White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-03-12
House In Jam
AS Session
End Nears
Many Important Bills
Die For Lack of Time
For Consideration
KNUTE HILL


The past week has been busy one
although no bill of major import
ance has passed both Houses. The
Senate united under the leadership
of Lieutenant Governor Gellatley has
cleared it's calender and held just
a short session Saturday. The House
far behind schedule with several hun
dred bills still smothered in commit
tees had it's busiest day Saturday,
having two separate calenders and
working until P. M. Debate was
limited and several bills were advanced
directly from second reading to final
passage. Twenty-Five were passed
and five were rejected. Among the
latter was the Old Age Pension Bill
which the Senate had passed by a
vote Of 20 to 10. The vote in the
House was 46 to 46, five members
being absent. Among those passed
was one by Davis Of Columbia eek
ecutive Request) which provides that
railroads and others must pay their
taxes (under protest if they desire)
and sue for refund if they claim over
taxation. 1t was good bill and prac-
tically no opposition. Another was
an amendment to the Constitution to
throw off all restrictions on the Leg
islature regarding taxation. This will
go to- the people in 1882. Strange to
say, Davis of Pierce and others who
two and four years ago opposed such
an amendment now say it is neces-
sary before any relief can be given
taxpayers! There is always some eX-
G~s1 ~ to
relief.
Two measures passed by House
and strongly opposed by King county
delegation because they would limit
King to 21@o of the representation in
the Legislature were an amendment
to Constitution and a bill to Offset
Initive No. 81 adopted by the people
last election. The. contention for the
bill is that according to the Constitu-
ton the Legislature sfall reapportion
the state after each census and that
this is the first opportunity since 1880
census. King replies that the Legis-
lature was slow to discover this pro-
vision % and that this bill is not the
basis of population.
Two bills pertaining to our Prin-
airy law were passed over the siren
uous opposition of the more progress
sive members. One declares that a
person must declare his party affilia-
ton before he is permitted to cast
a partisan (Rep or Dem.) ballot in
the Primary. This also passed the
Senate. 1t will be interesting to watch
how this will be accepted by the COM
mon voter who has denandedsa more
liberal Primary ballot, and the effect
it will have on the majority party in
the 1882 election. The other was the
adoption of the plan propounded by
the Bellingham Convention in $780,
the advisory convention system. A
rather Illuminating incident occurred
during the debate on the bill. The
sponsor of the bill pointed to a bal
cony full of women and urged the
enactment into law because they were
hoping for this result. He gave the
impression that they were members
the Women's Republican Commit
teewomen. Mrs. McQueston, Repres-
entative from Pierce county, tried to
get the floor and explain that they
were Pierce and Thurston county wo-
men protesting against the bill but
the Soeaker refused to recognize
her! The only two women sponsoring
the bill and lobbying for it for two
weeks were sitting on the other side
smiling among group of interested
spectators. A very good illustration
Of the tricks used by the advocates
of the old convention system
There have been three important
vetoes during the past week. The I'M
expected of the Boxing Bill was tax
en- with good grace" by its sponsors
Administration men) who have learn
ed to take their medicine without
whimper. Of course the reasons Civ
en- for the veto were valid enough and
advanced by the opponents on it's
passage; that is, that it was not real
ly Legion Bill as claimed and that
it would give monopoly to the rich
fight promoters of our large cities.
The veto of child welfare bill spon-
sored by Senator Chas. Hall was al
most overridden in the Senate. It
lacked only one vote of the two-thirds
necessary and this was due to illness
of Senator Dimmifck who is in the
hospital. The veto was due to the fact
that the Governor does not like Sen
ator Hall and has consistently op-
posed any measures for child well
fare and measures sponsored by Wo-
mems Clubs.
The most exciting test was the at
tempt to pass Rep. Van Horns So
called egg bill over the Governors
veto. This bill had passed the Legis-
lature twice 1929 and 1881 and vet
oed twice. The vote had been unan-
imous in the House. No valid reasons
were given in the veto message as
was demonstrated by the able de-
fence of Var Horn. But the latter
has been consistent although not a
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