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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1910)
Dsiily Section 2 8 Pages DAILY OAPITAIi JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 1010 U99 1 9 i I S I 9 1 9 1 9 i i i 9 i 9 1 WWW I 9 I frl WfrSfr-MWMa4-ra4 & t M fQ-re-f -MHHS-Mg i 1 9 1 9 1 lne OREGON STATE CAPITAL POINTERS J 6 BiGtoieieasisig4ig)igii8iigiPiai Hon. Frank W. Benson is at pres ent holding tho dual position of secretary of state and acting gover nor of Oregon. Ho was installed as governor on March 1, 1909, at which timo Governor Chamberlin became United States Senator. His term as governor expires January 11, 1911. He is the first man to fill a double position since Steven S. Chadwiclc was promoted in like manner, March 4, 1876, and served as governor and secretary until September 11, '77. Chadwick became governor upon the eleclion of Governor L. F. Grover to the United States Senate. In both legislatures when this happened tt very young man was speaker of the Houste. In 1876 J. K. Weatherford of Albany, aged twenty-three, was made speaker, and in 1909 C. M. McArthur was mado speaker at tho ago of twenty-nine. Mr. McArthur is Governor Benson's very efficient private secretary, and a popular and promising young politician of the newer school that places a little con fidence in the general intelligence of the people. Governor Benson has disappointed all his critics, if ho over had any, by making a model executive. Ho is very attentive to his official duties, is easily ap proached by all classes of people and yet very firm in his position and in his decisions after they are onca made. In the state department there Is a strong corps of men of long trailing in their official duties. F. K. Lovell is Chief clerk, G. A. Taylor is corporation clerk, H. H Corey is chief clerk of the auditing -department, J. E. Alison Is warrant clerk, Nick Haas and Z. A. ZIgler are property and utility men. Oregon Railroad Commission. The railroad commission Is com posed of Thomas K. Campbell, C. II. Aitcheson and Oswold West. George O. Goodolo is secretary, E. G. Mil ler, rato export, and E. C. Mlnier, stenographer. Tho commission handles- two hundred and fifty to three hundred rato cases and complaints In the course of each year. Some of tho special achievements of the com mission during tho past year are quite notable. They secure a reduc tion In the rates of tho Pacific Ex press Company of twenty-five per cent, grain raties to Portland wore lllrd's-eyo cut twolvo and a half per cent, rates on merchandise east of Portland on tho O. R. & N. wero cut twenty-five Ftor cent. The rato cases against tho Wolls Fargo Express Company are still pending. Tho commission hns secured a valuation of tho physical properties of all the railroads in the state, as a basis for the investiga tion of rates. Tho commission is disposed to lo aggressive in plnclng tho claims of shippers and the in terest of tho producers in general. State insurance Department. Tho offlco of state insuranco com nisaioner was created by the last legislature, and Sara Kozer, who for merly as insurance clerk under tho necrotnry of state, was appointed to that offlco. Mr. J. M. Throno Is chlof clerk under him now. Tho ro- colpta of the jloar for taxes and 11 conso foes wero nbout $100,000. Tho annual Hconso feos of Insuranco companies was raised from $50 to $150, producing about $8,000 addi tional revenue. When the offlco was created tho insuranco tax was in oroasod in tho same bill from two per cent to two and one-half per cent on gross premiums. But when tho ongrossod bill was perfected and signed up and became a law tho In aroosod taxes bad disappeared. This is not the only instance of legisla ture by the commltteo on engrossed bills that transpired in tho lntst legis lature. A Roforra State Printer. Btato Printer Willis S. Dunlway has Borved throe years of bis first , tonn, and can probably have tho of ficio another term at tho hands of the people If ho will take it. While the volumo of public printing has increased, the total expense for printing, binding and paper has been reduced- to about $40,000 a year. Under Mr. Dunlway the' costs of this department has been dimin ished from thirty to forty per cent, although ho is taking care of the work of many now boards, officials, commissions, new institutions and new district fairs from $1,000 to $2,000 a month less than his pre decessors is not a bad record for Mr Duniway, considering that ho Is one of the wicked Statement No. 1 poli ticians who believe in tho Direct Primary. Some of the credit for the View of Salom. reductions in this department must bo given to L. R. Stinson, tho public printer expert appointed by Gover nor Benson, who bos almost unlim ited powor to cut reducing tho vol umo of printing and trim anything that has tho appoarnnco of a graft. Clerk of Lund Ofllw. Geo. G. Brown Is tho clerk of tho state school land board and Peter Applegato is tho state land agent. Mr. Brown has been connected with this offlco for a great many years and it's business transactions amount to about $400,000 a year. This offlco has disposed of about 20,. 000 acres of state school Innd during tho past quarter. State Pish Hatchery. Wo jump from state school lands to salmon and fish hntchorloe. This amphibious department transacting a business both by land and by wa ter Is presided ovor by H. C. McAl lister, Mnster Fish Warden. Ho has held this offlco slnco May 9, 1908. His deputies are S. L. Rathburn of Portland and Ed Clanton of Grants Pass. Ho has jurisdiction ovor six hatcherios on tho Coast streams and five on the Columbia and its tribu taries. During tho past year about $26,000 in fees was collected and tho loglslaturo appropriated $33,000 for extending tho work of propagat ing salmon. This Izcludea a llttlo sporty item that would make a de licious morsel fpr Teddy noose volt, tho renowned slayer of big game. There Is $1,000 set aside for shoot ing soa lions at tho mouth of the Columbia River. Tho chief olork is C. O. Opsund of Stlverton. Department of State Engineer. There is a tremendous interest im I Orogon In tho subject of Irrigation. I John II. Lewis has been state engi neer since tho law was enacted and wont into effect May, 1905. Tho I now Orogon Wato Code, went into ef fect Fobruary 24, 1969. Pridr to I tho enactment of tho present Water State House and Willamette Code, all Irrigation filings wero mado in this office. Surveys for four topographical sheets were mado In co-operation with the federal gov ernment. Under thta new Water Code four surveying parties hnva been kept in the field working on tho streams of this state. These surveys are mado to enable tho state board oi! control to determine existing water rights. The streams J surveyed for this purpose during the ipast year are: Willow Creek, Mal jhour county; Little Butte creek, T .... 1 ..... .. ........ i . . . irm i TT-f ouuiisuu uuuuij , Aim uruuK, union county; Cochran creek, Grant coun ty; Willow creek, Union county; Squaw creek, Tumals creek and Paulena creek In Crook county. Tho testimony of land owners on all thesie streams except tho last two has beon taken. P. A. Cupper of Monu ment is assistant state engineer, R. L. Holgato of Bonaza and F. M. Saxton nre superintendents of two great water divisions of Eastern and Wscstorn Oregon. James T. Chlnnock of Salem is secretnry. The Oregon State Library. Miss M. Hawloy Is the""first lady to horj. the responsible position of State Librarian. P. II. Raymond, baliff of tho Supremo court, Is ex olflclal assistant librarian. The li brary contains forty thousand books and pamphlets, of which three thou sand are In cold storage for lack of shelf room. There are nlnotoon thousand law books In tho library, and the rest nro reference books, and government and state publications. Tho state library distributes thou sands of documents, and is always prepared to furnish valuable reports to farmers, housewives and business men. The Oregon Library Commission. This branch of our stnto govern- j Silver Creek Falls near BoJenn. intent was created by tho legislature in 1906. It is governed by a com mission composed of several state officials. Miss Mary Ison, librarian of tho Portland library, and Houorn blo W. B. Eyre of Portland. Misa Comojli Marvin is secretary of tho,gon for monoy advanced during the r University, Salvin, Oregon. commission. Tho purposo of this body Is to give scientific advlso to schools and communltk'S about books and libraries. There are ono hundred nnd twenty traveling libra ries sent out over the state, and ninety-six branch libraries are maln tnInKl. Next month thirty-five new traveling libraries will bo Bent out ovor the state. Collections of - mag azine articles, manuscripts nnd newspaper clippings are compiled to assist any person in getting up u debate on an article. Circulations are sent out to encourngo debates and research In schools nnd colleges. Tho very latest Information can be obtained on any special subject by applying to tho secretary. Miss Marvin Is spending a year in Eu rope on leave of absonco, and hor position Is being acceptably filled by Miss Ruth M. Wright. ' Legal Department of the State. This is the title generally appliod to tho office of attorney general, which has been filled for some years by A. M. " Crawford, formerly of Coos Bay, his assistant Is I. II. Van Winkle. As part of their commis sion every state official or county official has a right to ask tho attor ney general for his legal opinion. As beforo tlu United atates Supronn court. Among thoso was tho Wo man's Labor Law case, nnd tho law of Oregon was sustained. Tho great Initiative Referendum case too, teat td tho Orogon Direct law making a claiiBo of the constitution Ib now pending in tho Supremo court nnd will bo tried out In tho spring. Mr. Crawford argued a case In tho Uni ted States Court of Claims whoro it costs nothing tho offico is a pretty busy one. In addition to acting tho part of general property man in tho grent drama known as Oregon poll- tics,, tho attornoy general Is always called upon to conduct some very important legislature During tho past year ho has had sovoral cases ho got a decision . showing that $193,000 was duo tho Btato of Ore- Clvll Avar. If Congressman Hawloy succeeds in getting tto bill through to havo this monoy paid to Oregon it will go far to mako tho peoplo feci as though tho legal department was paying its way. In fact there will be a llttlo change loft In tho drawer to tho credit of Mr. Crnw .ford. A Typical Forest Clerk of tho Supremo Court. This offico Is filled by Hon. J, C, Morelund, who is ono of thoso ro markablo officials that It Is impossi ble to tell whothor ho wns created to fill tho offico, or whothor It wns created for him to fill. The man and tho offlco lit oach othor perfect ly. Thoro is plonty to do and ho llky.n to got busy us an oxpodlato of business, By means of tho mall, tologrnph and telephono Mr. Moro- land Is in touch with noarly ovory law offlco In tho stato. Ho fixes up tho dockets, files tho pleadings, and applied tho opinions handod down by the Supremo court to tho caso In hand, so that tho lawyers ou both Bldos aro frequently able to deter mine tho matter that has boon do cldcd. Mr. Moreland wnB appointed by tho Supromo court in Juno, 1907. His salary is $3,000, Thoro Is no limit to tho tonuro of offlco and. ho talcos In foos to tho amount of from $7,000 to $8,000 per your. Ilia deputies aro A. S. Bonson at Salom and Loo Morohouso at Pondlo ton. State Educational Department. J. II. Ackorraan Is serving on his 'third torm as superintendent of pub lic instruction, is. F, Carlton is his Assistant. Tliw department sondH out about flvo thousand pamphlots nnd reports oach year. Superintendent Aokerman was for several tonus county superintendent of Portland, and has all his life boon identified with educational matters. Every year ho moots with county teachers' Institutions In noarly every county in tho stato. If tho school system of Oregon is tho work of any ono man that honor comes nearer be longing to J. II. Ackoraan than ony one olso. Oregon School System. Tho state department of public in struction has gonoral supervision over tho public schools of Orogon. Tho functions of tho department may bo classified as (1) statistical, (2) advisory and judicial, and (3) super visory. Tho first two duties aro carried on by tho offlco forco under thlo direction of tho state superin tendent. Tho records of tho offlco show that in carrying out this work for tho year 1909, tho department an swered somothlng ovor ton thousand lottors sent out about flvo thousand pieces of printed matter, not includ ing copies of tho school code, and about flvo huudred packages of ex press. Tho question for teachers' examinations and for tho uniform eighth grado examination, as well ns all blanks used by teachers and school officers wore formulated, pub lished and distributed. In addition to this in 1909, tho school codo waa annotated and compiled and ten thousand copies wero published and distributed to school officers, librar ies and state superintendents. Tho supervisory work is carried on personally by tho state suporin tondont through conferences with school officers, and lectures beforo tcachors' institutes, school board conventions, and popular educational meetings. Two or threo definite things havo boen taken up each year and after thorough discussion by theso professional bodies and by tho Grango, tho best of tho measures urgod each year havo boon crystal lized into laws. Thus thore hnB dovoloped tho com pulsory educational law, tho law providing for uniform eighth grade examinations, a state courso of stu dy, a library commission insuring to ovory district school a good library, a good high school law, and Anally a law compelling ovory district to hold at least six months of school oach year. Tho results of theso laws havo boon such as to attract atten tion to Orogon's public school sys tem from all parts of tho United States. Owe writer says Oregon has; tho best school codo of any state in tho Union; another says that no other stato hns mado such progress In ltSj educational work. Tho fact that during tho past two yoara. Scene Near Salem. Btato superintendent Ackorman has boon invited to speak ou our public school work beforo stnto associations at Los Angolos, San Frnnclsco, Seat tle, nnd Salt Lako City, nnd also at tho convention of stato superintend ents, Is ftirthor ovldonco of tho fa vorablo notico Orogon's school sys tem In recoivlng. Tho various roports of tho Super intendents of Public instructioa snow increases during tho past ton years for tho public schools of tho state; onrollmont, an incroaso of 29,234; uvenigo daily nttondnnco, an Incroaso or 33,850; avorage monthly salary pnld roalo toaohora In increase of $20.29. At that timo no statistics woro kopt of tho high schools, of which thoro word not moro than ton. During tho past yonr thoro woro In oporatlon In Oro. go u ono hundred and aovonty-flvo high schools, and tho nunibor is con stantly Increasing. Tho cnmpalgn during tho paBt yoar has boon for bettor sanitation, nnd tho organization of union high schools. Rosults nro In all of tho school buildings, toachors aro in stalling a Blniplo vontalatlng dovlco. directors nro Improving tho school grounds and general conditions; and pooplo throughout tho country dis tricts nro planning for union high schools. This will moan that tho child in tho country will havo a high school within roach of homo. Tho next moasures to bo urged by tho department of Instruction aro cloBor supervision and trained tcachors for the rural schools. Tho toachors lu tho rural districts need ns closo su pervision as thoso who aro working In tho cities, and it our schools aro, to continue to progross, tho rural schools must have toachors especial ly tralnjod for tho work.
