-03-17
tx BILLS UP
TO HARTLEY
cossion Increase the Tax
Load - All to Share
in Blame

:, considering the 1927 legisla-
,ure. re- its works and it's consequence,
! III i must be judged from several
e, s,olss # would be unwise to give
! aA blanket praise and it would be
"ufair ! to give it blanket criticism.
The The legislature played politics, it
tailed I it hemmed and it hawed,
sst M withal it turned out nothing
4 harm or alarm the common
~ealth. So on the whole especial
u when you count its negative
,sts the tally sheet shows that
ihe 1927 legislature was more BEN
sseial than harmful in its imme-
late results and doubtless de-
serves more thanks than knocks.
Il is regrettable, but true, that
the tendency is to be critical and
,yuical. if not disdainful and dis
trustful, toward the legislature. In
he beginning, it was doubtlessly
sxuected that the people would
Welcome meeting of the leglsia-
ture as a time for the correction
of inequalities or wrongs, a time
for making fresh and revitalized
start in the progress and welfare
Of the people-an upward push
for the state. Instead, most of the
people regard meeting of the
legislature with a curled lip, sar-
castically saying, in effect "More
laws more regulations, more tax
es. more politics" Yet, most of the
people instruct their legislators to
diq in for local benefits, such as
road money, and many of the leg
islators are forced to banter their
shirts. submit to threats and vote
in a meek and apologetic voice,
forgetting the state to make good
at home.
Viewed from this angle and
bearing in mind the local demands
upon most of the legislators, the
1927 legislature deserves COM
mendation. 1t did nothing to pro-
mote a statewide special privilege.
It passed no law to disturb busi-
ness, to infringe upon personal
rights, to curtail development or
retard enterprise. 1t passed more
than ITO repeal bills, taking about
400 old laws off the statute books
the states first legislature to
thin rather than thicken the law
books. BY killing the Metcalf
power bill, the Finch port railroad
bill and side-tracking two or three
Seattle measures it checked the
trend toward public ownership.
This matter is debatable, of course
because some contend that re-
straint on public ownership is pro-
lection for private monopoly, but
1t seems the people of the state
are not willing to permit head
: long rushes into public ownership
On the other hand, the legisla-
ture passed the constitutional a.
mendment for the classification oil
property for taxation purposes. II
the people want it, they can enact
IN the 1928 elections, when il
will be live issue. This amend.
ment carries the element of risk
as do all reforms or corrective
plans, but it assuredly opens the
way for a just distribution of tax.
es, relief for the burdened ane
penalties for the evaders-its sue.
cess and benefits being dependent
upon the wisdom, justice and cour
age OF the future legislatures.
The legislature frightened ant
relaxed laws on the motorist, rails
ing the speed limit to 40 miles al
lnour, requiring more care in han
Ir!ing headlights, making it NOR
mhtult for the thief to take /;
car. But it moved to make it eas
ler for the motorist to travel b,
aarting to do away with tol
orldges, adopting the policy o
tne free and open highway" ]
set aside more than 100000 flo
sae state to take over and free
.aree toll bridges-Metaline, Bur
Oank and Vancouver-Portland.
Two other bills of statewide in
9rest were passed. One was tn