The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-03-08
GRANGE COMMITTEE
MAKES ESANNOUNCEMENT

The acts of our last legislature are
now a matter of history. AS time
masses we may become more wise
upon the results of some legislation
which as yet We have not had time
nor opportunity TO co'-sider. How
ever, the undersigned Grange legisla-
tive committee has done all In their
power to assist in getting some legis-
iation for the best interest OF those
who produce as well as those VINO
consume.
We have endeavored to work har-
moniously with a like committee ap-
pointed by the Hood River CONNER
cisl Club, but toward the last when
they refused to join with us in ask
ing the Governor to stop further
abuse of the emergency clause, at
which time IL was attached to the
Sc 900 900 bonding bill and wren we
he'd learned that a part Oh thls said
committee had signed petition to
have certain county officials salar-
les raised, our harmony ceased.
Our joint committee from each OF
these two organizations had previ-
ously asked our Senator to have our
present salary law passed by our
legislature, yet In face OF this fact,
during the closing hours of the legis-
lature some of the Commercial Clubs
committee crossed themselves by
signing a petition asking our legisla'
tors from this district to add $500.
per annum to our already overbur-
| dened tax payers Of this county. This
was the cause of the break Of har-
mony which has been so grossly mis-
represented bv the local correspond
ent of the Oregonian and one Of our
local papers In his report he lays
the blame on respectable and eft.
ficient public speaker from Portland
who was invited by our Pomona
Grange and who represented the
Portland Taxpayers League. We
were told by this reporter that this
fellow was a Socialist and brought
discord into the work Of our joint
committees, but just the opposite
was true. Our Grange highly appre
ciated this speakers address and
hopes to secure him again
There have been some questions
raised in this county recently rela
tive to the legal status of our coun
ty salary law and below we give yor
the opinion of the best-posted lawyer
, in this state upon our initiative ant
referendum laws because he was one
of it's authors and il has been his
life study. Read what Hon VIM. s
U'Ren tells us:
Mr.. A. /. Mason, Chairman,
Grange Legislative Committee,
Dear Sir and Bros: In reply t
your question concerning the Hoot
| River County Initiative salary bill,
have no doubt of its legality and con
stitutionality. | was consulted wheI
this bill was under consideration
and advised that the right of a coun
ty to apply the initiative for enact
ment of local laws had been definite
ly settled by the decision of TIL,
| Supreme Court in Schueble vs OF
colt. This decision has not beel
overruled nor weakened. The recen
Port of Portland case does not affec
counties and in my opinion is YER
, clearly reasoned and just decision
have not seen s. B. 242 passed by tn
y recent legislature, but / am very sur
that your initiative local salary la,
does not need any bracing up b
. the legislative assembly.
Yours Fraternally.
w. s. U'Ren"
\ This is a relief to most Of us, 70
we must admit that for awhile W
! were just little bit scared and W
thought it best to play safe by hay
ing our legislature legalize our pre-
sent county salary law. But afte
the legislature through our delegate
! had slipped one over on us by pass
. ing S. B. 242, which increased tn
salaries of three of cur county offit
ers, we then got busy and sent on
of our committee to Salem arme
with a copy of our initiative salar
law and the opinion of its legality b
: Hon. VIM. S. U'Ren. The followin
is the result:
Hon Ben w. Olcott, Sec. Of Stat'
. Dear Sir; I am handing you herr
with Senate Bill 242 with my vet
| vetoed this measure because 1t il
creases salaries of certain official
in Hood River County despite tn
fact that at recent election a
initiative bill was passed by the pc,
pie Of Hood River County with a
X overwhelming vote, specifying ce
tain salaries, and because the ta
payers of the county are protestin
that any increase in salaries at tn
time will be prejudicial to the bel
interests Of the county.
Very Truly Yours, James With
combe, Governor of Oregon"
The governor at first was of Il
opinion that the new salary bill hs
lowered the salaries instead Of raj
lr ing them. This was owing to Il
new law being an amendment to Il
e, Stranahan law instead of the init
tive law which was voted on by Il
people three years ago. While Il
new law lowered the salaries as col
pared with the Stranahan law, yet
increases them $500 as compar'
with the present initiative law. VIII,
this was fully explained to the Go
ernor he at once saw the injusti
and the uselessness of any new Ia
which would increase the prese
salaries and he then rendered t
above veto.
Our committees acts may be cri
cised by some for assisting In UNI