Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1931-03-19
WASHINGTON SOLONS
ADJOURN MEETING
Senate Emerges Victor; House
Yields on Every Demand as
Session Ends
In Session ~ Hours Continuously
House Yields to Ultimatum - Tax.
payers Get Three Cheers - Legls-
latlws SUMMARIZES Auto License
and Gas Tax Pass.

| OlyWplH, wash, - ING washington
| legislature adjourned at 1910 a. m
! Monday after deadlock between the
house and senate was broken which
had lasted during most Of the session
and 70 hours overtime.
The house supporters Of Governor
Hartley began cracking under the long
strain early Sunday afternoon when
the house yielded to the senate in
conference fights over the $20000,000
road bill, the s4O,0OO,Ooo general sup.
| ply budget, and reclamation levy and
supplemental appropriations.
Thus the senate majority" which
has been in constant conflict with
the governor since 1925, during which
time the senate group took several
lickings, managed to come out on top
in the most unusual legislative fight
and deadlock in the history of Wash
ington.
72 Consecutive Hours.
The legislature had been in con.
tinuous session for 72 hours, although
the members, while under constant
call, were given long periods of "at
ease" under "gentlemen's agree.
ment" to enable them to obtain sleep,
but at no time was the chair of either
house vacant. Members of several con.
ference committees were not so for
tunate, especially IL senators and
representatives on the committees
dealing with general and highway ap-
preparations, being required to keep
plugging night and day in efforts to
compose the differences between the
two houses.
The final break came when the re.
lentless senate rules committee head.
ed by Lieutenant.Governor Gellatly,
having won in conferences on general
appropriations and the reclamation
levy. formally served an ultimatum
on the house to recede from its stand
for 100000 for bridge over Decep-
tion pass and to consent to a provi.
sion of 100000 for a sea wall on the
Seattle water front. The senate
threat was adjournment without
road bill.
The senate majority also won on its
demand that road appropriations be
definitely tied down to specific prof.
ects. This provision was demanded,
according to formal statement by
the senate, to prevent the highway
department from shifting funds to
projects favored by the governor.
Senate Wins Three Points.
Three points were won by the sen.
ate majority in the fight over gen.
eral appropriations. First, the house
yielded to a downward revision of
salaries for executive employees, in
GLIDING the department directors who
are members of Governor Hartley's
cabinet. The reductions, which were
calculated to average 10 per cent, do
not apply to clerks, stenographers and
members of the state highway patrol,
in other words, they are political cuts.
Second, the house consented to seq
regation of appropriations for salaries,
which was demanded by the senate to
prevent "springing back" of salaries
after adjournment of the legislature.
In addition, the senate forced a
number of revisions in other appropri.
atoms recommended by the governor.
While the revisions have not been
Tailed, senate leaders claimed that
the Hartley budget was trimmed by
more than S1,000,00O."
But after all, it must be remember.
ed that Governor Hartley has the last
word, and perhaps some of the pet
bills that the senate fought so hard
for and won over the house may be
discarded by the executive veto.
Senator Paul Houser voiced a
bristling attack on the hangover" leg.
islative session as both houses neared
the finish of the second overtime day.
There is great deal of talk about
lawlessness in the land. especially in
regard to the eighteenth amendment"
Houser declared
But here we have the spectacle of |
forty.two senators and ninety-seven |
house members in open, willful viola.
ton OF the state constitution for more
than thirty-six hours"
Taxpayers Remembered.
Senator Il. B. Benn Of Grays Har-
Dor dissolved the serious discussion
into laughter when he rose and sol.
emily declared:
I'VE have been In session sixty
days without doing anything for the
taxpayers except to cinch the load on
them n little tighter. This session
must not adjourn without doing some.
thing for the taxpayers. move that
We give them three cheers"
Walker seconded the motinu md