White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-03-07
Washington
State Analyst
BY LEW SELVIDGE

Clicked by more than 1000 bills, the
stream of legislative enactment is so
badly damned that it begins to look
as if the boys at the statehouse will
have difficulty clearing a way for bills
necessary to maintenance of govern
ment
The session will officially end March
18th. The lawmakers will then go
through the mockery Of stopping clocks
and covering calendars, and go on
fighting over necessary legislation, for
several days, perhaps week.
Of course, neither house can recess
after midnight March 14Jh, not even
to sleep. But with a little organiza-
ton, someone can always be left in the
chair, while the rest sleep where they
can. But it is tough life, since there's
no pay coming after midnight, March
18th, and the boys usually get through
in short order.
At the first of this week the impor-
tant bills pending in the legislature
stood about this way:
Appropriation bill-unpassed by eth
er house.
Old-age pensions -unpassed by eth
err house.
Unemployment relief-unpassed by
either house.
100000 tax bill-unpassed by eth
er house.
Highway code-Unpassed by either
house.
Income tax constitutional amend
ment-passed by house.
Cocktail bill-unpassed by either
house.
New public welfare department bill
passed house.
Agriculture adjustment act-passed
both houses (Tuesday).
On last Monday only IS measures
had been passed by both houses, out
of the 1854 introduced. The Senate
had approved % House bills and the
House 10 Senate bills. The average
legislature enacts $50 measures.
Rough weather and squalls are ahead
for the revenue bill when it reaches
the floor of the house the middle Of
this week When the scrap opens, it Is
expected that the Ohio sales tax plan
will be offered as an amendment, in
addition to the present business and
occupations tax. The Ohio levy would
be for general two per cent tax on
everything except bread and milk and
articles that sell for less than ten
cents.
The Ohio plan has alreay been pre-
sented in the Senate by George Love
joy, King county solon.
| AS now drawn up, the bill increases
the levies under the business and oc-
equations tax, and slaps a special ia,
on cigarettes, tobacco and amusements
The tobacco tax proposal is drawing
heavy fire as a levy against the poo
mans only luxury,
Senator D. o. Nugent GeWis) ha!
introduced a bill providing for state
county and city civil service commits.
sions, and establishing state per
sonnet department to select employee
for handling public business. The ides
seems fairly good, but the bill is likel,
to be lost in the jam.
, One of the widest" bills ever in
PRODUCED in the house was presented
by Ben Sawyer, Thurston, recently. I
would authorize the state to issu
, $1OO,OO0,O0O in treasury certificates, t.
be used in relief work projects, oil
age pensions and the like. The Ger
tificates would be non-interest bear
ing and would be redeemable by tn
state at any time in ten years.
The senate has killed the bill t
put the state in the wholesale gasolin
$ business, but other measures pend t
: declare gasoline public utility. Cos
: sip around the state house says Gov
J. ernor Martin had thumbs turned dow
on the gasoline measure to rob OFT
q Case, state treasurer, of a campaign is
sue in the coming race for governo
The bill only gave the state permits
= sion to enter the gasoline field, if cor
!, ditions were considered adverse in thu
! industry to the public good. Had
q passed and the governor found tf
! state need not go in the business, Cas-
. would have had his argument. He he
q been making broadcast speeches Q
= the need for putting the state in tt
;. gasoline business.
The proposed state welfare depar
ment has stirred a couple of hot SCI
sions already, and it is only over tt
first hurdle in the race to the go'
le ernors Office. The house passed IL
' measure after ex-Speaker George Yal
r. ---