The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1935-02-07
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OILY M PI "A
LETTER
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One ray of sunshine broke thru
the legislative clouds here last
week, when Chairman A. E. Ed
wards of the House appropriations
committee asserted that the bud
get was in for some mighty deep
pruning.
So far during the three weeks
of the session all talk has been
about revenues and more money to
spent. Nothing has been said
about any reduction in government
tai costs. On the contrary a brief
survey of pending legislation in
dicates an almost insane desire on
the part of some blocs and groups
to increase taxes through every
possible means, create more jobs,
more commissions and more ways
bankrupting the state. !, >
Some weeks before the session
convened, Democratic members of
the senate met in caucus at Seat
tie and with a blare of trumpets
and fan fare of drums, announc-
ed that the senate employees list
would be pared to the bone; that
each member, that is each Demo-
cratic member, would be allowed
two bites of patronage. Republic
cans were to get nothing.
There are 81 Democrats. Hence
"a employees, except of course such
employees as secretary, sergeant at
arms, etc., not normally consider
ed patronage plums for individual
members.
Then the session met. It was de-
cided to lift the number to permit
each Republican one employee.
This was done.
But last week, a small senate
bloc discovered 1872 employees on
the payroll and following the re-
sultant thunderclap, twenty-five
bit the dust. Payrolls were slash
ed. Salaries of $15 a day, there
was but one, suffered severe jolt
and more head chopping is in sight.
Somewhere along the line the
more conservative members on both
sides of the state house are start
ing to do little thinking for
themselves instead of permitting
the left wing bloc do it all, as well
as all the talking for the entire
legislature.
This is why the future looks a
little more bright for those who
will ultimately be called upon to
foot the bills.
There never has been a green
legislature in state history, but it
was bitten badly by the "investi-
CATION bee" The Twenty-Fourth
session is no exception.
Investigations rule, that is I'M
less Governor C. d. Martin wants
one. That's a different matter in
So far as the House is concerned.
AS it now stands, the VERA is
under investigation. The cement
plants of the state are being inves-
tigated. The Department of Pub
lie Works is under probe. The
Liquor Control Board has aroused
someone's ire and it is under quizz.
The governors request for q
probe of the gasoline industry,
however, failed. The House re-
fused it, because the left wingers
considered that maybe the charges
hurled at the industry could not be
substantiated and they didn't want
to spoil a good target. Hence the
defeat of the contemplated investi-
cation.
Others are yet to come. No one
is safe at this stage of the game.
Maybe there will be a probe into
the price of bread, flour, etc., be-
fore the final adjournment.
During he campaign, the Com
monwealth Builders and similar
brand of candidates operating un-
der the cloak Of the Democratic
party, or more correctly, stealing
under that party's banner, turned
their heavy artillery upon industry
and business generally.
This has resulted in concerted
attacks upon invested capital and
corporations of all kinds.
The first week of the session was
devoted to a drive against the Pc
troleum industry with its $31, 000,-
600 investment in. the state, and
the $4,000 payroll, and $6,000,000
yearly expenditures for supplies
and materials in Washington.
The busy bird dogs were dragging
out every possible kind of bill to
make people squirm, ranging for