The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-02-01
DOWN AT SALEM.
A Few Things the Legislators Have
Done the Past Week.

A Few Things the Legislators Have
Done the Past Week.
1t is still a deadlock. Following
is the vote of yesterday Dolph, AZ;
Hare, 10; Weatherford, 8; Herman
z; Williams, II; Lord, 3; Lowell 3;
Moore, l; Barkley, /; Waldo, 1;
absent, 2.
Representative Thompson, of,
Multnomah county, secured the
passage by the house of Joint
memorial asking congress to re-
place the duty on wool, lumber and
barley.
The senate adopted joint mem +
orill asking congress for a pension
for the widow of DR.. w. G. Mackay
of Pendleton who died this time
two years ago. Included in the
memorial is a long recital of the
veteran scout and missionary's dis
tinguished and heroic services dur
ing Oregon's early years.
1t is currently charged that al
ready Is more clerks have been
sworn in by the two houses of the
legislature than were employed
during the whole of last session.
An ex-state official has said that
he could and would furnish all
clerical aid needed by the entire
session for 10000, and then make
money on the arrangement.
Senator Denny introduced a bill
looking to the employment Of con-
vict labor in making beet sugar.
1t provides for leasing convicts at
80 cents a day. The well.known
fact that beet sugar-making in Ore
gon would be something Of an ex-
pertinent is regarded by Senator
Denny as evidence that state aid
in some form is desirable, if not
absolutely necessary. Apparently
the cheapest way to extend such
aid will be by leasing convict lab
or, thus benefiting farmers and
consumers in competition with the
sugar trust and not interfering
with free labor.
Correspondent to the East Ore
gonian says:
asked j. B. Eddy why passen-
ger rates had not been reduced.
He replied that the commissioners
had been instructed by the supreme
court that it could not decrease
freight rates and fares below a rea-
sonable profit upon the capital in.
vested; that they are not allowed
to in estimating, take into consid-
Grafton the profits uponthe entire
system, but must reckon the costs
and its income within the state.
! remarked something about the
commissioners being "cultus, T"
when Jim fred up and lodged me
by stating that the commission
hadSaved to the people hundreds
of thousand of dollars! Asked for
an explanation and Jim commen-
ced figuring it out on the original
hypothesis that three times one are
twenty. He then remarked that
the commission ought to be given
a little more authority and incid-
entally, that the commissioners
did not get any too much pay,
That reminded me ofwhat Governs
or Pennoyer once said, when dis
cussing the commission. "When
you give railroad commissioners
enough authority SO that they can
bring the screw down." said the
governor, everyone of them will
go out Of office rich men,"
Representative Shutrum has q
bill for an act to create liens on
crops. 1t provides; That any per-
son who shall perform any labor
upon any land in preparing the
same for any crop, or who shall
perform any labor upon such crop
in planting, sowing, gather
ing, harvesting, threshing, sacking,
hauling, or other necessary labor
thereon at the request ofthe owner
or person in lawful possession or
control thereof, shall have "a lien
upon said crop for his just and rea-
sonable charges for the labor he
has so bestowed.
The lien provided for in this act
is a preferred lien, and is prior to
any and all other liens, and no
sale, transfer, mortgage or assign
ment of any crop shall divert the
lien thereon as herein provided.
No lien provided by this act
c Il all hspJ aNxr nrOp ln.4sx.n tLo,.