Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-03-07
MANY EXECUTIVE vETOEs sUs-
TANNED AND ALL BILLS
CONSIDERED ON MERIT
ALONE.
FEW MEMBERS ARE ABSENT
Those Not Present Excused on Ac-
count of Illness; Salary Bills Pass
ed; End of Session Sees Fluke on
State Printer Bill; Duniway's Enc
mics Win Last Fight.

Salem, March 5.-With the hand
of the senate clock pointing to 2
minutes to IL but with the actua
time few minutes after II 80, O
Tuesday night, Senator Neuner, o
Douglas, moved that "we do nov
adjourn" and the twenty-seventl
session of the Oregon legislative as
sembly passed into history, along will
the good that it has done and tn,
"evil that will follow after" TIL,
house adjourned few minutes latel
and in mighty few minutes the cap
itOl, which has echoed to the treat
of many feet during the past two
months, and which had witnessed
some mighty struggles between Iegis.
latOrs, just as it has witnessed then
in the past, became a quiet and lone
some place and only the industrious
janitOr piled his avocation amongst
the Uttered desks and the paper
strewn floor, for the last day of a
legislative session is a strenuous one,
and nobody stops to "slick up" their
premises.
The much discussed question of
"quorum" or "no quorum" resulted
just as everybody familiar with the
conditions thought, with plenty of
legislators on hand to conduct what
ever business might be tackled, those
who remained away being excused in
every case on account of sickness.
Some may say that this result was
OccasiOned by the Governors request
that his friends return and thus save
the people of the state and. the rep
utation of the legislature the dire re-
suits of what might follow should it
be found impossible for it to muster
quorum and thus prolong its session
indefinitely and hinder the enforce
ment of the mass of new legislation
enacted.
West is Smooth Article.
But others there are who declare
that the quorum would have been
there even without Vests help and
that nobody knew it more fully than
the governor. His friends knew it,
too, and found their efforts fruitless
to induce a sufficient number to re-
main away to prevent a quorum, so
West gracefully hoped aboard the
bandwagOn and, by rushing into pub
lie print with a request that his
friends return, stole the organiza-
tion's thunder and again proved him
self an astute politician.
The "veto session" which it was
sarcastically termed by the handful
Of Democratic representatives, was
mighty good to the governor, viewed
at anv angle. Every bill which he
vetoed was considered on its merits
and the veto sustained or Overridden
according to the beliefs of the solons.
It is a fact that every salary bill
vas passed Notwithstanding the dis
of the governor but, in ev-
'ry case, the representatives from the
county affected proved by the submits
iion of arguments and the display of
luge petitions, that the increase was
wanted and acceptable.
In all of his veto messages on these
alary bills, the governor excused his
etiOn by reference to the proposed
Gill salary bill" which he declared
7Ould take care of the salaries of ]
very county officer in the state, and
orever remove the question from the :
ands of the legislature where it al ,
rays takes up much valuable time in !
aeh succeeding session. But the pet
leasure of the governor failed and |
hose who voted to pass the salary {
ills Notwithstanding executive dis {
pproval, generally called attention
D the fact that the individual bills.
lille they increased the pay Of the
ifferent officers. did not do so to the
Ttent contemplated in the Gill bill.
nd therefore. they thought that the
OvernOr's excuse was a poor one. {
Printer Fight Warn. c
The state printer fight held a prom J
Ient place in the proceedings Of the a
te session, just as it has done in b
-ery other session. and the closing a
1urs on Tuesday night saw one Of II
Ie biggest mistakes Of the session b
ade. A bill doing away with the Il
ate printing Office and providing
at the work should be let bv con- II
act to the lowest bidder had been el
Issed earlier in the session which. n
eording to Senator Miller. Who has v
en- most pronounced in his antag- L
ism toward State Printer Duniwav. VI
d harmOnized al interests. This al