East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-02-04
STRENUOUS FIGHT WAS
WAGED BY RITNER TO
GET HIS BILL PASSED
BITTER DEBATE MARKS CoNsID.
GRAFTON OF MEASURE IN
THE HOUSE.
Charges Openly Made That Members
Of II. II. Commission and Their
Employees Sought 10 Influence leg
islators 10 Vote Against Blll-Rit-
ncr Leads I'm the Fight.

Representative Roy Ritner OF this
county had a hard fight before his
bill 10 give eastern Oregon represen-
tation upon the state railroad COM
mission was passed by the house, ac-
cording 10 stories from Salem. The
biz passed by vote OF SO to 20
Tuesday afternoon after a bitter de-
bate in which charges were openly
made that members OF the commits
sion and their employees had sought to
influence legislators to vote against
the bill Ritner himself led the fight
for his bill and declared that every
influence had been brought to bear
upon him 20 withdraw his bill. one
man even having gone to his banker
and asked him to influence the au-
thor Of the bill. Mr.. Ritner is a pat.
ron OF the American National Bank
Of this city.
Those voting for the measure were:
Allen, Anderson (Clatsop). Anderson
(Wasco). sam Brown. Cartmill. Clark,
Collins, Dayey. Forbes. Gill. Hare.
Hinkle, Horn. Hunt. Hurlburt. JEFF
fries, Jones. Kelly, Kuehn, Lafferty,
Lewis, Lttlefield, Michelbook. olds
Olson, Risley. Ritner. Schuebel. w. o.
Smith. Stanfield. Stott. Thomas Towne,
Wagner, Weeks, Wodell.
Those voting against the bill were:
Blanchard, Bowman, Thos. Brown,
Cardwell, Childs, Cobb. Dllard. Ea-
ton, Elmore. Grier. Huston, Paisley,
Peirce. Pierce, Porter, Smith Multi
nomah). Stewart Vawter, Selling.
The salem Statesman in its account
Of the fight had the following to say:
Riner Champions Cause.
Speaking in behalf OF the passage
OF the eastern oregon measure, Rit-
ner OF Umatilla. denied that the east
ern oregon men had any man in mind
for place on the commission IL their
bill went through. He said that his
section merely asked the right to be
represented on the commission. He
asstrted that in making this request
eastern oregon did not mean any re-
Election on the work OF the present
commission.
From eastern Oregon immense
shipments OF wool, stock sheep,
wheat and other commodities are an
nually shipped" declared Mr.. Ritner,
"and we believe it but fair that this
part OF the state should be represent
ed on the commission.
when the commission was first
created the state had only two con-
gressional districts, and so the COM
missioners were elected from these
districts.
Everything has been done to de-
feat this bill. and one man even went
TO the banker where I do my bust.
ness, and endeavored to have him
use his influence with me. not to urge
this measure. The employees OF the
railroad commission, 1 am told, even
have been lobbying here against this
No attack has been made on the
railroad commission" said Davey in !
supporting the eastern Oregon meas
ure. 'Tt is not fair TO deny this Just
to eastern Oregon. Who. |
but a resident Of eastern Oregon |
Knows best the needs Of that great
section Ninety-fiye per cent Of the
residents Of western Oregon have
never travelled in the eastern portion |
II the state. say that our interests !
,annot be properly protected unless
ion"
Olson OF Multnomah spoke for the
measure and said that he had been
approached" He deplored the use
II such alleged tactics.