The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1917-02-23
WITH ONLY FOUR
DISSENTING VOTES
ROAD BILL PASSED BY SENATE
Submitted to People for Vote
At a Special Election To Be
Held Tune 4th, Next.

| @aIn lima Afh NhXf
| With only four dissenting votes, the
| So, 600, 900 road bonds measure, amend
ed to provide for its submission to the
people at a special election next June
4, passed the Senate Monday. 1t went
Immediately to the House for concur
renee. Twenty-Five to four was the
vote by which the measure passed the
Senate.
| The four Senators who held out
against any bonding measure to the
bitter end, even after friends of the
bill had made almost every concession
! asked and its ratification by the people
had been accepted as a condition of its
passage, were Dimick, La Follett,
Pierce and Strayer.
Final passage Of the bill followed ar
all-afternoon discussion of amendments
as reported out by Senator Conrad P.
Olson, chairman of the committee or
roads and highways, and others pro
posed by various Senators in commit.
tees of the whole.
| Except for one furry, when Senators
Dimick, Pierce and La Follett bitterly
4 attacked the bill, this discussion was
of the most friendly nature,
The bill as. amended in the roads
and highways committee and the com.
mittee of the whole of the Senate, pro.
vides for an election on Monday, June
4, of this year; carries an emergency
clause as far as the special election is
concerned to avoid having the bill re.
ferred and carried over to November
1918, and provides that out of the
| s6, 600, 900 bond issue, $500, 900 worth
of the bonds shall be issued in demon
nations of $500 or less.
Amendments to the prospective
routes of designated highways include
that the West Side Pacific Highwa,
shall pass through Corvallis and Mon
roe, in Benton county; that the roac
from The Dalles to Redmond, Benz
and Klamath Falls shall 90 from Tn,
| Dalles to Redmond, via Dufur, Maupil
and Shaniko; that an additional roa'
be provided from Bend through Burn
and Harney to Vale and that still an
other road be added from Albany, vii
Lebanon, Cascadia and Fish Lake t
Bend.
Provision also is made that in even
20 or more miles of the post road t.
Tillamook from Yamhill county b
placed in readiness, or the same mum
ber of miles of the post road into Coo
county be placed in readiness, that tn
State Highway Commission will com
plete the hard surfacing of such roads
1t also is provided that whenever any
specific present highway is designated
in the bill, such as the Pacific High
way, that the State Highway Commits
sion shall be empowered to deviate thu
route of such highway in a local wa!
only to meet engineering or other prob
lens which might arise over the pres
ent routing of such highways.
Senator Walter M. Pierce of Uniol
county, launched an attack on tn
whole bill and especially its submis
sion at special election. He wa
warmly answered by President Moser
Senator Olson, Senator Huston AM
others. He wanted the bill held unit
the general election in November an
said that to be saved it must unit
then.
II wish to remind the good Senate
from Union, and all the Senator
here" replied President Moser, VIII
had left the chair to take part in tn,
debate, THAT the people of Orego
last November voted $Js, 1000, 600 O
bonds for rural credits.
II believe the people will rally jus
as patriotically for these bonds
make good roads possible. The
will help the farmers more than any
body else."
He pointed out that the bond issu
is not to come out of the pockets of III
taxpayers, but the doubling of the al
tomobile license tax will pay off tn
interest and principal in 25 years,
capitalization of waste tires and ga
oline under present bad-road cond
tions.
Following are eight propositions
be voted upon by the people of Oregc
at special election Monday, June 4 /:
State issue of 5000, 600 in bonds
begin construction Of comprehensi,
system of roads and highways embra
ing the entire state.
Direct expenditure of $780,
year for four years to build new pc
itentiary at Salem.
To raise pay of legislators from S3