Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-02-08
Eaton Tells Of
Salem Doings

We are now on the third day of
the second half of the session. Less
than half a dozen bills of Importance
have been passed by the legislature,
and il record of accomplishment is
to be made, it must be made in the
remaining seventeen days. The leg
islature has passed twenty-three bills.
OF these, five may be considered inn
portant. These are the senate bill
abolishing the office of state immi-
grtion agent, effecting a saving of
$4,000, and the house bills abolish
ing -- the state census, prohibiting
signs along the state highways, per-
manent registration bill, and the bill
to prohibit fishing with nets at or
near Willamette Falls.
The legislature at present is suf-
fering under two disadvantages: one
is the usual one of great mass of
bills, and the other a false idea of
economy.
The advantage of a great mass of
bills has always been one of the
greatest, If not the greatest, of the
legislative session. Members seem to
feel that their usefulness will be de-
termined by the number of bills that
they present, rather than the quality
of their bills or their attention to
those presented by others. However,
am glad to say that this year fewer
bills have been presented than in the
last session, and several members
have had the good judgment not to
introduce a single measure. If the
number is not materially increased,
we shall be able, within another
week, to devise a plan which will
make it possible for us to consider
legislation of real Importance. The
responsibility for the majority of un-
important measures may fairly be
charged to the lawyers of the house,
who easily lead in the number of un-
important measures introduced.
The attitude of the membership of
the house toward appropriations
seems to be little more reasonable
than in the early part of the session,
when bills were passed upsetting the
policies established by former legis-
latures, and making it necessary for
the introduction of a number of new.
bills upon subjects that never should
have been disturbed. The tentative
decision of the ways and means COM
mittee to do away with the State In
dustrial School for Girls has met
with such vigorous public protest
that it seems likely now that the com
mittee will reverse itself and come to
a sensible and considerate conclusion
on this matter. The amount neces-
sary for the protection and care of
the unfortunate and helpless wards
of the state should not be made the
political football used by members
who desire to make record for econ
omy. If this is persisted in, it will.
in my opinion, do more to discredit
this legislature than anything else:
especially, because the legislature
has, in its own operations, set high
water mark for extravaganza in the
hiring of clerical help. We have, at
the middle of this legislative session,
more clerks than were employed by
the end of the session of 1918. / be-
lieve there is yet time for the legis-
lature to show that there is no econ
omy without efficiency and that If
the legislature attempts to make a
record for money saving without re-
garding the real needs of the state it
will make the most serious error
within its reach.
AS am writing this, the house has
just had the good judgment to indef-
initely postpone five constitutional
amendments which it was proposed to
put upon the next referendum bal
lot So far but one measure has been
submitted to the people by the legis-
lature and that is the single item
veto by the governor for which there
is genuine demand. / hope and
believe that the house. will not assist
In loading up the ballot with bills
and amendments for which there is
no demand. The resolution drawing
the most fire was the one introduced
by Mr.. Schuebel, proposing to limit
land owning to citizens Of the United
States. The house very sensibly re-
fused to raise this issue at this time,
thus showing a real consideration for
the national administration and gov
ernment.
The plan for consolidation of COM
missions which has been prepared by
Senators Day and Barrett, and which
has been outlined several times in
the Oregonian, undoubtedly will be
presented before the end of the ses-
sion, but unless 1t is Forthcoming
soon 1t can hardly be expected that it
will be passed by the legislature,
which already has much more than