The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1921-02-24

through during the closing hours
when there is little time for consid-
Grafton.
The measures which ran the gaunt-
let Of both houses during the first five
weeks Of the present session were
mostly unimportant and Of no great
interest to the state at large, Many
Of the big bills remained for final
consideration by one or both houses.
Night sessions will be in order this
week, and President Ritner and Speak
er Bean will endeayor to speed up
work, Perhaps the steam roller will
be oiled up and placed in commission
in the attempt to finish up the work
this week. Hard work and mufflers
on the orators may enable the legisla.
ture TO clear up most of the important
business before the session ends next
Saturday night or early Sunday morn
ing.
Road Legislation Unfinished.
Road legislation is still in more or
less of a chaotic condition and the
main highway bills have not received
attention in either house up to the
close of the fifth week Of the session.
The Roosevelt Highway bill which
passed the senate and was sent over
TO the house, was recalled by the SEN
ate last week and put to sleep in the
senate committee. Just what will be
its fate is predetermined.
When the joint ways and means
committee began holding executive
sessions to round out the a%ppropria-
ton bills it was confronted with the
task of pruning about s2,50O,O00 from
the demands made upon the state
treasury. Estimates in the original
budget prepared before the legislature
met called for appropriations totalling
s9~,S10,950.63, a sum SS19,976.22 in e1-
cess of visible revenues, which total
S 5 1890, 974.41. Since the legislature
met various state institutions and de
partments have revised their estimates
upward so as to increase the demands
in excess of visible revenues to more
than $500, 600.
Estimates Must Be Cut.
The committee is under the painful
necessity of making some drastic cuts
in the estimates in order to keep
within the 6 per cent constitutional
tax limitation.
One of the most heated contests Of
the present session was aroused over
a house bill fathered by Representa-
tives Burdick and Gallagher, under
which it was proposed to Gust the
state engineer from office and make
some radical changes in the irrigation
laws of the state. After one of the
longest oratorical battles of the SEES
sion the bill was defeated by a vote of
II for and 43 against.
Motor Code introduced.
Under a revised motor vehicle code
introduced in the house by the joint
roads and highways committee, own.
ers of passenger cars will be required
to pay a license fee based on the
weight of the car, and motor trucks
and t~railers will be licensed on the
basis of tire width.
Automobiles, except motor trucks,
t~railers and semi.trailers, having a
rated maximum load carrying capac-
ity OF one ton or over, shall pay the
following license fees, according to the
proposed code: Weighing 1900 pounds
or less, SIS; more than 1900 pounds
and not more than 1000, $40; 1000
pounds to 2400, $25; 2400 to $500, $50;
$500 pounds to 5000, $35; 5000 pounds
to $500, $45; $500 pounds to 4100, $50;
more than 400 pounds, SIS.
Licenses of motor trucks, traiIers
and semi-trailers will be based on the
total tire width Of such vehicles.
House Passes Bonus Bill.
The house passed the soldiers cash
bonus and loan bill and the resolution
referring to the people the constitu-
tional amendment authorizing sale of
$50, 600. 900 of bonds necessary to carry
out the plan, without a dissenting
vote.
Under the provisions Of the bill as
amended since its introduction, Ore
gon veterans of the world wal will be
paid a cash bonus of SIS a month for
each month of service, with q maxi.
mum OF $3.50, or may borrow from the
state q sum not to exceed $4,000, Sc
cured by real property and payable in
instsllments over a considerable pc
riod of years,
Another amendment to the bill per-
mits veterans who were citizens Of the
state at the time of enlistment. but
who have since moved out of the state,
to participate in the benefits Of the
bill under certain restrictions.
Proposed Special Election June 7.
A bill providing for a special state
election on June 7 was introduced in
the senate. The election would afford