Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-02-27
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
QUESTION IS STILL NOT.
SETTLED BY SENATORS
Subject OF Salary To Be Paid
Seems To Be Stirring Up
Greatest Trouble.

going to pass the house joint resolution
creating the office of lieutenant COVER
lnor without amendment or not was still
unsettled.
Two hours yesterday afternoon the
senate fought over the question. With
; those who are insisting that the resolu
tion 60 through without amendment ap
parently licked, the senate adjourned
last night without taking final action
on the resolution.
During the course of the night and
this morning, the senate machine, aid
ed by the power of the governor Of
flee, whipped two Or three senators in
to liae, and today Senator Moser called
up the resolution again prepared to
force it through without amendment and
without debate He thought he had
enough votes to do this, but his attempt
at steamrolling the senate aroused SO
much antGgonism that he abandoned
his plan.
Would Make Salary Definite.
Over his protest the resolution was
again taken into committee of the wnoiu
to consider an amendment which would
make definite the provision relating to
the salary which is to be drawn by the
lieutenant governor.
For two hours again the fight was
waged in committees of the whole, and
finally at noon recess was taken to
give opportunity to ask the attorney
general for an opinion as to the mean
ing of the present wording in the reso-
luton relative to salary,
Those who favor the resolution insist
that as it now reads, the lieutenant gov
ernor would receive salary Of $40 a
day for full time or $3650 year,
while it is intended that he shall be
paid $40 day only while he is serving
as president of the senate during leg
islative session. The resolution provides
that the lieutenant governor shall re-
ceive salary Of $40 day while pres
ideat Of the senate all the time and
therefore would draw his salary when
he was not employed in state work.
Favored Referring to People.
Yesterday afternoon the senate went
into committee of the whole and ap-
proved, by majority vote of 16, an
amendment offered by Senator Patter-
son which provided that the resolution
would not be submitted to the ,.sople
until the general election Of 1920,
thereby eliminating the probability Of
the present governor naming his sue
cessor.
But that amendment was not reported
to the senate, and this morning Senator
Moser moved to again go into commit
tee of the whole to consider She resolu-
ton He Immediately moved to disre-
gard all action taken by the committee
yesterday. That motion carried. He
then moved that the committee rise and
report that the bill be passed without
amendment. That motlvn carrluu.
As soon as the committee of the whole
made its report, Senator Moser moved
the previous question, as means Of
shutting off all debate. This brought
charges of unfair tactics from Senators
Banks and Patterson, and majority
of the senate voted down the motion.
Charged Unfair Tactics.
A lengthy debate followed, during
which Senator Banks, Senator Handley,
Senator Hurley and others charged that
unfair tactics were being resorted to by
Moser and others in their attempt to
get the resolution through the senate.
They charged that nothing. but politics
and the poorest kind of politics, was be.
hind the resolution, which was intend
ed as a slap at Secretary of State Oh
colt.
Senators Moser, Thomas and Eddy
made the leading speeches in support
of the resolution. Senator Thomas laud-
ed Governor Withycombe as G. great
war governor, while Senator Moser urg. |
ed the senators who were friends Of the
governor when they voted to rescind the
action Of yesterday to rcmpia friends
of the governor by voting for the res.
olution without amendments.
Senator Moser declared that if the
resolution was returned to the house
with amendments, an organization OK
listed in the house which was ,eauy 70
kill it.
The final round will be fought this
afternoon, after report is made Of the
attorney generals opinion us TO th.
meaning Of the provision relating to
salary.
Came Up Wednesday.
The lieutenant governor resolution
First came up in the senate Wednesday
afternoon, with favorable report from
the senate resolutions committee. 1t was
debated up one side and down the other,
with the opponents of the resolution
that the resolution was poor
attempt to slip something over during
the last hours Of the legislative session
Senator Handley, Senator Banks,
Senator Hurley and Senator La FoIlett
objected to the resolution, asserting
that it was nothing more than a slap
at Secretary Of State Olcott, who uhdci
the present constitution would become
acting governor in the event Of the
death Of inability Of Governor Witty
combc, while Senator Moser and Sena
Tor Thomas strongly urged the adoption
Of the resolution.
Senator Patterson said none Of the
speakers met with his approval, as he
vas in favor of creating the office OF
lieutenant governor but he was opposed
to thcidea of raising the issue in con 1
> n I