Charles Hodde an Oral History.Indd
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CHARLES HODDE: AN ORAL HISTORY MR. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Legislative Oral History Project Washington State Archives Offi ce of Secretary of State Ralph Munro, Secretary of State Timothy Frederick, Project Coordinator Jack Rogers, Project Interviewer Ann Saunders, Transcriber/Offi ce Manager David Meyers, Photographer 1986 CONTENTS Tape One (1-27) Side One: Hodde’s beginnings in politics, Grange membership and lobbying for 40 mill limit, 1932 session of the legislature, 1933 session, Depression, marriage to Helen, repeal of Prohibition, State Highway Commission, support for county roads, Showalter Bill giving support to schools, relief measures, hunger marches, legislature then in regard to lack of cafeteria, and secretaries Side Two: Warren Magnuson, Business and Occupation Tax, members of the ’33 legislature, John R. Jones, Ivan Compton, Dick Ott, Belle Reeves, Pearl Wanamaker, Lulu Haddon, George Yantis, George Adams, W.E “Bill Carty”, Donald McDonald, Fred Schady, Myron Titus, E.F. Banker, Harry Huse, C. “Nifty” Garret, Dan Landon, E.N. Steele, Ralph van Dyck, Mark Nelson, Robert Waldron, A.E. Edwards. Ed Miller, “Radio-Speaker” Stevenson, J.H. Ryan, mentions Third House Night, Wishbone Caucus, Columbia Basin Commission and grand Coulee Dam, Reclamation Fund, legalization of horseracing, creation of State Bar Association, Chain Store Bill Tape Two (28-46) Side One: Discussion of Initiative 69 to establish a state income tax in 1932, 40 mill tax limit, Business and Occupation Tax, educational funding, development of roads and bridges, highway director Lacey Murrow, welfare for poor, hunger marches, Hooverville, Grand Coulee Dam Side Two: 1933 session, Columbia Basin Commission, Grand Coulee Dam, A.S. Goss, C.C. Dill, repeal of Prohibition, Steele Liquor Act, State Liquor Board, State Game Department, bounty of cougars, Grange lecturer, sells milk cows and buys beef cattle, raises certifi ed seed potatoes, discussion of culturing, mechanized potato operation Tape Three (47-67) Side One: 1935 session, Initiative 77 regulating fi sh traps, Initiative 94 reenactment of the 40 mill limit, reclamation of agricultural lands, savings banks authorized to invest in housing loans, social welfare, regulation of pilots on Puget Sound, Blanket Primary Ballot, assessment of household furniture-exemption statute, cites authorized to adopt regulation of plumbing and electrical work, Hodde gets diploma as an electrical engineer, cougar bounties and game management, planning commissions in cities to regulate land conservation, State Forest Department takes over tax title lands from counties for management, Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties promoted sale of logged off land to federal government for national forest purposes Side Two: 1935 session, establishment of a state narcotic farm colony, taxation on dogs, regulation on the sale of drugs and medicine, library districts created, pensions for the blind, fi rst state unemployment law, aid to dependent children, road crew labor and secondary highway act, regulation of dentistry, creation of Board of Prison Terms and Paroles, rehabilitation of prisoners, special taxing districts created for special purposes, social legislation regarding monetary support for injured volunteer fi remen, creation of Unemployment Compensation Act, creation of bridges, taxation of wine, fl ood control legislation, engineering and land surveying act passed to regulate profession, Drainage District Act, Short Firearms Act, Revenue Act, Business and Occupation Tax, Chain Store Tax, Public Utility Tax, Admissions Tax, tax on property deed conveyance, radio stations, fuel oil, cigarettes, and inheritance and gift taxes A, Side One: 1935 session, continuation of discussion on Revenue Act, effort to authorize a graduated net income tax, creation of Narrows Bridge, old age pensions, failure of school equalization support, end of 1935 session Tape Four (68-86) Side One: Tax delinquent land sales in early 1930s, state to sell land to federal government, law for state to take over logged forest lands and hold in trust for counties while timber re-grew, Hodde’s experiences with logging in 1938, personal stories Side Two: Cutting cordwood, picking huckleberries, hiking, Colville area history, earliest sawmill in Northwest at Douglas Falls, Pomona Grange Park, State Park in Stevens County, Indians catching fi sh at Kettle Falls Tape Five (87-100) Side One: 1937 session, fi rst session as a Representative, income tax, legislators expense money, school equalization measure, minimum salary for teachers, Warren Magnuson, Mon Wallgren, development of the state road system in the Colville area, Party make-up, sales tax battle on taxing food or personal services, regulating slaughter of livestock, marathon dancing, slot machines, creation of Washington Toll Bridge Authority, fl oating bridges Side Two: Continuation of Toll Bridge Authority, bridges, State Apple Commission created, taxation of motor vehicles changed, retirement system for teachers and judges, regulation of barbers and beauty schools, state income tax, court reversal on income tax Tape Six (101-118) Side One: 1938 election loss, testifi ed against a rate increase by Washington Water Power, getting power lines out in the country, demand for wiring houses, fi rst house wired, did not run in 1940 election, orchard business, 1942 election win, pinball and slot machine tax, cigarette tax increase, sales tax raised, Langlie elected governor, election challenged, C.C. Dill, Cincinnatus Group, forced consolidation of school districts, Tacoma Narrows Bridge falls, Hallet B. French, insurance agent failed to turn in premium for bridge, 40 mill limit written into constitution, admissions tax Side Two: Grange initiated measure to allow public utility districts to join in doing power projects, consolidation of school districts, voting rules for servicemen, basis for allocation of gas tax money to counties and cities, travel expenses for state employees, capitol improvements, Wallgren/Langlie race for governor, University of Washington medical and dental schools, move toward public power, gives up electrical wiring business, potato raising mechanization, 1944 election win Tape Seven (119-128) Side One: Civil defense committee, Japanese balloon bombs, 1945 session, hospital districts, aeronautics legislation, Toll Bridge Authority, bridge between Vancouver and Portland, Republicans and Democrats in House and Senate in 1947 session, being Minority Leader, defeat of power bill by minority party, creation of Capitol Lake, state game code passed, represents farmers to get state money for beaver damage, taxing of P.U.D.’s, property assessment Side Two: (blank) Tape Eight (129-148) Side One: 1949 session, turnover of members in the legislature, Initiative 172 passed, increasing pensions, Governor Langlie, gains support for Speaker of the House position, how state would handle it’s debt, constitutional amendment to repeal the anti-alien land provision, Un-American Activities Committee in Washington State, Ed Guthman reports not signifi cant, fi nancing public school construction, fl at two percent income tax proposed, school construction money came from bonds and grant systems, Initiative 171 passed to allow sale of liquor by the drink Side Two: 1950 election, controversy over public power, 1950 session, state defi cit, Open Meeting Law, conservative welfare measure passed, bond issue for state institutions passed, construction of University of Washington hospital, unanimously elected Speaker, Langlie proposes means to pay state debt, four percent corporate franchise tax passed, construction of General Administration Building, Legislative Budget Committee established to monitor budget, legislators’ pay, Revised Code of Washington, use of tax tokens for decoration, State Highway Commission, creation of more state highways, public power versus private in Spokane Tape Nine (149-164) Side One: Bribes offered to vote on power bills, extended social security to state employees, willow goldfi nch becomes state bird, Toll Bridge Authority takes over operation of ferries, legislature by a two-thirds vote of each house can amend an initiative, Alien Land Law amended to allow aliens to own land, corporate franchise tax ruled unconstitutional, more problems with state funding in 1951, veteran bonuses paid to conscientious objectors, 1952 election, Hodde candidate for governor, Langlie wins, Hodde elected overseer for the Grange Side Two: 1956 state convention televised, Earl Coe’s campaign chairman, Rossellini won governor election, Tax Commission member of Rosellini’s cabinet, power needed in rural areas, P.U.D. buys out R.E.A., Washington Water Power buys out P.U.D. in Stevens County Tape 10 (165-184) Side One: Rosellini years, property tax system, legislative liaison for Rosellini, revising the budget and accounting system, no recommendation in 1958 for a net income tax, Ed Guthman investigates the purchasing practices of General Administration, appointed director of General Administration, stories about General Administration and purchasing Side Two: General Administration Building adding on dilemma, state buying private homes, construction of buildings, using excavation dirt to fi ll Capitol Lake mud fl at, Employment Security Building, becomes member of the Toll Bridge Authority, need to get second Lake Washington Bride started, building of Hood Canal Bridge, federal government work done, who appraises inheritances changed while chairman of Tax Commission, problem with budget Tape Eleven (185-205) Side One: Budget