Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-02-01

Three Senator's Anxious To
Get Action On Royalties
Question Immediately

The senate roads committee is ap-
preaching wide open split on the
question of endorsing bills which are
aimed at the patented pavements. This
fact was clearly revealed at meeting
Of the committee held yesterday after
noon Immediately following adjourn
ment of the legislature for the week
end.
Bills to prohibit the payment Of roy
alties on pavement laid on public hign
ways, which were introduced by SEN
ators Thomas and Lachmund. are before
| the committee, as is also bills introduc-
ed by Senator Dimick, which are in
tended to open the way for free com
! petition between contractors by requir
ing those having patented pavements
to charge the same royalties to all con-
| tractors.
Senators Laehmund, Thomas and
Dimiek are anxious to get the commit
tee to take some action on these bills
Immediately, so they can be brought
| before the senate, as similar bills are
being introduced in the house by Rep
resentative Sheldon, political rival
of Senator Thomas, and the senators
dislike to have house members bat them
at their own game.
That is why Senators Lachmund and
Thomas resented the action of Senator
Orton, chairman Of the roads and high
ways committee, who left for Portland
before the senate adjourned yesterday
afternoon without calling meeting of
the committee.
Requested Bench Warrant,
Senator Lachmund, as soon as he mo-
ticed that Orton was gone, demanded to
know whether Orton had been excus-
ed, and after he learned that Orton
had left for Portland, he requested
that bench warrant be issued for
him.
! President Vinton got around the sit
uation by suggesting that Senator Hur-
ley, the ranking member of the com
mittee, could call a meeting Of the
committee. Senator Thomas then pre-
sented motion, which was carried,
that Senator Hurley be instructed to
call a meeting Immediately following
adjournment.
An effort was made in the commit
tees by Lachmund, Thomas and Sen
ator Dimick, who is not member of
the committee but dropped in, to get
the committee to endorse senate bills
4S, SO, 67 and 6S, relating to the 10
year maintenance bond, to paving spec
ifications and to the payment of paw
ing royalties.
Ritner Motion Carried.
The outcome was that motion by
Ritner was carried, directing a sub
committee to draft a substitute bill
for s. B. As, which win prohibit the in
sertion of 10-year maintenance clause
in paving contract, but will provide
that the bill shall not apply to five
year construction clause, whik the
committee was widely split on the
other bills.
Senators Ritner Hurley, Norblad,
Patterson and Handley were opposed
to the anti-patented pavement bills un-
less they were shown that they would
not tic the hands Of the state highway
commission to the detriment of the
state by preventing the commission
from contracting for the best payment
for the money to be expended
Senate bill 4S provides that prior
to calling for bids on any patented
pavement, the patentee must file a dec
laraton setting forth the price he will
charge for the use of his patented ar
ticle so that all bidders will be on the
same basis in regard to the payment of
pavement royalties.
There was a wide division in opinion
as to whether this bill would accom-
plish the results desired, and the com
mittee agreed to put it up to the at
torney general TO pass upon it from
legal standpoint