The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-06-09
FIRST PETITION
FOR FLAT SALARY.
Continued from first page)

gin their administrations A special
session would be necessary I'm order to
make the law effective, for the salar-
les cannot be changed after man has
begun his term of Office Yes, / am in
favor of putting the state printer on a
flat salary also and let him get the
public printing done as | get mine
done--at the usual union price
This Is In accord with the governor
elects utterances at Salem and else
where I'm his campaign speeches. He
exposes the bubble about the state
printer not being amenable TO such a
law.
Gov. oeer Conservative.
Governor Geer wisely leaves IL to
the people to say whether he shall
call special session 10 enact fiat sal
aries.
lie intimates that he is In favor of
II. and thinks it should be done, but
wisely concludes that the initiative
should be with the people.
A few politicians are expected TO OPP
pose IL because the governor favors
IL. but such are a small faction com
pared to the forces that demand this
reform. Sundays Oregonian says:
Governor Geer was in Portland Sat
urday on his way to Huntington to
welcome the A. o. u. W. delegates TO
the state. lie said in speaking Of the
proposed session OF the legislature,
that he has not yet investigated all
the questions that will arise. and does
not know what he will do in the mat
| ter. Ii special session should be
| called he will not convene the legisla-
| ture until about a week before the
| regular session. In the meantime, he
hopes the newspapers will not get too
busy questioning his motives, for il
he calls session Il will be for the
purpose of carrying out the desires of
the people"
| Portland Politicians Against II.
Several Portland members of the
legislature are being quoted as being
against special session, but several
say II should be called and the law
enacted. The Sunday Oregonian says
Several attorneys expressed the
opinion yesterday that the state print.
er's compensation cannot be changed
after his election. The purpose of the
constitution, IL Is said, is TO make the
lprinter's compensation certain before
he Is elected. and after he is elected
no change can be made that will al
feet his compensation. II il can be
changed at all il can be reduced
enough TO make the Office proftless
and the man who was elected would
not be able to take the Office Other
officers have a guaranteed salary, but
the state printers compensation Is 10
be fixed by the legislature, and "shal
neither be increased. or diminished
during the term OF Office for which ne
shall have been elected The words
during the term do not refer 20 the
time of passing law. but 10 the time
IL shall take eject. To change the
salary one day before the state printer
takes Office. they say, would be as un
just as TO change IL one day after
ward"
Considered a Weak Argument.
Journal reporter talked with sew
eral Salem lawyers, and they say
there is nothing In the above The
} term OF the state printer begins wher
the other state officers terms begin
in January. II the state printer Is pui
on a salary before he enters upon hi,
term for which he shall have beer
? elected. he will have 20 take his sal
airy like the rest OF them The tech
nical objections above noted are mo-
considered sufficient or valid techni
calities. The will OF the people Ia,
been plainly expressed In the stat,
? platforms. and BY adoption OF direc
legislation, that they shall have some
thing 20 say, aud be entitled 20 b,
heard in this matter. as well as thos,
who pronted By the abuses practice,