The Last-Week Jam in Olympia: Liquor, Primaries and a Budget Nobody Counted

Olympia, March 9. — If the onlooker were a lumberman he might aptly say there is a "jam" in the legislative stream. Both houses are badly congested with business, and the closing days will be strenuous for the solons. It seems to be a habit with legislators to fritter away much valuable time during the early part of the session with useless discussion of unimportant bills, while the money and other important measures are held back for committee tinkering and then rushed through during the closing hours with little consideration.

It will take persistent work on the part of both houses to handle the great amount of business awaiting action. Night sessions will be in order, and it is hoped by that means to clear up all the really important business. Committee recommendations will count for more than oratory during the last days. As most of the members have indulged in vocal gymnastics to their heart's content during the session, they are in the mood to allow measures to go to a final vote without incessant talking.

SETTLE LOCAL OPTION QUESTION. After pending in the legislature for nearly the entire 60 days and interfering materially with other legislation, the local option issue was settled when the senate concurred in the house amendments to the senate bill. The "amendments" consist of a new bill, retaining only the enacting clause of the senate bill, which materially differs from the measure originally passed by the upper branch. As finally adopted, it provides that each municipal corporation shall be a separate unit and that the country districts in each county outside incorporated cities shall be a single unit. A vote on the liquor question may be had at preliminary special elections, upon petition of 30 per cent of the voters, but subsequent voting must be at general elections. The bill permits individuals to bring into dry territory for private use spirituous liquor in quantities not to exceed one gallon and malt liquors not to exceed one case, in unbroken packages. Liquor may be manufactured in dry territory and delivered therein to individuals. Cumulative penalties for violations of the act are provided.

Close friends of Acting Governor Hay believe that despite his threats to veto any save the Falconer-McMaster bill and call a special session, he will either sign the bill or permit it to become a law without his signature.

WOULD AMEND PRIMARY. The bill amending the primary election law was passed by the senate. It provides that candidates for justice of the supreme court shall be nominated by party conventions instead of by direct primary. Primary election day will be the last Tuesday in June instead of the second Tuesday of September, as provided in the present law. A plan was devised whereby candidates may have their names appear on the official ballot at the head of the list as often as in any other position. The bill proposes that the order in which the names appear shall be changed as many times as there are candidates for one office. If there are six candidates for one office, six sets of ballots will be printed in which the order is so changed that there will be no advantage to any one candidate; the printer, after printing one set, will take the line of type from the head of the list and place it at the bottom and print the next lot. When the various sets of ballots are printed they are thoroughly mixed and sent out.

The provision of the direct primary relating to advertisements in the newspapers was somewhat modified. The bill provides that persons other than candidates may cause to be printed, at advertising rates, any article advocating the election or the defeat of any candidate, provided "that it shall be plainly stated that the article is a paid advertisement and that it shall state who pays for it." In the event that an article derogatory to any candidate is printed, the candidate may use the same amount of space to reply.

MAY INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS. An event of the past week, which may result in greatly increased appropriations, was the dissolution of the joint appropriations committee of the house and senate before a single section of the schedules covering the educational, charitable, penal and reformatory institutions had been adopted. This is the end of the joint effort to frame an appropriations act that would be satisfactorily confined within the limits of estimated revenue for the biennial term, and unless the signs fail, the taxpayers are to be up against a total appropriation that will force a three-mill levy next year on the basis of the highest proportionate assessment ever put on the tax rolls of the state. Not only is such the prospect with respect to the general fund levy, but it is also likely that the legislative trading expected to follow between the members of both houses representing counties having state institutions will result in a total of appropriations that must plunge the general fund beyond the twelve hundred thousand dollar debt it already owes the permanent school fund.

CONFER ON CODE BILL. The senate refused to concur in the action of the house in striking out the sections of the penal code prohibiting the sale or manufacture of rectified or improperly aged liquors, and also the exemption from criminal inhibition of games for wagers played between the host and guests in private residences or apartments, and conference committees were appointed. The conference committees agreed upon a report, the most important features of which will be an acceptance by the house of a stringent section forbidding the rectifying of liquors and the four-year-age limit on all whiskeys save Irish or Scotch, and abandonment by the senate of the section specifically exempting games in private homes where wagers are posted on the outcome.

HEALTH MEASURE PASSED BY HOUSE. A senate bill creating the office of state commissioner of health was passed by the house after some of the country members had exhausted themselves in an effort to thwart its passing. The measure provides that within 30 days after the act takes effect the state board of health shall elect a state health commissioner at a salary of $5000 a year and expenses. The commissioner is to look after the sanitary conditions of the state and is to be state registrar of vital statistics; he is to be the executive officer of the health board and have charge of its laboratories, property and records. The country members felt that the election of the officer would be an added burden on the taxpayers.

BURN SLASHINGS AS USUAL. A bill prohibiting the burning of slashings during the exposition at Seattle next summer was indefinitely postponed by the house. E. B. Palmer and country members led the attack on the measure. They held that smoke from brush fires would not cause inconvenience to visitors at the fair. As a further reason for delaying the bill it was shown that the dry heaps of brush were liable to catch fire and aid in carrying the flames of forest fires. The inconvenience the bill would cause farmers on the western slope was another reason for its postponement.

HOUSE FAVORS FREE LIBRARIES. A bill permitting municipalities and school districts to levy taxes for the establishment and maintenance of free libraries was passed by the house. Whenever 25 taxpayers petition, the question of providing library facilities may be voted on at the next election. Libraries established under the bill are to be governed by a board of five trustees and subject to the inspection of the state library commission.

GRAIN INSPECTION BILL PASSED. The new grain inspection and warehouse bill is now up to the governor, having passed both houses. The bill abolishes the present office of state grain inspector but puts supervision of grain under the railway commission. The law is broadened to give the commission control of public warehouses and inspection of hay. Railroad companies, under the new law, will have to have suitable sidetracks equipped with scales for purposes of weighing. The cost of inspection of sacked grain will be advanced from 75 cents to $1, and the inspection of bulk grain will be 75 cents.

HOUSE KILLS INITIATIVE MEASURE. The initiative and referendum bill, which had been reposing in the labor statistics committee since the opening of the session, was killed in the house Friday. The operation was performed so quickly that the supporters of the bill did not know what happened until the job was done.

SENATE PASSES HOTEL LIQUOR BILL. The senate passed a bill authorizing the governor, treasurer and auditor, acting as a state license board, to grant state liquor licenses to hotels located in cities of the first class and having more than 100 rooms, to sell liquor with meals served in the dining rooms.