White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-01-31
Washington
State Analyst
By Horace Lane and Lew selvidge

one-house legislature will be sug-
gested to the lawmakers when the
constitutional revision committees re-
port is presented some time this week.
The committee will also send the leg
islature a batch Of nine bills to cover
their recommendations. Before any
changes can be made in the constitu-
ton, the proposals must pass both
house and senate by two-thirds ma
iorities and then be approved by the
voters in the next general election.
A legislative council would be created,
county government would be altered
and mergers provided for; the tax sys-
tenn would be changed to provide leg
islative authority to exempt homes,
impose graduated income taxes, county
assessors would be eliminated and that
work done by the state. Salaries OF
state officers would have maximum
figure of $4,000 yearly.
The legislature closed it's second week
of deliberations with the record OF
having passed only one bill outside OF
appropriating salary and expense mon
ey for itself.
Representatives had filed 1853 bills, IL
memorials and 10 resolutions and
passed three memorials and three bills,
two appropriating money and one
pertaining to the State law library.
Senators put in 81 bills to date, z
memorials and resolutions, passing only
the two money bills and memorials
and resolutions. The session had cost
the state approximately $4,000 to date.
Chief fireworks of the past week
conferred around the new higWay code
submitted by the state highway de-
partment on orders of the 1888 legis-
lature. Senate conservatives turned
back two attempts by liberals to delay
or kill the bulky code. One was by
postponing action on it until the 1887
session and the second by taking 1t
away from the committee before 1T
was printed.
Although the state tax commission
has not submitted it's official tax pro-
gram designed to raise 81 ,5OO,OOO
year. numerous severance, securities,
occupational and income tax measures
will be filed soon.
Fisheries Situation Controversial
Washington's fisheries situation is
still the subject of controversy in the
legislature. Initiative No. 5 has been
passed back to the Secretary of State
bv both houses without action. 1t the
ruling of the Attorney General is &C
copied the proposal will go on the bal
lot without further deliberations. The
measure, however, seems to be recelV-
ing little consideration as a means OF
meeting the present fisheries problem
Both houses, during the 1888 session
refused to give any definite approval
to the II movement and are still OPP
posed to and refusing to participate In
any measure that borders on gear
fight. That feeling is not confined te
the legislature There are open ex-
pressions being made quite generally
around the capitol that some definite
, fisheries control program should be
initiated by the state, uninf1uenced by
any of the branches of the fishing in
, dustry.
! Such opinions may therefore ultl'
! mately dictate constructive conser'
!. walton program more far reaching
$ than any that has thus far been pro
i posed.
t Utility rates have been reduced f1v
!. per cent in the last eighteen month
r and utilities are paying more take
: now than formerly, E. K. Murray, dir
: ector of the department of publ
5. works, will advise the legislature in hi
S annual report sometime this week
[. Murray is expected to ask the legis
5. lature for legislation to open the wa
h for faster action in the courts on utll
e ity rate and valuation cases. The de
partment has not yet completed II
major cases and will ask the legislator
for $25O,OOO to continue the work.
like sum was appropriated last session
- The department must complete tn
~ Pacific Power & Light company cas-
the Puget Sound Power & Light com
pany investigation and the Washing
ton Water Power company investigs
ton. Two phone companies are bein
investigated now the Pacific Telephor
and Telegraph and the Home Telt
IS phone company These probes will
completed by next fall, Murray wi
say.
Mt OLD-FASHIONED COMMUNITY
"a x,Aunxz q ArI1pnAX ENEMIN