Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1919-03-18
One Salary Only
For Gov. 0lcOtt

Dating from the time when he
took the oath of office as governor
OF Oregon, Ben w. Olcott has re
nounced the salary of s4500 a year
that goes with the office of secre-
tary OF state and will decline to ac-
cept two salaries while serving in
the double capacity of the states
two highest public positions. If by
any Interpretation of the Oregon
constitution he can resign the office
of secretary of state but continue as
chiefcxecutive he will relinquish the
former and appoint new secretary.
Governor Olcott made known his
position on these questions and an
nounced that he will ask Attorney
General Brown II there is any way
in which the question of whether
or not he can resign the secretary
ship can be gotten into the courts for
adjudication. Should the courts hold
that Mr.. Olcott is governor in fact
he would have the power to resign
the secretaryship and appoint his
successor in that office without jeop-
radl1ng his position as governor.
When Mr.. Olcott automatically be-
came governor by the death of Gov
ermor Withycombe he was of the
opinion that his tenure of office as
governor would terminate with the
election and qualification of his sue
cessor at the next general election,
which will fall in November, 1920
Some of the most learned lawyers in
Salem hold different opinions and as
sert that Olcott will hold thru the
entire unexplred term of Governor
Withycombe. This question is in
volved with the question of his pow
er to resign as secretary of state
which Governor 0lcott wishes to have
adjudicated in court. Several law
yers believe the attorney general will
hold that no way exists to place the
question up to the courts until 1t
can be presented in connection with
the question of whether or not the
gallot at the election of 1920 shall
provide for the election of a COVER
nor. At that time, should Mr.. o.
colt be held governor in fact he
would then be free to quit the office
OF secretary of state and appoint his
successor in that office.
Regardless Of what the legal opin-
ion is, Governor Olcott will renounce
the salary of secretary of state, $4.-
500 a year, and while serving in the
two offices, will accept only the
$4,000 annually paid the governor
In making this announcement he
only makes the reservation that the
money may be held for use in con-
nection with paying the expenses Of
the secretary Of states office, where
1t may be needed because of new
duties placed upon that office by the
recent legislature.
1T is not my desire to serve both
as secretary of state and as gov
ernor," Mr.. Olcott said, "and | want
an early decision on the question
whether can resignyas secretary OF
state and appoint my successor. This
Is desirable for several reasons. One
is that the office of governor pre-
sents sufficient duties to occupy all
of the attention Of one man. Another
reason is that the counsel of the third
man is needed on the state board of
control. Particularly will this be
true because of work added to the
boards duties by the last legisla-
ture in connection with the recon-
struction program, If the IS, 900
reconstruction bonding bill is passed
by the people, This bill delegates
to the board Of control authority to
issue the bonds