The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1936-07-23
4 OF Is BILLS
GET PLACES ON
FALL BALLOT
4O-Mill Tax Limit, Pension
Bill, Fishing Bill and State
Civil Service to be Deter
mined by Voters <@E

bS1 WV w ~
mined by Voters r
Although most initiatives pro-
posed this year have failed, several
measures and constitutional amend
ment which will appear on the
November ballot are the most far
reaching which the voters of WASH
ington have yet faced, it was dis
closed yesterday as Secretary OF
State E. N. Hutchinson neared the
end of his check of initiative sig
natures. .-.. " ia. ~ . b..
Among the proposals are author
izations for huge bond issues and
for new taxes. One constitutional
amendment would confer unlimited
authority on the Legislature to re-
classify property for taxation pur-
poses, grant exemptions and enact
a graduated income tax law.
Throughout Washingt IN, tax
payers have organized to resist
these schemes and to reenact the
law limiting the rate of taxation
on real estate to 40 mills.
Three Amendments Proposed
The 1885 Legislature proposed
and approved three constitutional
amendments which may be briefly
summarized as follows:
Authorizing a net income tax
law and giving the Legislature au-
thority to reclassify property by
subjects, supervise levies for cor
porate purposes and to grant ex-
emptions.
Authorizing the payment Of IS
a day expenses to members Of the
Legislature besides their per diem
of S..
Authorizing the state to go into
the business of buying and selling
electrical power and authorizing
general bonds of approximately
s35, 100000 and utility bonds in UNI
limited amounts.
Seek 4O-Min Limit Law
Of the twenty-five initiative
measures filed this year, only four
have reached the stage Of being
checked in the office Of Secretary
of State E. N. Hutchinson. Seven
bills were abandoned and others
substituted for circulation. Of the
four which have survived, two ap-
pear reasonably certain Of going
on the ballot in November. They
are:
No. ia Seeking the reenactment
of the 4O-mill limit law. The meas
ure proposes to amend the present
law to permit lower percentage Of
voters participating in bond elec-
lions and special elections to In
crease taxes, to legalize such actions
at the polls.
No. lis, providing pensions not to
exceed 500 a month for persons
more than 60 years of age and for
the blind and disabled. This initia-
tive proposes new business and oc-
cupational taxes, new levies on fuel
oil, amusement taxes, inheritance
taxes, levies on proprietary medi-
cines, toilet articles and cosmetics,
and utility taxes amounting to a
minimum of $18,OOO,OOO.
The State Tax Commission esti-
mates that the minimum amount
would produce only $13.77 a month
instead of the 500 month and that
to obtain the maximum pension
would require a revenue of $780,
100000 a year.
Another measure to be on the
ballot is No. S, passed along to the
people by the Legislature. It pro-
hibits the use of purse seines in
fishing for salmon or other fish and
providing for the confiscation of
boats and equipment for violations
of the act.
Civil Service Measure
A fourth is No. 101, providing for
a civil service system for the state.
It was purported to have 5000 sig
natures when filed fer checking,
but until the petitions have been
examined no prediction that it will
appear on the ballot is possible.
The law requires minimum Of
$4,000 valid signatures of voters.
Another measure unchecked yet is
No. 119, the observation-disclosures act
sponsored by the Washington Com
monwealth Federation. It is de-
signed to put the state into the
business of manufacturing and sell