Oregon City courier. (Oregon City, Or.) 1902-1919, February 22, 1917, Image 1

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34th Year
OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1917
Number 49
T
AT
.G.
LETTER SAYS GEORGE STORY
- HAS SAYED CITY MONEY
FOR LEGAL HIRE
STORY IS CAPABLE LAWYER
Members of "Knights of Double
Cross" are Slammed. People
-i ', are Not Fooled
Oregon City, Feb. 21, 1917.
To the editor:
As to George L. Story's ability, I
want to state that for a number of
years he was a teacher in the public
schools of this state and in Washing
ton, and that he held and still holds
a life diploma to teach in Oregon. He
had the honor of receiving the high
est standing in a class of 80 appli
cants for admission to the bar. He
has been a student all his life, loving
knowledge for its own sake.
He has never joined the "Order of
Knights of the Dduble Cross," and
people that he did business for when
he began practising law are still his
clients. . :
I will admit that he has not made
as much money as some others claim
to have done there have been cases
which he has refused that were taken
by other lawyers. When his "work
ing partner" sometimes asked, "Why
shouldn't you have had that money as
well as the other fellow, since the case
was 'aired' in public anyway?", he
has only said, "I don't want money
bad enough to do that kind of work."
In fact there are several ways of
making money that do not appeal to
him, such as charging 20, 30 or 40 per
cent "commission" when loaning mon
ey for his clients (said "commission"
being, of course, strictly within the
law).
Mr. Story has already saved the
city the expense of holding an elec
tion, which would have been illegal.
Yet Mr. Schuebel and Mr. Stipp did
not know any better than to try to do
it. Mr. Schuebel means to try it
again in the matter of buying a fire
truck for the city. When Mr. Story
informed the council that it could not
be done legally, the answer was that
they did not care legal or illegal,
they would have an election in March
anyway.
Because some of the city attor
eny's work that should have been
done has been left undone, Schuebel
has cost Oregon City $5000. I refer
to sewer bonds that should have been
issued and were not. By the "way,
the sewer asessments have not been
made.
Schuebel claims to have saved the
city thousands of dollars in his three
years in office.' What were the sav
ings, and what about the city's loss
of interest on bonds? When he
asked for re-election to "finish" work
that had begun two years before, and
should have been; done long before,
he contrasted his own salary, $900 a
year, with that of attorneys who had
served the city before him. He men
tioned no names, of course, leaving
people to suppose that Mr. Story had
been in charge when the largest sal
ary had been paid. As a matter of
record, Mr. Stone was the attorney
who was in charge of the city's af
fairs at that time. When Mr. Story
and Mr. Stone held the office of city
attorney the salary was paid through
fines, of drunk and disorderly cases,
mostly.
When Oregon City went dry Schue
bel saw that something was needed,
lest his salary become only 1 a sad,
sweet memory, so he asked the coun
cil to pay him a monthly wage, in
lieu of fines which were not likely to
materialize, and the council, loving
him as a good brother, was, no doubt,
glad to help him out at least they
passed the resolution asked. Behold
how god and pleasant it is for a
council to work together in harmony.
Fine indeed for the council, but what
about the common people who sweat
and scrimp to pay the taxes ? "
Fine no doubt for Councilmen
Buckles and Councilman Friedrich to
sell supplies to Oregon City. Once
present the bills to the council, sure
that said bills will be ordered paid,
but what about the people, who elect
ed them to office as a public trust, not
as a private snap?
What about the councilman who
has made "Oregon City" a byward by
his conduct, who was recently arrest
ed and paid a fine for driving an
automobile through Portland streets
while drunk; who more recently was
arrested ior a like offense in this
town and was fined and released on
parole; who declared if he were ex
pelled from the council he would
mount a soapbox on the street cor
ner and tell the public all he knew of
the inner workings of said city coun
cil was he expelled from said coun
cil? Nay, verily, nor is he likely to
be until the people rise up and read
the riot act.
"You can fool all of the people part
of the time you can fool part of the
people all the time but you can't
fool all the people all the time."
BERTHA M. STORY.
ON
SCHUEBEL
CIRCUS AT SALEM IS
ENDED AND PRAISED
GOVERNOR SEES MUCH GOOD
THAT LEGISLATORS HAVE
DONE FOR FARMERS
The biennial legislative circus at
Salem is ended. The two houses of
the 29th session officially adjourned
on Monday at midnight, although both
senators and representatives labored
for several hours into Tuesday morn
ing. Clackamas county's represent
atives and Senator Dimick are home,
together with all others from this
county who were officially concerned
in the sessions and most of them
are glad the seige is passed.
Ninety days from the official ad
journment, May 20, all bills passed
during the session without the emer
gency clause become effective imme
diately upon being signed by Gover
nor Withycombe.
President Moser and Speaker Stan-
field spent Tuesday signing , bills
passed Monday and Monday night.
It is believed the governor will veto
but few, if any, bills passed during
the closing hours of the session.
"The legislature made a good rec
ord and has to its credit much sound
legislation," said : Governor Withy
combe Monday in commenting on the
session. "The bills which have prob
ably attracted most atention concern
road and prohibition legislation. The
bone dry bill met the expressed will
of the people to the letter.
"The new highway commission
law, backed by the Bean bill, which
makes it. possible' to obtain the big
federal road appropriations, will, I
believe, give us a fine start on high
way improvement upon an adequate
scale. If the people approve the large
bond issue Oregon will in a few
years be a notable 'good roads' state.
"Among very important pieces of
constructive - legislation which have
been placed on the statute books may
be numbered the insurance code, the
irrigation code, the rural credits bill,
the military and fish and game codes.
All represent much hard work and
will go a long way toward simplify
ing and bettering our laws. The
men who worked them out deserve
great credit
"With the passage of adequate
rural credits legislation, with pro
vision for cheaper lime and grain in
spection, I feel that the all-important
agricultural interests have been es
pecially well cared for. The lime
bill, and the bill to give state aid to
crippled children, were of especial in
terest to me and their passage is
highly gratifying."
i t t$ $ t t$
BOYSEN RELEASED v
jt
Having lived up to the
terms of his parole for. six
months, Fritz Boysen, former
proprietor of the notorious Ho
tel Belle at Milwaukie, was re- l
leased from his bond by order
of Judge J. U. Campbell- on &
Tuesday. Boysen was con
victed of violating the prohibi- S
tion laws and was sentenced to
six months in jail. J
Upon his promise to leave
the state he was paroled under
$200 cash bail, which the judge .
has ordered returned to him. J
Boysen returned to the state
only once after his exile, and
almost got himself in hot wa-
ter for violating his parole.
He explained, however, -that
he was forced to return to sell J
his hotel and was released. It J
is understood that Boysen is 'J
running a road house at Reno, J
Nev. . .
i$ 1
MAMA INTERFERES
Stern Parent Blights Young Romance
That Was About to Bud
Ma' got into the game of hearts
just in time to keep her young son
uncontaminated by the marriage
market. The young heart of Frank
Brazda pines, lonesome and alone;
the young heart of Nettie White
pines, alone and lonesome. The boy's
mother was willful in her determina
tion to keep her son to herself until
he has grown old enough to know bet
ter than get married or until he knows
enough to do it. So the romance of
Frank and Nettie was blighted. Mrs
J. Brazda of Portland last week sent
this note to County Clerk Iva Har
rington: "Please do not give a marriage li
cense to Frank Brazda and Nettie
White, as he is not of age."
The youthful pair -did not apply
here for a permit to seal the pledges
of their young hearts.
MISS TALBOT SPEAKS
Grange Will Hear Discussion of Mon-
tessori System
The Montessori system of educa
tion will be outlined and explained
before the Abernethy grange on Sat
urday afternoon by Miss Gertrude
Talbot of Portland. The grange mem
bers have opened the meeting to the
public that Miss Talbot's talk may
be heard generally. County Jpdge
H. S. Anderson at the same meeting
will talk on several phases of county
government and his daughter, Miss
Lillian Anderson, will give a series
of readings, -
COUNCILS COUP
IS CLEVER 01
ALBRIGHT LEADS SUCCESSFUL
FIGHT 'TO MAKE SCHUEBEL
CITY ATTORNEY
ISOM BRIDGES NOT PRESENT
Andrews Occupies Scat First Time
Since Circuit Court Upheld
His Contention
Quietly entrenching themselves in
the chambers of civic righteousness
in the city hall on Thursday, the five
tried and true members of the Schue
bel faction of the city council occupied
all advantages and made a successful
attack upon all ground, heretofore
gained through the questionable vote
of Isom C. Bridges by the anti-Schue-bel
minority at previous meetings.
The result was the complete ratifi
cation and confirmation of the reso
lution passed at the December meet
ing appointing C. Schuebel city at
torney. The force of attack was led
by Councilman J. F. Albright, whose
absence previously permitted the mi
nority to refuse to recognize Mr.
Schuebel. The Albright henchmen,
armed with verbal instruments of
war whose use was not necessary in
view of the absence of every member
of the minority against Mr. Schuebel,
were Councilmen Metzner, Friedrich,
Buckles and Cox. E. B. Andrews oc
cupied his seat but did not vote.
Only those councilmen who have
heretofore shown their desire to re
tain Mr. Schuebel's services attended
the meeting. Early in the day this
group, constituting a majority of the
members of the council, called on the
mayor to order a special meeting. An
effort to call the meeting off was
made by members not in sympathy
with its purposes, but the others re
fused to be "called."
Councilman H. M. Templeton, lead
er of the minority four, the faction
against Mr. Schuebel, came to the
meeting but left immediately. Isom'
C. Bridges, declared ineligible by Cir
cuit Judge Campbell, did not attend,
although he has appealed to the su
preme court. In his seat was E. B.
Andrews, defeated for re-election last
December by Mr. Bridges. Mr. An
drews did not vote, but occupied his
seat under a charter clause which
says a councilman shall hold his of
fice until his successor is elected and
qualified. City ProEecutor George L.
Story was also absent, but C. Schue
bel, confirmed as city attorney, was
present.
Mr. Schuebel Notified the council
in writing that he would start action
to recover his fee for the prosecution
of a recent case for the city unless
he was retaned as city attorney or
paid for his services voluntarily.
With the reading of the communica
tion Councilman J. F. Albright passed
a resolution to ratify and confirm the
appointment of Mr. Schuebel and
Councilman Cox's motion to order the
recorder to draw a warrant for Mr.
Schuebel's salary for January was
In the absence of Mayor Hackett,
who refused to attend the meeting,
Councilman Metzner, president of the
council, occupied the chair. With his
vote every action taken was unani
mous. An order for a warrant for
the fees of George L. Story as city
prosecutor was passed.
Councilmen Metzner, Buckles, Al
bright, Cox, Friedrich and Andrews
constituted the quorum. This action
is declared entirely legal, inasmuch
as Andrews did not vite, and as five
councilmen can force the mayor to
call the meeting, thereby making it
official. The entire proceedings, in
cluding the confirmation of Mr.
Schuebel, did not occupy 15 minutes.
There was no debate and no speech-
making.
The council adopted the ballot title
for the special fire truck election
March 5.
According to Mayor Hackett, every
effort will be made at coming meet
ings of the council to overthrow the
action of the five members and to re
scind the action in ordering a war
rant drawn for Mr. Schuebel's salary.
The members who transacted this
business are a majority of the council.
Opposed to them are four councilmen
and the mayor.
H. M.. Templeton, whose efforts are
responsible for tlje failure of the body
to recognize Mr. Schuebel at the reg
ular meeting some time ago, believes
that the transactions of the special
meeting, attended only by those fa
vorable to Mr. Schuebel, will not be
held legal if the matter is taken be
fore the courts. As a basis for this
belief he points to a state law which
says that the business of special
meetings called by a certain number
of councilmen must be specified in
writing in the call that is issued to
the members by the mayor. The five
members who held the meeting Thurs
day prepared the meeting notices
which were furnished to the mayor.
They call the session "for the purpose
or adopting a ballot title for the or
dinance appropriating the sum of
$4000 or so much thereof as may be
(Continued on page 10)
NEW SCHOOL BOARD
MAYBE HAD HERE
HEDGES AND EBY ONLY ONES
SECURE IN FACE OF LEGIS
LATION JUST PASSED
Governor Withycombe on Tues
day signed the last of the school bills
which were passed during the recent
session house bill 106, introduced by
Representative Laurgaard, and re
ducing the terms of schol directors
in districts of the first class. Pre
viously the governor had signed Sen
ator Orton's tenure in office bill for
Portland school teachers; Represent
ative Sheldon's bill permitting non
taxpayers to vote for school direct
ors, and Senator Eddy's bill, extend
ing the recall to school directors.
The Laurgaard bill reduces the
terms of school directors in districts
of the first class from five to three
years, thus affecting Oregon City,
which is a first class district. Fur
ther, it provides that two shall be
elected at the next school election,
two at the following election and one
at the next election.
Joseph E. Hedges, recently elected,
is the only member of the local board
sure of his seat, although O. D. Eby
will probably continue in office until
June, 1918. H. A. Rands will be au
tomatically retired if he remains in
Alaska for six months; James Roake
is holding office by appointment until
the next election. George A. Hard
ing is the other member of the board
and he will be relieved at the next
election.
Under the present law one direct
or is elected annually. This makes
the school board a close corporation,
and in a considerable number of dis
tricts the board has been converted
into a political machine, and has
ruled with an iron hand regardless
of the wishes of the people. To se
cure new blood on- the board under
the present law is impossible, for
after a director is elected he is con
fronted with the old directors, and
he has the choice of either becoming
a part of the political machine they
may have brought into existence or
of remainng a figurehead. This con
dition of affairs caused S. P. Lock
wood recently to. .resign from the
Portland school board.
The Laurgaard bill will relieve
this condition. It was bitterly fought
in both the house and senate by the
school board lobby of Portland, and
powerful politicians identified with
it. After the measure had passed
both houses, members of the school
board machine of Portland and other
districts centered their fire on the
governor with the view of prevailing
on him to veto the bill. The fight
however, was as futile as that made
before the legislature. The school
board machine and its lobby also
strenuously opposed the other school
bills.
STEVENS TO PREACH
ANTI-FIRE GOSPEL
EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO
PRECEDE SPECIAL FIRE
TRUCK ELECTION
The approaching special election
at which the matter of the purchase
of a modern fire apparatus for Ore
gon City will be decided by the vot
ers, will be the object of an education
al campaign to be undertaken here
within the next two weeks by the
joint city council and Live Wire com
mittee which has had the plans for
the elction in hand. Tuesdaw after
noon the committee met to make final
plans for the campaign. It is au-
nounced that the first features will
be a brief series of lectures by Fire
Marshal Jay Stevens of Portland.
Mr. Stevens will appear at a local
theater to lecture and show pictures
on fire protection work.
The city council recently adopted a
ballot title for the election, calling
for a vote upon an appropriation of
$4000 for the purchase of the appa
ratus. Probably the entire sum des
ignated will not be required inasmuch
as W. P. Hawley, Sr., has offered to
buy city property for $1500 and do
nate an additional $1000 toward the
purchase of the equipment. A. R.
Jacobs of the Oregon City Manu
facturing company, and James Tracy,
Gladstone resident, have each agreed
to donate $500 toward the fire truck
fund.
What the tax payers authorize will
be used to pay the rest of the cost of
the truck and the expenses of the de
partment for the year. The purchase
of the equipment involves a practical
reorganization of the volunteer fire
department, basing it around the nu
cleus of a small paid department.
The purchase will also mean the re
modeling of one of the volunteer fire
stations, probably that under the city
hall, to accomodate the truck desired.
Women in Meeting
The first meeting of the King's
Daughters of the Episcopal church is
being held this afternoon at the home
of Mrs. Carl W. Joehnke, 410 Jeffer
son street The women will start
upon active work for the year at this
meeting.
T
RECALL OF FOOR
SCHUEBEL SUPPORTERS WOULD
BE EJECTED BY LATEST
TURN IN BIG FIGHT
FRIEDRICH IS NOT INCLUDED
May Have Trouble in Getting Men as
Recall Candidates. Mr. Story
Interested
Four Oregon City councilmen, sup
porters of Christian Schuebel in the
fight that has been carried on in the
council for two months, are slated
for recall in petitions which were put
into circulation here today under the
direction of George L. Story, city pro
secutor and contender with Mr, Schue
bel for the duties and salary of the
city attorney office.
Councilmen A. B. Buckles, J. F.
Albright, F. A. Metzner and Roy B.
Cox are those listed for the official
chopping block, but the date for their
execution at the polls has not been
set. This quartet is responsible for
the special meeting last week at
which no member antagonistic to Mr.
Schuebel was present. At that time
Mr. Schuebel's appointment was rati
fied and confirmed by an unanimous
vote of the quorum present and Re
corder Loder was instructed to draw
a warrant for the attorney's salary
for January.
Public opinion, according to Mr.
Story, is largely responsible for the
recall plans that matured today with
the circulation of petitions. The
public is weary of the banter that
has been taking the place of business
in the council chambers recently.
Mr. Story says that justice has dic
tated many plans to relieve Mr.
Schue'bel of his appointment, which
was declared illegal, and was vacated
at a recent session of the council
where his opponents were in the ma
jority, but that every effort . had
failed. Practically the only legiti
mate means left at the disposal of
those who would oust Mr. Schuebel
is the recall.
Councilman C. W. Friedrich would!
be included in the list against whom
the recall movement is brought had
he been a member of the council a
sufficient length of time.
The council faction in favor of re
taining Mr. Schuebel to fight the
pending case of the P. R. L. & P. Co.
against the city is a majority of the
members when J. F. Albright attends
the meetings. Those opposed to Mr,
Schuebel are the minority four and
Mayor Hackett, since the vote of
Isom C. Bridges has been declared
void.
One trouble foreseen by "Mr. Story
and his friends is in lining up busi
ness men for recall candidates. Those
behind the movement are anxious to
get the best men in the city into the
council seats so that a 'better busi
ness program can be worked out, but
the reputation the council has
achieved will make the job more or
less obnoxious to business men, it is
feared.
AUTO TAKES DIVE
Young Men and Car Uninjured After
Thrilling Leap
A dive of 50 feet from the bank
into the high, swift waters of the
Clackamas river near Gladstone Sun
day failed to damage an automobile,
and the two occupants, escaped unin
jured. The machine, owned and driv
en by C. S. Fryer of 420 East Fifty
second street South, Portland,
swerved toward the bank and in a
flash was in the water below. C
Eisler of Portland was in the car
with the owner and the men recov
ered from their shaking sufficiently
to help haul the automobile from the
river, damaged only by the water it
had absorbed. A block and tackle
and a strong team of horses pulled
the machine back on the road.
The occupants are unable to ac
count for the accident unless the
steering gear went wrong. Mr. Fry
er said he had been driving at a mod
erate speed when the car suddenly
swerved toward the river bank.
Before he could do anything he found
himself and Mr. Eisler standing on
the bank viewing the automobile in
the river below.
tft t)t fcjt tit J
S TWO MORE DEPUTIES J
viC i
J County Assessor W. W. Ev- J
J erhart announces the appoint- J
J ment of two additional deputy J
i assessors for the appraisement J
J which will be started in Clack- vS
amas county about March 15. J
The men named are H. N. Ev- J
J erhart of Molalla and P. H. J
J Garisch of Oswego. These ap-
J pointments bring the total
force of deputies up to 10, and J
J there are two or three fields J
yet to be supplied. J
tt jl jt $
Once again we suggest that you
subscribe to the Courier and four
standard magazines. $1.25.
PETITIONS
ill
H. E. CROSS MAY BE
ON NEW COMMISSION
LIVE WIRES WILL HAVE PART
IN PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN,
ROOM IS READY
The accomplishments and the
shortcomings of the recent state leg
islative session were passed in review
before the Live Wires of the Commer
cial club at their meeting on Tues
day noon. The Wires also made
plans for taking part in a campaign
of education in connection with the
coming special election, when voters
will decide upon the purchase of a fire
truck.
The Wires extended an official in
vitation to Fire Marshal Jay Stevens
of Portland to come to Oregon City
next Tuesday for luncheon and on
next Thursday night to lecture and
show pictures on fire prevention work.
Mr. Stevens will speak at a local the
atre under the auspices of the joint
Live Wire and city council fire truck
committee.
Upon motion of Judge Grant B.
Dimick, Harvey E. Cross was in
dorsed for appointment to the new
state highway commission as a recog
nition of his labors for good roads.
That Mr. Cross is being considered
by the governor was the statement of
Judge Dimick. The Wires voted an
unanimous indorsement.
The public reading room which has
been contemplated for more than a
year by the Live Wires is to be 'a
reality. A. R. Jacobs, chairman of
the committee in charge of these
plans, announced that he had secured
a large room in the Electric hotel
building and this will be equipped at
once to furnish a lounging place for
mill employes. The room is to be
supported by contributions from Live
Wire members.
Under the direction of the Wires a
part of the Commercial club's $1700
publicity fund will be spent in the
preparation of a booklet showing the
advantages of Oregon City as a man
ufacturing center. Thomas A. Burke
and Earl C. Brownlee were named as
a committee to prepare and publish
the booklet, which will go sq far as
to list available sites for new enter
prises that might be operated with
some of the 40,000 idle horsepower at
the falls here. ' 1
MAY REALLY BUILD
Committee Meets for "Further Dis
cussion" of Park Plans
The building committee of the Wil
lamette Valley Chautauqua associa
tion met Tuesday night for further
discussion of plans for a new audi
torium for Gladstone park, and the
result of the session was a recom
mendation to the board of directors
that actual construction start not
later than May 1.
The committee has finally decided
upon a building with many of the
features of the famous Mormon tab
ernacle at Salt Lake City. There is
still a possibility that there may be
a hitch in the proceedings, because
$1500 of the necessary $5500 for the
building is not guaranteed. One
member of the building committee is
said to be holding the matter in the
balance because he refuses to con
sider such a debt. The building com
mittee and' the board of directors will
hold a joint meeting on Monday even
ing for further action.
ESCAPES INVESTIGATION
Jack Albright Forks Over Cash and
Battle Lulls
Suplementary proceedings against
J. F. Albright were filed Thursday
with an affidavit certifying that he
had property which he was conceal
ing. Albright had shown that ha had
no property of record with which to
satisfy a judgment handed down in
favor of L. Ruconich last week. Fol
lowing the presentation of the affi
davit Judge Campbell ordered Al
bright to appear Friday morning and
advise the court as to his alleged con
cealed property. Before the hour set
for the hearing, however, attorneys
for Mr. Albright presented Mr. Ru
conich with a check for the full
amount of the claim against Albright,
amounting to more than $170, and
the proceedings were dropped.
TO INVITE TEACHERS
School Children Will Correspond With
Illinois Educators
The children of Clackamas county
schools will undertake a campaign
by correspondence to interest teachers
in the state of Illinois in the conven
tion of the National Education asso
ciation, to be hold in Portland next
summer. A form letter will be a
model for the children to work on and
has been prepared by County Super
intendent Calavan. Each of the
schools of the county will write let
ters to different towns and cities in
Illinois inviting the teachers to the
convention and telling them in some
intimate way of the delights of a
trip to Oregon and especially to
Clackamas county.
Dr. Milliken Speaks
Dr. W. T. Milliken, pastor of the
Oregon City Baptist church, is to give
a Beries of sermons at the Gladstone
Baptist church next week and will
occupy the pulpit there on each even
ing except Sunday.
ROAD BOND VOTE
SET FOR JUNE 4
$6,000,000 ISSUE WOULD BE
SPENT FOR NETWORK OF
STATE HIGHWAYS
CONTRACTOR'S PLOT CHARGED
Dimick's Issue to Be Put Up to Voters
at General Election to Save
Hundred Thousand
Thanks to the state legislature,
which adjourned at Salem Monday
after 40 days of so-called work, Ore
gon voters will enjoy a special elec
tion on June 4 to decide whether they
want to cover the federal "ante" by
issuing road bonds for $6,000,000. At
the last minute the senate passed the
road bond measure with an amend
ment providing for its submission to
the people. The house reviewed the
bill and concurred in that particular
amendment.
There were only four votes against
the measure in the senate.
The four who held out against any
bonding measure to the bitter end,
even after friends of the bill had made
almost every concession asked and
its ratification by the people had been
accepted as a condition of its pass
age, were Dimick, La Follett, Pierce
and Strayer.
While it is proposed not to spend
any of the bond money in Multnomah
county, leading lawyer members of
the house expressed the view that the
measure would be unconstitutional if
it specifically excluded that county.
Final passage of the bill followed an
all afternoon discussion of amend
ments as reported out by Senator
Conrad P. Olson, chairman of the
committee on roads and highways,
and others proposed by various sena
tors in committee of the whole. Ex
cept for one flurry, when Senators
Dimick, Pierce and La Follett bitterly
attacked the bill, the discussion was
of the most friendly nature.
The bill, as amended in the roads
and highways committee and the com
mittee of the whole of the senate, pro
vides for an election on Monday, June
4, of this year; carries an emergency
clause as far as the special election
is concerned to avoid having the bill
referred and carried over to Novem
ber, 1918,. and provides that out of
the $6,000,000 bond issue, $600,000
worth of the bonds shall be issued in
denominations of $500 or less.
It also is provided that whenever
any specific present highway is des-.
ignated in the bill, such as the Pa
cific highway, that the state highway
commission shall be empowered to
deviate the route of such highway in
a local way only to meet engineering
or other problems which might arise
over the present routing of such
highways.
Senator Dimick was the stormy
petrel who provoked the only clash of
the afternoon. He did it by moving
to strike out the amendment provid
ing for submission of the measure to
the people at a special election June
4.
"In place of this special election,
which will cost the people of the state
more than $100,000," said Dimick. "I
move that this measure be submitted
to the people at the general election
in November, 1918."
Senator Pierce followed him with
an attack on the whole bill, and es
pecially its submission at a special
election. He was warmly answered
by President Moser, Senator Olson,
Senator Huston and others. Ho want
ed the bill held until the general elec
tion in November, and said that to
be saved it must be held until then.
Senator Pierce, who introduced
senate bill 315, providing for increas
ing the tax levy for road purposes
from one-quarter mill to VA mills,
opposed the special election plan and
declared that he was unwilling to see
the bonding measure placed upon the
ballot without the millage tax being
also submitted to the people.
"I do not like the manner in which
this legislation has been forced upon
the senate. Legislation , has- been
held up pending this action, and this
state house smells of bitulithic. This
is a job and a scheme of the Warren
Construction company to have this
measure passed before their patents .
expire. I am. unalterably opposed to
the bond issue. The hill calls for the
raising of $6,000,000 in bonds, but
roads have been outlined and planned
in this bill that will cost the state at
the very least $38,000,000. We are
starting too expensive a program, and
I give you warning that there will
go out from this state capital people
who will fight the adoption of this
measure, and I am certain that the
people of the state will not stand for
money being appropriated in ; this
manner."
"I wish to remind the good sen
ator from Union, and all the senators
here," replied President Moser, who
had left the chair to take part in the
debate, "that the people of Oregon
last November voted $18,000,000 of
bonds for rural credits. I believe the
people will rally just as patriotically
(Continued on page 10)