Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-11-10
REALTORS
REPORT
ON FLAX
State administration
Accused Of Being out
Of Sympathy With
Industry.

That the state flax industry has
not received the sympathetic CO.
operation of Governor Olcott and
of Louis v. Compton, warden at
the state penitentiary, are the
charges made by the committee
who has been investigating the
flax situation for the Marion
County Realtors association and
which reported their finds to the
Organization at It's luncheon in
the Marion hotel today.
The investigation is the out
growth of the discontinuance Of
the flax plant by the state and the
failure of the board of control to
find some means by which flax
growers can realize on their con-
tracts, aggregating $4,000,
which they have made with the
state officials for raw flax.
The report in part follows:
The intent of the governor to
try to get out of the flax business
was shown in his request to the
legislature for the yesting of pow
er in the state board of control 10
dispose of the machinery, mater
ials, and equipment of the flax
plant at the Oregon state peniten-
tiary, which act was passed and
approved by him on February 2
1921, attached hereto.
BY the request of the admins
tration with the full intent of es-
tablishing box factory, We are
reliably informed, in the place Of
the flax industry the legislature
was asked for am appropriation
and granted an appropriation Of
$4,000 to cover cost of installing
and equipping and maintaining
such plants as the governor Of tht
state of Oregon in his discretion
may deem advisable in connection
with the Oregon state peniten'
tiary.
No attempt has been made D,
the state to pay the growers fol
the flax handled this year and 1t i
said by the state officials that th'
farmers must wait for their monel
until the state realizes upon thu
stock on hand. The sum due tn,
growers for this stock is approx
mately $4,000. Not even bank
able voucher is given to the grow
ers, therefore, although his flax j
delivered to the state under a per
fectly clean-cut contract, he doeI
er, therefore, although his flax Il
raise money except his own per
sonal credit and IL he were t.
plant another crop he would un
doubtedly have the expense of !
on his hands before he would evel
have his money for expenses ou
Of the 1921 crop. The reason civ
en- by the warden and the governo
is stated in full in the printed re
port of Warden Compton very re
Gently given TO the press. We cal
attention TO the fact that exacti'
the same situation confronted tn
state board of control in the yea
1915 and that through the effort
/ of the late Governor Withycomb
and State Treasurer Kay a dul
! authenticated state voucher wa
given to the growers which woul
enable them to use them as col
lateral at their bank, but the stat
officials even went further an
personally arranged with one c
the banks to advance to the grow
ers the full amount due then
| Therefore It would seem that
| precedent was established whic
| Nigh be well followed in the pres
| ent situation. II seems certai
and Is a pretty well authenticate
fact that in no other instance ha
L the state tried to modify th
amount or postpone the time {
| the time of the payment of an
other of its duly executed contraC
obligations.