East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-01-09
Declares Oregon Chief Ex-
eCutive is Hampered by Lack
Of Authority in Message to
State Legislature.
SUGGESTS CUT IN BUDGET

SALEM, Ore, Jan. 9.-In his bi-
ennial message to the legislature sub
mitted today Governor Wtthycombe
urges that the governor be given
greater power than he now possesses
and makes various suggestions relat-
ing 10 the business of the state.
The message in part is as follows:
Decentralization.
In my inaugural message attention
was directed to decentralization.
which has developed in oregon gov
ernmental procedure during the last
decade, and now again 1t seems fitting
to refer to this tendency,
In a large measure oregon has q
commission form Of government. The
governor has been more and more d.
vested OF authority. AS member of
the board Of control, In most import
and state matters, he has identically
the same power to obtain the results
he desires, as other members Of the
board, although the public vests him
with far larger measure Of respon-
sibilty.
l believe this tendency toward de-
Capitalization is ill-advlsed, that IL
works against the best interests OF the
state and that the resulting decrease
OF Individual responsibility lessons ef-
ficiency in public service. This mat
ter IL presented, not because | hap
pen to be the executive and seek in
rease of political power nor to urga
immediate drastic action but rather
to point out a tendency which, in my
opinion, will entail increasingly harm
ful results.
Penitentiary Administration.
The penitentiary properly should
be under the governors jurisdiction.
n should either directly control its
administration or be empowered to
appoint a non -salaried civil board Of
supervision. as Is done In many states.
The constitution gives the executive
the exclusive pardoning and parole
powers, He, and no one else, regu-
lates the release of prisoners and is
in measure responsible for their
subsequent conduct He must be fa-
miliar with their records in the insti
tuition and the conditions surrounding
them there, as these facts naturally
bear upon the application Of executive
clemency.
In other words, the governor more
than anyone else, Is directly concern
ed in the details Of prison administra-
tion
Budget Reductions.
The state budget calls for appro
priations totalng S715,SS2 more than
can be raised under the provisions Of
the recent constitutional amendment.
The situation can be met only by
pruning the budget estimates in con
junction with the creation of new
revenue, Both these are subjects
which should be approached cautious
ly, considered with painstaking care
and acted upon without bias.
Below are listed the amounts asked
under twenty-one heads together with
the amount which l believe can be
deducted from each estimate without
impairing the essential activities OF
the department in question;
Proposed
reduction
State fair board ,.......$ $105 600. 90
University of oregon ..... 100000
University of oregon med
ical School ........,.. 100000
Bounty on wild animals. 100000
Child Labor and Industrial
welfare Commissions, Ito
be placed under Indus
trial Accident Commits
sion) ..............~. 100000
State Board of Health and
Social Hygiene Society
Ito be combined under
Board of Healthy ..,.. 10000 90
Dairy and Food Commits
sioner ............. 5000. 90
Livestock Sanitary Board. 100000
Forestry ............. 15,OO0.OO
Banking ............... 100000
Mines and geology ..... 100000
State Engineer and Water
Board ................ 100000
Public Service ......... 1000 90
Tax Commission ....... 10000 90
Weights and Measures. -. 100000
Penitmtiary (ma nten-
ance ............... 10000 90
State Hospital (mainten-
ance) .............. 10000 %
Legislative Assembly 49,. 10000 90
$461, 900 o.
New Revenue.
In my opinion there are two fea-
4 sible sources for new state revenue.
The Inheritance Tax may well be re-
adjusted so that direct descendants
would pay one per cent on amounts
over the $4,000 exemption and up to
$40, 1000 and two per cent upon funds
ohavyo hn a,,ou,,A. nO1la afnVoI hairs