# Christie v. the Port of Olympia

> Washington Supreme Court · April 8, 1947 · 27 Wash. 2d 534

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/3991765

## Case

- **Full name:** Burke Christie, Respondent, v. the Port of Olympia Et Al., Appellants
- **Court:** Washington Supreme Court
- **Decided:** April 8, 1947
- **Citations:** 27 Wash. 2d 534; 179 P.2d 294; 1947 Wash. LEXIS 304
- **Precedential status:** Published
- **Opinion:** Dissent by Simpson
- **Judges:** Robinson, Millard, Simpson, Mallery, Steinert, Jeffers, Schwellenbach, Abel, Hill
- **Cited by:** 21 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/3991765

## Opinion text

Simpson, J.
(dissenting)—I am of the opinion that port officials have no authority to issue warrants for
“retroactive
additional compensation,
retroactive
over-time compensation, or
retroactive
vacation pay.” My reason is that Art. II, § 25, of the constitution of the state of Washington, which reads:
“Extra Compensation, Prohibited.—The legislature shall never grant any extra compensation to any public officer, agent, servant, or contractor after the services shall have been rendered or the contract entered into, nor shall the compensation of any public officer be increased or diminished during his term of office,”
means exactly what it says. The provisions of the constitution are clear and definite, and cannot be changed by the contracts of agents, by the acts of the legislature, or by judicial interpretation.

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/3991765. Public record. Not legal advice.