Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-23
Senate Votes to Abolish
State Tax Commission

Oi iSSOhNVhlhk 4hOuudy AFTERNOON
Senator Garland s resolution request
ing the house to unite with the senate
IN the matter of a joint committee to
arrange for the consolidating and merg-
ing of boards and commissions, was
the special order. Chairman Dimick
made the statement that he had con-
ferred with the house committee and il |
was perfectly willing to Join the senate |
committee, and that there was no use
for the senator's resolution. On mo-
tion it was laid ON the table so it |
would be handy in case of trouble be
tween the committees.
Senate bill 54, relating to the loca-
tion of mining claims reported back
by the committee on Mines and Mining
with the recommendation that it do
not pass caused some discussion but was
finally indefinitely postponed House
bills "a and 80, and senate bill 80 were
reported back favorably by the com
mittee on Education. The Judiciary
committee reported favorably on house
bill IA and unfavorably on ) which wasl
indefinitely postponed and the same on
senate bill 60 which was then with
drawn. Senate bill 16, had some amend
ments suggested as it was reported back
and was sent to the printer.
The committee on revision of Iawsl
reported back S. B. SO, II and fav-
orably. S. c. R. was reported back
with the recommendation that it be re-
ferred to the committee on ways and
means.
s. NJ. J. 10 was made the special or
der of 2 O'Clock Tuesday afternoon.
House concurrent resolution concern
ing the showing of pictures relative to
tendencies and family histories of the
feeble minded, Tuesday evening wasI
adOpted Then the Senate took and eco
nomical turn and sat down on S. R. 2St
providing another clerk for the chief
clerk and on s. R. II, providing for a
page between the senate and the state
printer s office. H.
s. B. 100 relative to fees of sheriff.
in Baker county was reported favor
ably
Senate bill 81 concerning salaries of |
certain Officers in Linn county was re-
ported favorably, and message from
the house announced that house billsI
IL, ~, "a and 135 had passed that body.
Tax Commission Abolished
Senate bills 104 to 119 were read the
second time and referred. Senate bill
Is by Barrett came up for third read
ing. 1t was a bill providing for abol
ishing the tax commission and trans
ferring all its duties to the public SER
vice commission, and authorizing the
commission to employ such clerical as
sistanee as may be necessary to carry
out the provision of the act.
| 1t was like touching match to pow
der for there was sudden explosion.
Dimick whose vocal organs had evident
| ly been thoroughly oiled over Sunday
talked smoothly but finally said he
stood pat. Pierce objected, and he OBJ
| jected hard and at some length. 0rton
sampled the strength of his desk lid
when he emphasized his demand that
the senate back up its committee. HeI
| denied an insinuation of Pierce that
there was politics in it as it let out one
democrat and one republican He de-
MED the allegation and defied the allie
gator, or words to that effect. LaFol-
| lette suggested that 0rton quit looking
at him while talking, and address his
remarks to Pierce
| Dimiek got warmed up and while Col.
Mercer looked occasionally at the ther-
mometer, tore great hole in the atmos-
phere and studded its ragged edges with
gems of oratory and Jewels of thought.
He paid glowing tribute to Economy,
lwho by the way has light tripping and
flowerdecked Spring, no matter how
gentle, chased off the map. Economy
is the best girl now of each and every
senator, He dripped sympathy for the
lcommon people and oozed thrift and sav
ing. He asserted that it would save
/ 4ho4 4
dation the work now costing $4,000
for the biennium would not cost to ex-
ceed $4,000. Garland said it might
not oe the best thing it may not be the
logical thing but it is a consolidation
and | prefer a poor consolidation to
a scientific delay Pierce defended
the commission and apparently was the
only senator who had any facts as TO
| the work of the tax commission at his
! fingers ends. He showed the import
ant work the commission had done and
asserted that the turning over of this
work to clerk would beta grand mis-
| take. He made the really only strong
argument of the entire debate. Eddy
said the bill might not he perfect but
it was the senate s own child and he
favored it, Smith of Coos and Curry
prophesied it would cost $4,000 before
/ the next legislature, but he added phil
osophically, 1--WE have got to consoli-
date something, if this don t work we
can consolidate something else. We
have got to consolidate something
Senator Bishop said reference to in.
dividual slogans before the, election
We're distastefUl and out OF place. He
did not like this hin at all, but was