Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-02-21
LEGISLATIVE RESUME
APPROPRIATIONS AMOUNT TO
SIS, O,OOO-S7.43 PER CAPITA.
Brief Mention of Principal Bills
Passed by State SOlons at
Salem.

After having introduced 725 bill
# and after appropriating about $500
900, or a fraction over $7.43 for ever
= man, woman and child in the stat
the Oregon Legislature adjourne
: Saturday night, and hiked up the bac
street for home, and explanations q
0 to how it happened are now bein
prayerfully prepared.
Several of the most importar
measures passed by the two house
are still in the hands of Governo
West and whether or not they becom
T veto power The Governor has fiv
days from the time the bills are de
livered to him to consider and pas
on them, so it will not be until late il
the week that the fate of some meas
ures will be finally determined.
Principal Bills Reviewed.
Principal among the Legislative en-
actments of the session were the goo'
roads laws, extension of the powers o
the Railroad Commission to all publ
utility corporations, second choice il
primary nominations, placing tn
State Printer on a fiat salary, provid
ing a state purchasing board, prohib
iting a salaried state officer from fur
nishing supplies to the state, creatins
the office of Assistant Secretary o
State, providing a method for creatins
new counties, and approprlating 800
| On0 fn hp 6iGhIIrCa6 hU a CT n 10 mi
grafton agent in exploiting officially
the resources of the state.
Provision has been made for a com.
mission to revise the judicial system
of the state and to recommend sucf
subjects of legislation to the 1918
legislative sessions as may be deemed
necessary, says a correspondent of the
Oregonian.
Another commission will confer
with the State Board of Tax Commits
sloners and submit to the next Legis-
lature necessary legislation on the
subject of taxation.
Salary Increases Proposed.
The Legislature also passed a bill
creating the office of County Attorney
in the several counties, abolishing the
office of District Attorney. At the
same time another bill was passed in
creasing the salaries of the Circdit
Judges of the state from $4,000 to
$4,000 per annum. A general revision
of the insurance and irrigation codes
of the state was made and the eff
cheney of these important departments
in the state government promoted
thereby.
A comprehensive law for the Iicens-
ing and regulating OF automobiles re-
ceived the approval of both houses.
and is before the Governor.
The state banking law has been
in many important respects.
guaranteeing to depositors greater
protection. Among other important
changes in this law is the provision
by which all private banks shall be
examined by experienced bank exam
iners under the direction of the Su-
perintendent of Banks at least twice
The only bill to be forced
the Legislature over the veto
of Governor West was that of Bu-
chanan of Douglas, abolishing the
post
Election Laws Amended.
Aside from the passage OF Speaker
Rusk's bill, requiring electors to des-
ignate their second choice in primary
nominating elections, for every office
for which there are more than twice
the number of candidates for the Of
ice to be filled, other laws amenda-
tory of the election laws of the state
were passed. One provides for the
of names on the official bal
ot in all primary nominating cleo /
lions. Another requires that the polls
De kept open all day in primary
elections.
While a reapportiOnment bill, redis- (
ricting the state into Senatorial and |
districts, was not pass /
I'd. the Legislature did redistrlct the (
tate into Congressional districts /
making Multnomah the Third district /
The First Congressional district un-
Ter this bill, which is before the Gov
'rnor. consists of the counties of
Western Oregon. excepting Multno-
nah alone. while the Second Con-
sressional district is made up of all
# the counties east of the Cascades.
Commissioners Chosen at Large.
by the provisions Of a bill intro
uced by the reapportionment COM
nittee in the House, the three MEM
,ers of the Railroad Commission
hereafter will be elected from the
tate at large, but one of the Com
nissioners is to be elected from East
rn oregon.
Liberal appropriations were made
or the states educational institu-
ions. the State University receiving
75S, 900 and the oregon Agricultural
ollege S570.O 600 for the ensuing two
ears. In addition to voting the State
formal School at Monmouth $4,000
or a dormitory. a law was passed
nr paying the actual travelling eN-
enses OF students attending this in
titution who live more than 100 miles
way from Monmouth. The certifica-
on plan as to teachers was approved
trough the enactment of another ,
wv. while Huutington's bill, creating
Dunty boards OF education and pro-
ding for the employment OF super
sory instructors in the schools OF
le larger counties OF the state also
lssed both houses
Corporations Receive Attention.
The corporations did not escape :
ithout receiving some attention. u
side from the Malarkey bill. placing =
Iese utilities under the control and
gulation Of the Railroad Commis-
ON. a bin was passed prohibiting
scrimination and rebating by rail-
ads Another bin by Carson pro-
des for licensing all water power in
e state. Less important bills require
cal agents to post the time Of all
lssenger trains and another requires
nroads TO publish their timetables
the newspapers
The horticultural Interests OF the
ate were not neglected. an appro-
iation of Sl5.0oo being made FOR
adicating fruit pests This is in ad-