Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-02-15
STATE HIGHWAY
Commission BILL
CREATED STORM
Attempt to Place Highways In
Control Of Millionaire
Crowd
PAVING COMPANIES ARE
AFTER ENGINEERS SCALP
Delinquent Tax Bill Came Up
In Lower House This
Morning


The hackers of the proposed state
highway code as created in H. b. No.
502, the principal ones being the Multi
nomah delegation placed their cards on
the table this morning and showed just
what they were trying to do, which was
to place Yeon, Benson and some other
such citizens of Multnomah county in
charge of the entire road work of this
state. II was not perhaps the intention
Of the Mnltnomah bunch to do this but
Orton, who generally speaks first and
has some one think for him later, made
tnis announcement when the senate
went into committee of the whole to
make some amendments.
Ortons amendment which started the
fireworks, was that the provision allow
ing the commissioners. 5000 year be
stricken out and that they be allowed
only their actual expenses He stated
that this was done So as to place the
work in the hands OF such persons as
Yeon, Benson, Albert or Butter, who
would rather build monument to them
selves by providing a good road system
for the state than by getting money for
their work.
Eddy offered an amendment TO the
amendment, fixing the salary at $500.
The state was not asking charity, and
| It wanted hired managers, not a s3f Of
philanthropis.s he cared not how great
and generous they were. This was a
business proposition and should be run
on safe and saine business principles.
He did not believe all the knowledge
! of the state was located under the has
of a few Portland millionaires.
| Pierce also objected to the Whole mat
ter of the state 3 highways being placed
| in the hands of a bunch of milhonaires,
no matter where they came from.
| Lewis gave the game away still more
| saying the matter had been discussed
for months in Portland before senators
came to Salem. Two thousand five hun
dred dollars win not appeal to man
who is capable of doing the work, we
want men who win work without salary.
Orton got in wrong again by insist
ing that only the friends of the bin
had right TO suggest amendments.
This brought Eddy to his feet with
the assertion that he had as many rights
as any senator and he proposed to use
them. He could not be bluffed by a
few self-appointed guardians Of the SEN
ate and the state. He insisted on his
amendment. After considerable a GRIM
onious debate the Eddy amendment was
lost and another was at once proposed
aking the state engineer member OF
the commission and the engineer of the
commission.
This aroused Dimick, who pointing
his finger at Eddy said, Now you are
hitting that Portland high brow bunch
where they i've" He made q strong
argument for making the state engineer,
/ who had been electd by the peopl for
the work, member Of the commits
sion.o
Give the people at least one look in.
Let them have one representative among
the millionaire bunch who win be se-
lected to spend the taxpayers mon
4 ey."
Eddy made a Statement Of the situa-
tion around the capitol and what was
behind the bill He stated the paving
companies were after Engineer Lawis'
scalp, The lobby was full Of men work
ing to down the officer elected by the
people and these companies were trying
to legislate him out of office. To Or
toms statement that "the state engin-
eer Syas not elected to do this kind Of
work, Garland suggested the supreme
court had decided he was" and he for
one "honored Engineer Lewis for the
enemies he had made. =
Pierce made strong plea that the
state engineer be retained as member
of the commission. He was elected, but
in less than two years bis successor
would be appointed by the governor.
Then the whole matter would be in she