Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-06-03

llle UuuliHhtI ID utbtN bl 0NBA manu-
for money. Each demand in itself
may be small and insifnificant, but
combined they form a large aggre-
gate without the addition of the In
spection tax, an uncalled for and un-
necessary annual occurrence. The
News heartily Joins The Journal in
It's timely protest and hopes that the
duties of the labor bureau and Mr..
Hoff will be regulated by the next
Legislature so that they Will only in
clude mills and factories, or the law
legalizing their official creation be
wiped from the statutes of the state" "
Factory Inspection.
editor j. +. Galbraith in Grants
Pass Observer
The observer has several times
complained of the unjust law that
constitutes a country printing office
factory, and taxes IL $5 year for
inspection. OF course, IS is not
much, but all the same, one resents
robbery. Other papers of the state
have kept num-" probably because
their poor little souls are tlmid and
they would rather be imposed upon
than kick" Now The Salem Journal
takes up the rascality and designates
the special taxing of one-press print
ing offices as graft. The law was
devised by big sawmill men for the
benefit of big sawmill men, and ac-
cording to The Journal was at first
applied only 20 concerns of that kind,
as was the intention of the legis-
lature, but has gradually expanded
into a bold graft by being stretched
to include all sorts OF little establish
ments never contemplated by the men
who drafted the law or the legis-
lature that passed Il.
Attorney General Crawford. ac-
cording TO Labor Commissioner o. p.
Hoff interpreted the law as applying
to any machinery not operated by
hand power. Butchers sausage
knives operated by electricity have
been rated as machinery; why, then,
should not laundry irons operated by
electricity be also rated as machin-
cry? Because Hoff Is n coward, and
dare not carry his graft into private
houses. That's the reason. He has
whole band oI deputies who oper-
ate over the state at 81 day and
expenses. Isn't that nice-for the
deputies? And isn't Hoff generous
fellow--with other peoples money?
The inspector comes to the Observer,
and other printing offices here, once
a year, devotes about 20 seconds In
walking TO the rear and back, and
the tax Is 50. There is nothing 10
inspect The whole thing has devel-
oped into a miserable graft, and the
original law, drafted by mill men,
was designed for the benefit OF mill
men without any consideration of the
public interest.
The factory inspection law pro-
vides that parties shall pay their
share OF grant yearly or be
liable 10 n fine OF S25 10 500. The
Observer has lawfully forwarded the
doodle, but according to The Salem
journal most of the print shops OF
the state have repudiated the graft,
failed To pay the tribute, and are now
being threatened with prosecution.
The Journal advises that the country
publishers pay their arrears into
fund to test the law in the courts.
The Observer owes no arrears, but
Is willing 20 add to such a fund. !
IL Is inconceivable that the courts
would uphold so unjust an interpre-
tation of the intention OF the law as
is applied to Il in practice by the
illustrous State Labor Commissioner !
o. p, Hoff.