WASHINGTON. 



851 



year 11 accident companies received premiums to 

 the amount of $53,183.48, paid losses to the 

 amount of $40,290.72, and were taxed $641.44. 



Five marine companies received premiums to 

 the amount of $42,208.79, paid losses to the 

 amount of $3,960.34, and were taxed $105.17. 



Six plate-glass companies received in premiums 

 $6,239.81, paid losses to the amount of $1,585.99, 

 and were taxed $41.98. 



Nine fidelity and casualty companies received 



10,687.33 in premiums, paid losses to the amount 

 of $9,358.96, and were taxed $164.81. 



Three steam boiler companies received $3,300.50 

 in premiums, had no losses, and paid $52 in taxes. 



One sick benefit company received $533.87 in 

 premiums, paid losses to the amount of $464.31, 

 and was taxed $1.38. 



Sixty-four fire insurance companies received 

 premiums to the amount of $1,204,035.86, paid 

 losses aggregating $422,165.43, and were taxed 

 $16,665.53. 



Nineteen legal-reserve life companies received 

 $508,578.54 in premiums, paid losses to the 

 amount of $176,054.56, and were .taxed $7,167.83. 



Eleven assessment life companies received $51,- 

 706.94 in premiums, paid losses to the amount of 

 $33,416, and were taxed $412.35. 



The fees and taxes collected by the Insurance 

 Department in the two years 1897-'98 amounted 

 to $52,419.37, while its expenses were $2,800. 



Decisions. A decision was rendered by the 

 Supreme Court, in May, on the question whether, 

 in an action to recover for bodily injuries, a court 

 has power to compel the plaintiff to undergo 

 an examination by medical experts appointed by 

 the court for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 character and extent of the alleged injuries. It 

 was a case in which a woman sued a railroad 

 company to recover damages for injuries she had 

 received while a passenger on its road. The lower 

 court held that it had no power to order such 

 examination, but the Supreme Court decided that 

 it had. The decision was written by Chief-Jus- 

 tice Gordon and was concurred in by Justices 

 Dunbar and Anders. Justices Reavis and Ful- 

 lerton dissented. 



In June the Supreme Court made several de- 

 cisions in habeas corpus cases, ruling that when 

 such cases are pending bail is not admissible. 



Coal. In the spring coal was discovered at 

 Bucoda, in Thurston County. It is said to be the 

 finest bituminous coal that has been found in 

 the Northwest, and that the quantity is abun- 

 dant. 



Fish. The Legislature made liberal appropri- 

 ations for the department of fisheries, and in 

 April the commissioner began putting the money 

 to the purpose for which it was intended. He be- 

 gan the erection of a new hatchery on Nooksack 

 river, for which $5,000 was appropriated. The 

 Olympian said in March : " Hatcheries will also 

 be built near Wenatchee, on the Columbia river, 

 and on the Skokomish river and at Willipa har- 

 bor. For the Wenatchee hatchery $5,000 was 

 appropriated, for the Skokomish $5,000, and for 

 Willi})a harbor $4,000. The Samish hatchery has 

 been bought for the State. A hatchery to cost 

 $2,000 will be built on Little Spokane river. 

 Later in the season one will be built on the Sno- 

 homish, for which $3,000 is appropriated $2,000 

 this year and $1,000 next. In 1900 7 hatcheries 

 will be built." 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met 

 Jan. 9, and sat till March 15. Lieut.-Gov. Thurs- 

 ton Daniels presided over the Senate, and E. H. 

 Guie was elected Speaker of the House. 



The Governor, in his message, set forth the ne- 



cessity of raising the standard of common-school 

 education, and suggested increased taxation for 

 the school fund; he opposed the maintenance of 

 more than one normal school, and afterward ve- 

 toed the appropriations for all but one; he advo- 

 cated increased taxation of corporations and in- 

 comes, and reduction of interest on State war- 

 rants; he asked for the establishment of a rail- 

 way commission, and the creation of the ollice 

 of bank examiner; he opposed the appropriation 

 of money to complete the State Capitol, and sug- 

 gested the purchase of Thurston County court- 

 house instead; he emphasized the desirability of 

 concurrent legislation with Oregon for the gov- 

 ernment of Columbia river fisheries ; he advocated 

 a suitable appropriation for a State exhibit in 

 Paris, also urged an appropriation for a perma- 

 nent exhibit of the State's resources at Omaha; 

 he recommended the repeal of the law permitting 

 suit to be brought against the State in the court 

 of Thurston County, and declared that the log- 

 scaling law should be either amended to effective- 

 ness in protecting the interests of loggers or re- 

 pealed. 



On the first day of the session the House passed 

 unanimously this resolution: 



"Be it resolved by the House of Representa- 

 tives of the Legislature of the State of Washing- 

 ton, now in session, that greetings be sent to 

 President William McKinley, notifying him that 

 the people of the State of Washington, through 

 their legislative session assembled at the State 

 capital, appreciate and indorse his wise, patriotic, 

 and statesmanlike policy, by which the war 

 against Spain for humanity's sake was com- 

 menced, successfully prosecuted, and speedily ter- 

 minated under the direction of the President of 

 the United States as the commander in chief of 

 the army and navy of the Union; and that we 

 earnestly hope and sincerely trust that the treaty 

 of peace recently agreed to in Paris and signed 

 by the commissioners of the United States and 

 Spain will be speedily ratified by the Senate of 

 the United States. And we further express to the 

 President our confidence in him, and our admira- 

 tion for the dignified foreign policy which has 

 been inaugurated, with respect to the conquered 

 territory coming into possession of the United 

 States through the gallant and efficient efforts of 

 our military and naval forces, as a conquest of 

 war, and we believe that it should be the policy 

 of this Government to maintain the Stars and 

 Stripes over all territory where they may have 

 been raised." 



The most important bill presented at the ses- 

 sion was one appropriating $600,000 to complete 

 the State Capitol. This passed both houses, but 

 was vetoed by the Governor, and it failed to pass 

 over the veto. Other important bills were for 

 constructing or improving State roads. Another 

 was to establish an industrial home for the adult 

 blind at Lake Samamish, in King County, appro- 

 priating $14,000. There are 111 blind adults in 

 the State. Among the other bills passed were 

 these: 



Authorizing cities of the first, second, and third 

 classes to maintain bicycle paths. 



Relating to maintenance of ferries by cities and 

 counties. 



To provide for a museum at the university. 



To provide for the maintenance of cemetery 

 associations. 



To provide against injury to the public lands. 



To require railroads to protect frogs, switches, 

 and guard rails. 



To remit delinquent taxes, penalty and in- 

 terest. 



