The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-05-22
ROAD
LAWS
TINKER
Title of D. E. A. D. Has Been
Bestowed
On the Don't Care a D----n
Statesman of ClackamaS
County.

The Journal has always fought the
advocates OF don't-care-a-dam legisla-
tlon. For instance. the present tax
collecting law was rushed through In
a needless and undigested condition
II was one Of many such laws.
Take road legislation in Oregon.
Mr.. Brownell. Of Clackamas county
has made that the target Of his dema-
gogic efforts. Il was the hobby Of his
campaign in 1S9S-election Of road SUI
pervisors.
The old districts we're abolished. and
the road district was made co-exten-
sive with the voting precinct-making
districts too large for one supervisor
to work in the short time that roads
can be worked.
But the Populists demanded II, and
their clamor was jumped at by the
Kansas jayhawker TO get their votes.
When his bill went into effect the
roads we're less worked than ever be
fore.
AT the next session this law was
| changed 50 as TO leave II optional
| with the county court to appoint the
road supervisors, which at the previous
session 5rownell had made elective by
direct vote Of the people.
This change did not strike at the
evil OF the Brownell law, which made
the road districts too large-in some
OF them the supervisor cannot get
ever the district once in three years.
The next step in road reform was
TO make the road tax payable in cash.
and the next step was TO create the Of
fee Of county road engineer, and TAX
ing the working Of the roads out Of
the hands OF the men elected by the
people.
All these illdigested efforts OF
Brownellism only lead TO saddling the
people with greater burdens, and
bringing our road system into greater
confusion.
On the passage Of senate bill No 81,
10 undo his own work Of making the
road supervisors elective, the roll call
was as follows:
Yeas - Senators Adams, Booth
erownell, Cameron, Daily, lnman
Johnston. Josephi. LOoney Morrow
Mulkey, Smith Of Baker, Smith OF
Multnomah. stelwer, Wehrung, VII
liams and Mr.. Presldent-17.
Nays-Senators Glenn. Dimick, Howe
Kelly Mays, Porter. Proebstel. Smith
Of Yamhill. sweek and Wade.--1O.
Absent Senators Hunt. Kuykendal
and Masters,
Here Is the amendment by which
Mr. Brownel consented TO legislat'
the road supervisors elected under his
own law out OF ohice. and 10 work th'
county court, which he then expected
to control:
Provided. however that the county
court of any county In this state MAJ
at any time Il deems Il 10 be for th'
best interest OF such county that roaC
supervisors within such county shoul'
be appointed by the court Instead o.
} being elected, as herinbefore provided
such court may make an entry thereo
on its Journal, and thereupon the tern
of office Of each person elected or ap
pointed as road supervisor In suei
county shall Immediately expire ant
be terminated, and the office Of suei
persons as such road supervisor Shal
be deemed vacant, and that that par
Of this section relating 70 the election
Of road supervisors shall not apply 4
nor be In force In such county at an
I time thereafter, but such court shal
Immediately lay on such county int,
one or more road districts and appoin
a road supervisor for each OF such roa'
districts so laid on. Thereafter sucl
, county court shall annually, at thl
; January term thereof, appoint a 81
pervisor OF roads for each road distric
In tho county, and shall at any tim,
: hll any vacancy that may occur in sucl
, ohice."
The next step OF the road,law dema
' cog will probably be to take the mar
agement OF the public roads entirel
out OF the hands OF the people, an
vest II In the county court, which no,
\ has the power 20 take the county take
levied In one part of the county an
p eXpend them In another.
These are the methods OF legisll
tors who do not care what they do O
what they advocated. 80 long as
lands them in Office. and they are pu
\ in position 20 catch the next lot q
suckers that come up the creek.
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