White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-03-26
1egislature
Olives No Relief
( To Taxpayers
knute Hill Reviews Re-
cent Session and Tells
How 1t Happened
KNUFE HILL

ne 1851 session OF the legislature
is at an end and brief resume may
be of interest to your readers. It is
/, generally conceded that more was ex-
pected and less accomplished at this
session than at any previous one. Tax
relief was demanded by all except
those who now escape taxation. OF
course the latter (whose mouthpiece
is the Business Chronicle') are jub-
liant that nothing was done.
The governor, Notwithstanding his
statement in his message that after
six years of wrestling with the tax
problem it was still in a state of
chaos, did not offer one constructive
suggestion. The regular state tax
commission, which is appointed and
paid for the business of solving this
problem, offered no suggestions. The
advisory tax commission did offer %
bills, but none of these three agencies
agreed on proposed constructive
plan. The report of the adv tax com.
was withheld from the public and the
legislators until the opening day Of
the session. 1t could hardly be ex-
pected that 139 newly elected laymen
could solve in short 60-day session
with many other important matters
also coming up) problem on which
10 experts had failed to agree dur
ing period of two years. Still much
could have been accomplished if there
had been cooperation between the
two houses and no interference from
the executive department.
The house was not organized for
action. Seven members, pledged in
writing, broke their promise in voting
on speakership. The result was that
new, inexperienced and in some cases
incompetent chairmen were ap-
pointed This made progress slow.
Older members "sat on the sidelines"
and were not urged to take part.
When they volunteered some con-
structive assistance they were often
rebuffed by some pompous chair
man. Countless cases could be cited.
One will suffice A bill relieving q
driver or owner of car from liabil-
ity for accidental injury to a passen-
ger IS. b. No. g. passed the senate
and came to the house early in the
session. The sponsor of the bill placed
on our desks statement with some
actment of the law. But he tactlessly
concluded with the declaration that
the chief DIRECTORS were "shyster"
lawyers Cor words to that effect) who
subsisted on cases of that kind
against insurance companies. The
chairman of the committee to whom
the bill was referred happened to be
lawyer. He may be a good lawyer,
but he displayed both incompetence
and an autocratic spirit by refusing
to put motion duly made and Sec
onded to report the bill out. It was
stated by three members that this
occurred often in that committee.
The same was true of at least two
other committees. Later this bill, with
scores of others. died in rules COM
mittee. This committee was the most
autocratic of years. With one excep-
ton the members were administrn-
ton men. A bill may be forced out of
committee by majority vote of all
members. This is never practicable,
as under the present regime too many
are under obligations to the
rules committee for some road or ap-
Scores of bills, good and
bad, were smothered by this COM
mittee. Two bills Of Importance will
suffice to explain the situation. They
were sponsored by the department Of
public lands, were not in any way
political, and were for the best inter-
ests of the state Senate bill No. 81
deals with the sale of state timber,
and senate bill No. 50 deals with the
sale of state oyster lands. The two
following letters from Hon. Clark
Savidge explain the status of these
bills:
Olympia, March IA, 1881.
Hon. Knute Hill.
Prosser, Wash.
NY Dear Mr.. Hill:
Complying with your request for
regarding senate bill No.
81, which we designate as the sus-
tanned yield bill, you are advised that
The bill passed the senate without
dissenting vote, and was sent to the
house on February 3, 1881.
1t was referred to the house COM
mittee on state granted school and
tide lands. A joint session of that
committee and the committee on
oeged-off lands was held. appeared
oefore the committee by request and
explained the bill. The members Of
he two committees spent an hour and
4 half discussing it and asking ques-
ions, with the result that all present
we're satisfied with the bill. It was
,eported out "Do Pass" by the COM
nittee and was then sent to the ap-
committee because it
carried loan from the general fund.
After due consideration it came out
If that committee with the name of
,verv member attached to it recon-
that it "Do Pass" 1t then,
IF course, went to the rules COM
nittee