Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-02-16
A**M : Z y = Z Z = y ! 4 4
OPEN FORUM
Do Representatives and Public Of
ficials Regard the Will of the
People 2
People 2

Do Representatives and Public Of
ficials Regard the Will of the
People7
To the Editor; If majority of the
people, in legal election say that
they want a certain thing, is that not
the will Of the people' Can any leg.
islatve body have reasonable ok.
cnse for annuling or abbreviating q
law which the people have voted on
and approved! Has the Oregon legis-
lature the power TO repeal or limit a
law enacted by the peoplel If so such
power should be taken from it, ANY
man who disregards the will of the
people is not representative Of such
people, and is not to be trusted with
peoples business.
There was an eight hour law en-
acted by the people in 19l2-maiority
10000. That law has been made a
joke by the very people whose duty it
was and is to put it in operation; the
very people who should lead in loyalty
to our laws
Can any one consistently say that
the people did not mean it to apply to
state institutions2 Note the follow,
ing:
A law; "To protect subc0ntractors
material men and laborers performing
labor for the State or any municipality
or subdivision, requiring a sufficient
bond to protect the State from liens;
defining the duties Of State officials;
in awarding and carrying out con
tracts; declaring eight hours to be a
day s labor in all cases where the
state or any County, school districts
municipality or subdivision is con,
cerned. "
This is the preamble of the law that
appeared on the ballot. Could it pos.
sibly be misunderstood when it plainly
says; eight hours shall constitute a
day s labor in all cases where the State
is concerned
Are men who are willing and anxious
to modify this law, against the will Of
the people, the proper ones to represent
US as lawmakers2 Are men who studi.
ously plan to outwit the law, in order
that they may tell the taxpayers how
much money they have saved them
the proper ones for us to place In posi-.
tlons Of trustl Your part Of the tax
might be fire cents; doubt If it
would be as much. Would you rather
have the employees of the State institu.
tions on duty from fourteen to twenty.
four hours per day than pay this
small amountl, II other. States oper-
ate their institutions on an eight hour
system with an added cost Of seven or
eight per cent, why can't Oregon do
as welll Was our State treasurer con.
sistont with integrity when he over.
estimated TO the public, the supposed
cost Of putting on the eight hour sys.
tenn at the asylum; or were his fig.
ures made to create public sentiment
against the law, and pave the way for
an easy decision by The court2 Was
he consistent with intelligence when he
said full extra crew would have to
be employed ON Sundayl
Gould not man qualified TO fin
the position Of State treasurer figure
that one relief attendant could ac-
commodate n group of six. letting one
attfndant OFF each day, and taking his
on the seventh
Was our labor commissioner honest
in his little splurge for the laws II
he honestly wanted TO serve the people
aud enforce the law, why did he quit
just at the time he had d good op.
portunity to proceed with effect 2
Gould It be possible that he had an
understanding with the "Ring" to 20
so ful aud no farthcr' | wonder II he
really expects any enlightened work.
ing man to vote for him in the future
How long do you suppose the people
viii stand Tor misrepresentation and