THE MORNING OKEGUJNlAjN, WKD-NISSDAY, FJSJBKUAKr 8, littg.
RAILROAD COMMISSION BILL IN HANDS OF THE POLISHER
RATE POWER DENIED
DIRECT PRIMARIES BILL
NTRODUCED IN BOTH HOUSES OF
WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE.
Remodeling of the Ponderous
Bill a Serious Task,
Cities of Third and Fourth Classes
and Other Exemptions Are
Provided For.
t f
; THREE PROMINENT STATE SENATORS OF THE WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE, SKETCHED BY HARRY MURPHY
OPPOSITION IS NOT MARKED
Washington Railroad Men Seem
Fairly Well SatlsfiedWith Changes
Made by House Committee
Division of Opinion.
OLYMPIA, "Wash.. Feb. 7. (Staff Corre
spondence.) The subcommittee of the
House, In -whose hands the Railroad Com
mission bill has been undergoing a trans
formation for the past week, have prac
tically completed their labors, and the
measure Is now In the hands of the Attorney-General,
who is polishing off
the rough edges and putting: the legal
veneering on the measure.
The subcommittee, unless something
happens in the meantime, will report it
back to the Joint railroad committee
Thursday. The action of that commit
tee on the report of the subcommittee
will determine whether the trouble will
be settled this week or not. jit is re
garded as a certainty that there will
come from the subcommittee both a
minority and a majority report, and
the discussion of these reports will
probably reveal a difference of opinion
among other members of the commit
tee. The bill will then be brought before
the House, where it will be taken up
probably in committee of the whole.
The duration of the fight will depend
entirely upon the size of the majority
that can be mustered for the amended
bill, which Is due Thursday from the
subcommittee. It is known that this
bill will not suit some of the members
who were strongly in favor of the Ken
nedy bill, as originally drawn, but It
is not yet certain that the number of
these ultra-commission men will be
sufficient to cause any delay in either
house.
Many Changes Are Necessary.
The bill is a ponderous affair of more
than 7000 words, and the work of re
modelling It has been a task that has
occupied all of the spare time of the
committee for the past week. The
third section of the bill, which con
ferred on the Commission power to
make rates, has entirely lost its Iden
tity since It reached the hands of the
.subcommittee, and in drder to make
the rest of the bill conform to the
changes made In this section, scores of
changes were necessary throughout,
while the radical hange In the third
section practically eliminates all of the
provisions which would confer great
political power on the Commissioners.
Harry Falrchlld, who framed the bill.
Is still regarded as certain of the ap
pointment as chairman of the commis
sion. There is considerable speculation
as to who his associates will be, but it is
rumored that one of them will be T. D.
Rockwell, a Spokane politician with
rather pronounced commission tenden
cies, and the other may be F. B. Heustls,
of Olympla. Instead of one or the other
of the two latter named, an Eastern
"Washington farmer may be named, but
the Governor has not yet made public his
Intentions regarding any of the appoint
ments. By virtue of a greater population, the
west side of the mountains will prob
ably secure two of the commissioners,
although it has always been and still is
a matter of Indifference to any but the
politicians on the west side, whether or
not there is a Railroad Commission bill
passed. The railroads have a smaller
lobby here than ever before, and are
making no serious protest against the
passage of such a bill as it is reported
will come from the subcommittee Thurs
day. Burden of Proof on Railroads.
The bill will place the burden of proof
on them when the question of discrimi
nation arises, and while the commission
will have no power to take the Initiative
in making rates, in case of a dispute
they will have power to make and en
force the new rate. Beyond this It Is
hardly probable that the proposed bill
can go.
Perhaps the most noticeable feature In
connection with the efforts of the com
mission men this session Is the almost
utter lack of organization compared with
the strong line-up and solid front dis
played two years, ago. This is due to
the difference of opinion among them
selve regarding the degree of stringency
necessary in the bill.
"When It was learned that It would be
impossible to pass a bill that would cure
all of the ills to which flesh is heir, the
members from east of the mountains be
gan receiving letters from their constitu
ents urging them to hold out for a bill
conferring rate-making powers on the
commission. Pressure of this kind was
so strong from some districts that the
members went home after the bill was
introduced and quieted the clamor with a
personal explanation of the situation.
It is pretty definitely settled that the
bill will not suit all classes or degrees
of railroad commission men, and Instead
of putting up a united front for some
special degree of legislation on these
lines, they are split up Into a number of
different groups. The southeast combine,
which were pledged to vote as .a unit on
the commission matter. Is the largest
branch of the commission forces, but even
In that camp there Is a wide difference of
opinion as to how drastic the measure
should be.
This lack of unison has made it easier
for the opposition to secure recognition.
and any measure that gets past both
houses will not be very harmful to the
railroads.
The capital-removal bill was received In
the House from the Senate today and re
ferred to the Judiciary committee, and as
soon as It is reported will be hustled
through the House as rapidly as possible
There were no new developments in the
content today, but the Olympians are still
fighting with all of the force they can
command. e. w. "W.
BANKING BILL MAY BE PASSED
Committee Replaces Section Cut Out
by the House.
OLYMPIA, Wash., Feb. 7. (Special.)
The foreign banking bill, which the
House amended by cutting out the sec
tion prohibiting the receiving of de
posits by newly organized branch for
eign banks and. then referred back to
the committee, will be reported back to
the House with the amended section
replaced in the bill with the recom
mendation that it pass.
The committee has decided to rec
ommend the passage of the House bill
requiring banks to report to the Sec
retary of State annually all deposits of
over $25 that have been idle for ten
years.
The House committee on revenue and
taxation has decided to report for pass
age Falconer's bill embodying the rec
ommendations of Governor Mead rela
tive to payment of tne state's 10 per
cent of the liquor licenses. The bill
provides that liquor licenses shall not
be valid until the Indorsement of the
State Treasurer that the state's share is
paid appears thereon.
A bill has been presented to the
Senate Judiciary committee with the
request that It be introduced as a com
mittee bill, v which repeals the direct
tax feature of the inheritance tax law,
leaving only a state Inheritance tax
against property left to collateral heirs.
The bill Is said to have been prepared
by attorneys for some of the larger
estates now being administered. The
committee took the bill under consid
eration. The joint subcommittee on printing,
which was appointed to recommend a
bill providing for all state printing,
will submit its report to the joint com
mittee tomorrow. The subcommittee
has prepared a bill which follows the
general plan of the Oregon law. It
provides for the appointment by the
Governor of a State Printer and classi
fies all printing and fixes a schedule
of prices that the State Printer shall
receive for the work.
The State Printer Is to print all mat
ter except the Supreme Court reports.
Each department Is to have a special
printing appropriation which will limit
it to the expenditure of the amount
required for its benefit.
The committee considered the ques
tion of recommending the purchase of
a state plant and the appointment of a
state foreman, after the California law,
and while leaning toward the plan
outlined above, it will report to the
main committee that It Is not opposed
to, -the California plan.
At the present time there Is no law
governing state printing. Each depart
ment is provided with an appropriation
and issues Its printing to the best pos
sible advantage.
Four bills in which the State Federa
tion of Labor has been taking active
Interest were up before the House com
mittee on labor tonight and on each
the committee will submit a divided re
port, the majority favoring indefinite
postponement. Five of the 15 members
favor the bills. The bills are: The
Twltchell bill, requiring the licensing
of stationary engineers; the Lyons bill,
regulating the conduct of sawmill mess
or boarding-houses; the Huxtable bill,
defining fellow servants, and the Dob
son bill, requiring employers to pay
their employes semi-monthly n cash.
Christian's "high finance" bill, which
has passed the Senate, was" before the
Judiciary committee of the House to
night. The bill permits one corpora
tion to own stock in another. Judge
J. I Stiles, of Tacoma, formerly on
the state supreme bench, delivered a
long address In opposition to the bill,
and Thomas B. Hardin, of Seattle, Sen
ator Welsh and Senator Christian spoke
in its favor. Stiles declared that such
a law would be conducive to the organ
ization of mergers and trusts.
The committee decided to recommend
the bill for passage.
Lumbermen Meet at Spokane.
SPOKANE, Feb. 7. The "Western Re
tail Lumbermen's' Association is holding
Its annual convention here. About 100
members, representing 55 firms, are here
from "Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Montana. Utah has applied for admis
sion. The convention will last three
days Tuesday. "Wednesday and Thurs
day. The meetings are behind closed
doors.
The Hoohoos, a social order, made up
of lumbermen, will give a banquet and
initiate 45 new members tomorrow night.
Fell in Pit and Drowned.
VIRGINIA CITY, Mont. Feb. 7. A man
named Munster. who was employed by
the Conroy Mining Company at Ruby,
fell off a scow at the Gordon Dredge to
day and was drowned In the- pit which
the dredge was excavating.
LIABILITY BILL IS SLAIN
HOUSE PUTS QUIETUS ON MEAS
URE PASSED BY SENATE.
Amount Recoverable in Action on
Death by Wrongful Act of An
other Was Put at $5000.
OLYMPIA. "Wash., Feb. 7. (Special.)
The Senate general liability bill, which
passed the upper branch of the Legisla
ture last week, met swift death In the
House this morning. The bill came In
'from the Judiciary committee with a.
recommendation that It be indefinitely'
postponed. A motion was made to adopt
the report, and the motion received a full
chorus of ayes and no opposing votes.
The bill limits to 55000 the amount re
coverable In actions for the death of a
person due to the wrongful act of another.
It was Introduced by "Welsh In the Senate
and found no serious opposition In that
body. There are numerous other bills
SENATOR ftUTH DEFENDING OLYMPIAN FIRESIDES AGAINST CAPITAL MOVERS
fixing the excess liability at $3000. but the
other measures affect only employes.
The State Federation of Labor Is vig
orously opposing the enactment of any
limit on employers' liability In the event
of death to an employe, and has asked
that if any bill is passed on the subject
it be a general act. covering all cases.
The Firemen's Relief Association and
pensioning bill created a warm debate In
the House just before the noon recess.
The bill was up on second reading, and
Roth attempted to secure the adoption of
amendments which would levy an addi
tional excise tax of 1 per cent on Insur
ance premiums for the. purpose of keeping
up the firemen's relief fund. The bill as
It stands takes half of the amount real
ized m each Incorporated city from the
present excise tax of 2 per cent. AH the
tax now goes to the general fund.
It was contended by Roth and L. A.
Johnson that the bill provided In effect
for an appropriation from the general
fund. During the discussion Roth Inter
posed a motion Indefinitely to postpone.
It was lost. 35 to 3. and recess was taken.
In the afternoon the House convened
with Roth not In his seat, and his amend
ment was taken up and defeated. Later
Roth declared on the floor of the House
that he had been detained by a fisheries
committee meeting, and ln an Indignant
voice Insisted that the House had treated
him discourteously. He then proposed the
Senate amendments to the Senate bill, and
demanded a rollcall. The Speaker ruled
that the request must come from 15 mem
bers, but only 11 responded, and rollcall
was refused. The amendments were de
feated by viva voce vote. The bill went
over to third reading without further ac
tion. In consideration of the Falconer state
depository bill, Vilas of King tried to se
cure an amendment relieving the bill of
some of Its more radical features. He
proposed to allow the State Depository
Board to keep a sum of money In each
bank equal to the capital stock and one
half the surplus. The bill permits only
an amount equal to the capital. Falconer
contended that the amendment would kill
the object of the bill by enabling the few
big banks to secure a monopoly of the
funds. The amendment was defeated.
The House indefinitely postponed the
House substitute bill regulating plumbing
In cities of the first class. The bill was
sent to the House with a divided com
mittee report, the majority favoring In
definite postponement. The minority re
port that the bill pass was voted down.
26 to 20. The House also Indefinitely post
poned the House bills providing for build
ing ordinances In first-class cities; pro
hibiting the remarriage of persons di
vorced on account of Insanity; making
- 4
employment of others than certified ex
pert accountants unlawful in expertlng
public accounts.
The Senate bill which removes the 50-
year limit on life Insurance companies
organized in this state was taken up un
der suspension of the rules and passed.
ayes 71, noes 1; absent, 15. The bill Can
nes an emergency clause.
The House also passed the Senate bill
fixing the bonds of guardians at double
the probable Issues of the estate and the
House bill requiring the consent of the
Board of Regents to the sale by the Land
Commissioner of agricultural college
lands.
The Senate passed the Stansell bill
which creates a judicial district In Ste
vens and Ferry Counties. The effect of
the bill If finally enacted will be to put
Judge R- S. Stelner in Okanogan, Chelan
and Douglas Counties; relieve Judge Poin
dexter of his Stevens County work, and
allow Ferry and Stevens to elect a new
Judge.
The divided committee report over the
Senate bill locating a school for defective
youth at Steilacoom had just started a
debate In the Senate when Baker secured
Its recommitment to the 'appropriations
committee. The bill carries an appro
priation of $52,000 and there is little oppo
sition to a division of the school, so that
the feebleminded will not be classed with
the blind and deaf, but there Is a fight
over tne location of the new school. Med
leal Lake presenting strong claims for it.
as wen as steilacoom.
The Senate passed Clapp's bin rcgulat
Ing tne Incorporation of associations, so
cletles and clubs; LIndsley's House bill
relating to witness fees in civil actions.
ana several small relief bills.
Senators Veness and Rasher have been
appointed on the committee to visit tho
Reform School to Investigate the neces
slty for the purchase of additional lands.
IDAHO IS GROWING VERY FAST
Present Laws and Capacity of Stafe
Capitol Insufficient.
BOISE, Idaho. Feb. 7. (Special.) Two
predicaments In which the state finds
itself placed by reason of Its rapid growth
came to the front today In the proceed
ings of the Legislature. One was raised
In a special message from Governor
Gooding to the Legislature asking for a
constitutional amendment to enable the
state to raise more money for state pur
poses when the assessed valuation shall
have reached $100,000,000.
Under the constitution a levy of 5 mills
can be made until the valuation reaches
the figure named, but thereafter it must
be limited to 3 mills. The valuation Is
now about $70,000,000, and It Is estimated
by the Auditor that the expenses of the
state during the next two years will be
$740,000. The expenses cannot decrease
but must Increase, while in a few years.
when the valuation passes beyond $100,
000,000. the state can collect no more than
$600,000 in two yeare by general taxation
The Governor In his message called
attention to this condition and asked that
an amendment to the constitution be
submitted by this Legislature.
The other trouble Is the capacity of the
Capitol building. It has been Insufficient
for some years and provision for more
room has become Imperative. Today the
problem appeared In the House in the
form of a bill by the state affairs com
mlttee authorizing the construction of i
new building to cost $330,000. It Is pro
posed to acquire an adjoining block ana
erect the new building In the middle of
the two facing Seventh street. The plan
Is to build In sections, using tho old struc
ture and the sections of the new as they
are finished.
There is $66,000 In the Capitol building
fund, and the board is authorized to
Issue $100,000 in bonds for immediate
work if they do not think it wise to dis
pose of capltol lands at this time.
House Bills Postponed by Senate.
SALEM. Or.. Feb. 7. (Special.) The
following House bills were indefinitely
postponed in the Senate:
H. B. 61. by Mcars To authorize certain
corporations to act as administrators.
H. C, R.. 28. by Linthlcura For Joint
committee to Investigate bridge across "WI1
lamette River near Milwaukle.
H. C R. 27. by Smith of Josephine That
name of Mount McLoughlln be restored to
Mount Pitt, referred.
The following resolution was adopted by
the Senate:
S. -J. It. 9, by Rands Fixing adjournment
on February 17. and expressing confidence In
Senator Mitchell; adopted on suspension of
rules.
Pumping. Water Out of Mine.
MAR SHFIELD, Or., Feb. 7. The
work of removing the water from the
Beaver Hill coal mine Is about com
pleted and the mine Is daily turning
out more coal than ever before. Tho
water was pumped into the mine dur
Ing- the recent fire.
OLYMPIA. Wash., Feb. 7. (Special.)
A direct primary law was introduced by
Russell In the Senate and Todd in the
House today. It exempts from Its opera
tions cities of the third and fourth classes
and school, dike and Irrigation districts;
fixes the second Tuesday in September as
the date for state primaries. It provides
that candidates at primaries must be
brought out by petition, as follows:
For state offices and United States Sen
ate, 1 per cent of the total party vote in
the state located In at least six counties;
Congress, 2 per cent of the vote in the
district, the signers to reside in at least
one-tenth of the precincts in one-halt
the counties in the district; lesser offices,
by at least 5 per cent of the party vote
in the district In at least one-third of tho
precincts thereof. It requires that the
polls be open from 12 to 8 P. M.
The compulsory pilotage bill, opposition
to which brought a number of 'the leading
shipping men of the Sound to the Legis
lature, was taken up by the House com
mittee on commerce this afternoon, and
on motion of Representative Huston it
was decided to report the bill back to the
House with a recommendation for Indefi
nite postponement.
Dyke, author of the bill, and Booth, op
posed the motion. The shipping men
present were not called upon to .discuss
the bill, as the sentiment of the commit
tee was so plainly against the measure.
The principal speech against the
bill was made by "William Bishop, of
Jefferson. He recited the fact that a
strong- effect is being' made to induce
Congress to give aid to American ship
ping and that in this connection the
argument is being made that Puget
Sound Is, an open port, free from navi
gation dangers. He declared the pass
age of the pilotage bill would nullify
the effect of the state s contention be
fore Congress.
A delegation of cannery and fishtrap
men from Puget Sound appeared before
the fisheries committee of the House
this afternoon to urge favorable action
upon a bill designating a close season.
The close season as desired by the rep
resentatives of the fishing Industry-
present affects the taking only of sock
eyes. They want a six weeks' prohib
itory season between July 10 and Aug
ust 20 In the "off years." They suggest
that the closed season be tried dur
ing two "off years," 106 and 1903. A
bill embracing the features asked will
be presented by the committee. Among
the fisheries men here are:
Carl A. Sutter, of the Fidelgo Island
Canning Company; R. E. Davis, Porter
Fish Company; E. B. Demlng, Pacific
American Fisheries & Northern Fish
eries' Company; D. Campbell, Puget
Sound & Astoria Packing Company; A.
E. "Woolard, Apex Packing Company;
J. A. Kerr, Pacific Packing & Naviga
tion Company.
Commission Bill in Montana.
HELENA, Mont., Feb. 7. The Senate
this afternoon passed the Brenner rail
road commission bill, which Is patterned
after the Minnesota railroad commlslson
law. The Governor. Secretary of State
and E. "W. King are named as commis
sioners. The bill provides for an elective com
mission of three members to be chosen at
the next general election. In the mean
time the first commission is to be ap
pointive. The commission has power to
fix traffic rates, but the railroad compa
nies affected may go Into the courts to
protest against any acts of the commis
sion that may be regarded as unjust.
The bill provides that no rebates shall
be given by the railroad companies, and
that there shall be no preferences or dis
criminations in rates to the disadvantage
of any person, firm or corporation. The
bill also forbids the combination or pool
ing of interests of different roads.
Crushed Under Load of Lumber.
EUGENE, Or., Feb. 7. (Special.)-
Tester "Wilcox, an emDloye of the
Booth-Kelly Lumber Company, was In
stantly killed yesterday at the UQDurg
mill by being crushed under a car of
lumber. He and other men were taking
the car from the dry kiln when "Wilcox
fell and was crushed beneath tho car.
He was 26 years of age and leaves a
wife and one child.
AFTER GRIPPE
Or Any Severe Sickness Our Drug
gists, Woodard, Clarke & Co., Ad
vise Portland People to
Take Vinoi.
Every Person Recovering From a Se
vere Illness May Be Quickly Re
stored to Health and Strength
by Vinoi.
Mrs. G. I. Partridge, of Franklin, Mass.,
who recently celebrated her 60th wedding
anniversary, writes:
"The grippe left me In a very weak
ened condition no appetite, thin, nervous
and no vitality. Nothing seemed to help
me until a friend brought me a bottle of
your Vlnol. I commenced to take It, and
It gave me a hearty appetite, my health
MRS. G. I. PARTRIDGE.
and strength returned until I feel like a
new creature. I consider "Vinoi a wonder
ful medicine for any. one who has had a
severe sickness; It makes strength and vi
tality so fast."
"We have never sold In our store such
a valuable strength creator and health
restorer for the convalescent as Vlnol.
This Is because "Vlnol contains in a con
centrated form all of the vital principles
of cod liver oil, but without a drop of oil
to upset the stomach and retard Its work.
Vlnol purifies and enriches the blood,
tones up the digestive organs, and
strengthens every organ of the body to
do Its work as nature Intended.
"We ask every person in Portland who
has been ill to try Vlnol on our guarantee
to build them up and make them well and
strong. "We return money if It " fails.
"Woodard, Clarke & Co. lruggiats.
A