Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-04-13
OLCOTT DECLARES
MEETING OF BOARD
OPEN AND PUBLIC
Arbitration Suggested To Col
umbia County Court To Ex-
pedite Settlement

Declaring that the special and in
formal meeting of the state highway
commission, which was held last Friday
afternoon in the executive chambers, at
which time the highway commission, in
dividually and collectively, went on
record as favoring compromise of the
differences between the Consolidated
Contract company and the county court
Of Columbia county, by arbitration, as
suggested and approved by the commits
sion at previous meeting, was not
secret meeting and was open to the
public, Secretary of State Olcott gave
out statement this morning contra.
dieting report to that effect published
in Portland paper.
Mr. Olcott states that it was the
united opinion of the highway commits
sion, after full and detailed discus
sion of the existing trouble between the
contractors and the county court as to
the settlement of the latter's claim for
an excess of cost of construction work
performed upon the Columbia highway
over the highway engineers original
estimate, that the matter could be set
tied to better advantage to all parties
in interest by arbitration and comprom
ise than by long drawn out litigation
and that this course be recommended
to the county court. The commission,
however, maintains that the state has
nothing to do with the matter further
than the certification of the highway
engineer to the county court Of the
work done and money due the contract
or, but that they were inclined to give
their moral support and assistance to a
settlement. Nothing was said of similar
difficulties existing in other counties
and the commission did not commit it.
self in any wise upon that score.
Secretary Olcott states that he was
visited in the morning by Senator
Arthur Langguth, attorney for the Con
solidated Contract company, and Claim
Agent l., l.. Levings of that company,
upon matters pertaining to the dispute
between the company and the county
court, and he informed them that it was
his opinion that the highway commits
sion was not responsible in any way,
except az above stated Continuing in
his statement, given out for publication
this morning, Secretary Olcott said:
"That afternoon / was requested by
Mr.. Putnam, secretary to the governor,
to step up to the executive office. |
found there the governor, Mr. Kay, Mr..
l.angguth and Mr.. Levings. The gov.
crnOr thereupon informed me it was his
and Mr.. Kay's opinion that the diff.
culties and differences between Colum.
bia county and the contractors could be
settled to better advantages to all
parties in interest by arbitration and
compromise than by long drawu.out
court proceedings, A full discussion
of the matter in its many details was
had 1t was brought out that in all
probability the highway work in pro.
gress there could not be completed.
nor the $4,000 appropriated to that
county be used pending the adjustment
OF the present controversy inasmuch
as the Consolidated company held the
contract for the fun forty.one miles
of the Columbia highway in course of
construction there.
CAN members present were united
in the opinion that it was matter not
/, OF state consideration or settlement,
| We did, however, inform Mr.. Lang.
guth and Mr. Leyings that we would
. give our moral support to settlement
' by compromise and arbitration and Mr..
. Futnam was instructed by the governor