White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-02-19
Lawmakers At
Olympia Battle
On Tax Reform
To Elect Or Appoint Tax
Commissioners Is
Moot Question
KNUTE HILL

KNUTE HILL
The House this week passed bill
giving Seattle one more Superior
Court Judge. This bill will, no doubt,
pass the Senate, although last week
that body defeated an attempt to give
Seattle two additional judges.
On second reading in he House
there was an attempr TO slr1ke the
emergency clause in the bill taxing
butter substitutes. 1t was argued that
no emergency exists and that it was
merely an attempt at referendum by
the people on the measure further,
that similar bill was passed some
years ago and on referendum the peo-
pie overwhelmingly defeated it. The
friends Of the dairy interests rallied
to the support of the measure, how
ever. It was agued that it had become
quite customary to attach emergency
clauses to most bills with no emergen-
cy existing, and that is was just as fair
in this case as in others to attach the
clause, and that this was merely a
move to defeat the bill. The vote
to- retain the emery ency clause was
more than four to one and fairly in
dicates the vote whicn will pass the
bill next week. The Senate has al
ready passed it. An interesting feature
Of the vote was that the Stewart
brothers were opposed, Grant Ste
wart representing the farming in
terests Of Ferry County and Dayton
Stewart representing the labor in
terests of Spokane. The only East
Side opposition to the bill was the
eight votes in the Spokane delega-
ton and Representative Benson of
Wa1la Walla.
The Senate passed House Bill No.
IL, with three important amend
ments which makes the bill far more
acceptable. One provides that the
! three members Ct the cssunry sup
ervisory tax commission be elected
by the people Of the county instead
OF appointed by the State Tax Com
mission. The second provides that
the bill shall be operative for only
two years as an experiment. The
third provides that the bill shall
not apply to present or proposed
municipal power plants, as it was
feared that the bill was aimed &C the
power bill adopted by the people at
the last election. This material change
in the bill will meet strenuous op-
position in the House next week.
Still there are many members Of
the House who voted for the bill
because they feared to do otherwise,
stating privately that they consid-
cred it a vicious bill. They have also
heard from their constituents at home
and have seen the almost unanimous
sentiment of the press thruout the
State condeuaning the bill. Therefore,
they are glad to support bill more
to their liking.
On Tuesday afternoon the mem
orial exercises for deceased members
were held. There was list OF
twenty-four names, including ex-
governor Hart, so the program last
ed more than two hours. Leroy
West, the singing speed cop, and
Mrs. Adam Beeler, wife Of Judge
Bee1er, entertained the large audience
with fine vocal solos, and trio
furnished instrumental music. Your
representative was selected by the
two Joint Memorial Committees to
give the memorial address and brief
eulogies for each deceased member
were read by their successors.
There was an attempt in Approp-
ration Committee on Wednesday to
strike the whole appropriation for
the Prosser experiment station. The
move was made without any WARN
ing. although / had requested that
be given notice when this matter
should come up so that could in
form interested parr1es IN Prosser.
Representative Rowe had stated to
the Committee that unless we could
get large enough appropriation to
make it real experiment station it
was better to abandon it entirely.
Senator Dinl1nick and your represen-
tative went before the committee
and stated the good work done at
the station and the benefits to the
people of Eastern Washington. He
also requested that the matter be
deferred until we could wire interest
ed parties in Benton County who had
figures to back up our contention.
Ten minutes later l was informed
by several Of the members Of the
committee that the whole approp-,
ration requested, except an increase
in salary, was voted by the commit
tee, disregarding the Governors cut
of 100000. The East Side carried
against the West Side on the ap-
preparation. This appropriation also
includes 100000 for the bee in
dustry was informed. This will be
Of interest to bee men tlruout the
State. Senator Dimick says that the
sane result has been attained in the
Senate Appropriation Committee, SO
unless something comes up on the
floor the proposition is safe.
Thursday brief session of one
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