Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-23
They Hear
All Kinds
of Noises
Speaker Macarthur Does the
SandalphOn Act but Has
Ear Turned for Noises
Coming from Above

Speaker Macarthur and the House
had special crouch on today, SO
they took slam at the Supreme
Court of Oregon. AS a result the
Supreme Court library will be closed
to the attorneys and others during
all House sessions
Twice during the debate on the
sterilization of criminals bill Speaker
Macarthur startled the House by stop
ping the proceedings and announcing
TO the sergeant-at-arms that the noise
overhead must be stopped. No one
had heard any noise skywards-at
least anything unusual, but perhaps
someone upstairs had dropped a pin
on the floor or moved feather.
Anyhow, whatever noise it was, the
House members suddenly recollected
that they had heard it, or ought to
have. Hence, when Speaker Near
thur requested Upton of Multnomah
to prepare resolution requesting the
secretary of state to have the Su-
preme Court library closed during
sessions that gentleman gleefully got
tAe job. Then a few minutes later
Olson of Multnomah introduced res
olution, rules were suspended and the
House unanimously and with solemn
faces adopted it.
The resolution recited that"Where-
as the House sessions were seriously
disturbed and interrupted, and where
as it was almost impossible to trans
act any business, ETC." ~
Shortly afterwards Assistant Ser
geant-at-Arms Joe Singer accidental
ly stepped on cuspidor and had quit
a wrestling match with it before he
got his bearings again, but no one
heard the racket; all were so in
tentIy listening to catch a noise from
up above.
By adopting Senate concurrent res
olution the legislature of Oregon goes
on record to Congress as requesting
that body to elect United States SEN
ators by direct vote Of the people;
requests Congress to improve the Col
umbia river and the ports and water
ways of Oregon on the Pacific coast
and to conserve the water Of the Col
umbia river for the use Of the peo-
pie. Two bills were passed, one the
Mann bill relating to the recording
of registering lists Of autos by the
county clerk, and the other the APP
pelgren bill limiting the time within
which to recover courtesy and dover
A fight was precipitated over the
Ham House bill Of last session which
was vetoed by the governor, when 1t
came up for action. The committee
on roads and highways, to which IT
had been referred, reported in favor
OF indefinitely postponing the bill
This bill provides that ownors Of
property abutting on country roads
must keep the roads running through
their property clear of weeds Those
who favored the bill caused motion
to be made to refer 1t back to the
committee on agriculture, arguing
that 1t should have appropriately
gone to that committee in the first
place After considerable debate the
motion prevailed with only five mem
bers opposing.
No one seemed to know what this
vote indicated. Some held that II
means concerted action on the part
of the majority Of the House to fight
Governor West, because Of theGov'
ernor's threats and ultimatums re-
ported to have been delivered to var.
ious members of the House yester.
day because Of the passage by tha
body Of the Thompson defamation
land bill, which he had vetoed Others
held that the vote to keep the bill
alive by referring 1t to the committe,
on agriculture, indicated nothing
more than act of courtesy, and die
not presage that the measure woulC
finally be passed over the Governors
veto.
Anyhow, there is sure to be figh
over the bill which It is generally con
ceded would work an injustice anC
hardship upon farmers. Opponents o
the bill contend that the general pub
lie should bear the expense Of keep
ing roads clear Of weeds, and It wa
Continued on page 81