Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1903-12-04

hcient IL It required the publication
Of all bills allowed By a county The
people should know everything for
which their money is expended. The
exception in this law, that bills in
which the items are biased upon
charges fixed by law need not be pub
iished, would seem to include all bills
presented under fee-bills. The fee
bill system In the past has been re
garded as a source Of the greatest
drain upon the public treasures.
without the publication Of such bills
it allows the officers construction OF
the law and the amount ,of his, bill to
go unquestioned by the people who
pay the taxes to meet their payment.
Nearly every county court OF this
state now points with pride to the re
duction Of public expenses. Our coun'
ty courts are almost without exception
composed of very competent men, but
we cannot say that they are in any
way more competent than their prede.
cessors in office. We are therefore
forced to the conclusion that the pub.
licity required by this law in the pre-
s~entation and allowance Of bills has
been the great factor that has brought
about the present economy in pub
lie affairs.
In conclusion we will say that the
worked. The fact that our legislature
is overworked costs the people directly
and indirectly a great deal Of money
on account OF hastily considered laws.
Very few persons consider the great
amount of matter the members OF the
legislature are required to consider in
forty days. We have before us a part
only of the printed bills which were
introduced at the last session, and we
find they weigh 10 pounds and 3
ounces, which is equal in weight to
Ave or six bound law books. Besides
this there Is a printed calendar each
day Of each house, reports Of the diff.
ferent state officers and institutions of
the state, as we'll as the usual CORE.
~spondence which each member re-
celves from his many constituents.
Now it is a fact that very few attor.
neys can properly read more than
one law book a week, or more than
Ave books during a session Of a legis.
lature; If this be so, how a the
members Of the legislature intelligent.
ly go through a greater amount Of
reading matter intelligently when a
greater part Of each day is taken up
with their duties upon the floor of the
house while In session.
The different committees are over.
worked with matters coming before
them to such IN extent that they have
but little time for details, and there
fore are required to act hastily upon
all matters coming before them, and
when amendments are proposed TO
bills they cannot fully consider wheth-
err or not such amendment may not
destroy the harmony OF the other pro
visions Of the proposed law.
The present special session, called
to remedy defects in a tax law passed
at our last session Of the legislature,
is a sample OF the effect Of an over.
worked Legislature. and we are ron.
WINGED that no one of the members OF
the legislature is to blame for this de
feet. This bill was introduced by
Representative Phelps, and we are
pleased TO say that the bill, as
introduced by Mr., Phelps, was
well drawn and adapted to &C.
complish the purpose for which it
was intended. After this bill was in.
troduced some member, TO suit some