Benson v. Withycombe

166 P. 41, 84 Or. 652, 1917 Ore. LEXIS 277
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJune 26, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 166 P. 41 (Benson v. Withycombe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Benson v. Withycombe, 166 P. 41, 84 Or. 652, 1917 Ore. LEXIS 277 (Or. 1917).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Moore

delivered the opinion of the court.

In addition to these facts parts of statutes are set forth in the alternative writ which plaintiffs’ counsel maintain require a compliance with .the terms of such command. The defendants’ counsel admit the facts hereinbefore stated, but deny that the provisions of the law invoked authorize the granting of a peremptory writ. The solution of the question thus presented must depend upon the construction to be given to several statutes enacted at the session of the legislative assembly held in the year 1917, relating to the raising and disbursing of public funds for road purposes. Considering these matters in the order of their approval Section 1 of Chapter 175 accepts the provisions of the act of Congress referred to, and agrees to cooperate with the Federal Government in carrying the clauses thereof into effect. Chapter 339, Gen. Laws Or. 1913, created a State Highway Commission, com[656]*656posed of the Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer, and required the State Tax Commission annually to levy a tax equal to one fourth of a mill on each dollar of assessable property, which exaction was to be known as the “state road fund.” Section 2 of Chapter 175, Gen. Laws Or. 1917, which legislative session without again mentioning it will be understood unless some other term is expressly stated, commands the state board having control of public highways, out of the money called the highway funds, annually to set aside a sufficient sum to comply with the terms of the federal act,

“and if there is any deficiency in said highway fund for such purpose, then the State Board of Control of the state of Oregon is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed each, year during the next five years to sell the bonds of the state of Oregon in an amount sufficient to raise enough money which, taken together with any money available from appropriations from other funds of the state of Oregon, if any there be, to equal the amount required of the state of Oregon in order to fully meet the requirements, conditions, and provisions of said Federal statute, and the Federal officials operating under said statute; provided, however, that such bonds shall not be issued unless necessary to enable the state of Oregon to avail itself of the Federal aid as provided hereinabove, or any other aid hereafter furnished by the United States.”

A part of Section 4 of that chapter reads:

“After the funds, if any, which have been appropriated from the current moneys of the state for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this act have been exhausted, or if no appropriation therefor has been made, then each year said State Board of Control shall sign, date, issue, and sell bonds as required to raise funds sufficient to meet the obligation of the [657]*657state of Oregon in carrying on road construction as provided for in said Federal statute.”

This act contained an emergency clause and went into effect February 16,1917, upon its approval.

Though the “State Highway Commission” and the “state road fund” as designated in Chapter 339, G-en. Laws Or. 1913, are respectively referred to in Section 2 of Chapter 175 as “the state board, commissioners, or officers having control of the state highways” and the “highway funds,” no mistake could possibly arise in construing the latter phrases as indicating a legislative intent to specify the former expressions.

Chapter 194 requires the Secretary of State annúally to issue to owners of motor vehicles licenses permitting the use of such carriages, the amount of the demand depending upon the kind, power, and weight of the vehicle. The money so received must be turned over to the State Treasurer and known as “the motor vehicle fund.” Upon deducting therefrom certain charges the remainder is required to be returned to the treasurers of the counties from which the payments were received. This chapter further provides, however, that if the state of Oregon accepts the benefits of the federal appropriation for the construction of post and forest roads, the remainder of the motor vehicle fund, after retaining the necessary expenses, shall on December 31st of each year, while such aid is available, be paid over to the board, commission, or person entitled to disburse it. This act will go into effect August 1, 1917.

Chapter 237 creates a State Highway Commission, pursuant to which statute the plaintiffs were duly appointed and now hold their offices, and an engineer and other employees are also provided for, who col[658]*658lectively are designated as the State Highway Department. Section 12 of that chapter practically reenacts Section 13 of Chapter 339, Gen. Laws Or. 1913, by requiring the State Tax Commission annually to levy one fourth of a mill tax upon all assessable property, which burden is known as the state highway fund, and all moneys thus obtained are to be disbursed by the State Highway Commission. This act contained an emergency clause and went into effect February 19, 1917, upon its approval.

Section 1 of Chapter 423 empowers the State Highway Commission, during the next five years, to sell bonds of the State of Oregon to the amount of $6,000,000, the money derived therefrom to be used to construct public highways, of which sum not more than $1,000,000 can be used during the year 1917. A part of subdivision 5 of Section 8 of that chapter reads:

“The funds with which to pay the portion of the expense of construction of said post and forest roads payable by the state of Oregon, shall be secured from the sale of bonds as is provided in House Bill No. 21 (chapter 175).”

This act was approved by the Governor so far as was necessary in order to refer it to the people to be voted upon June 4, 1917, at which special election it was ratified, and, thereupon, went into full force and effect. These references and excerpts are believed sufficient, with others hereinafter to be mentioned, to explain what parts, if any, of Chapters 175, 194, and 237 were changed or abrogated by subsequent enactments, and particularly by Chapter 423.

1. These statutes having been favorably acted upon by the requisite majorities in each house of the same legislative assembly all the clauses of the several [659]*659enactments should he so construed together as to permit each to remain intact, unless some provision is so repugnant to succeeding sections that both cannot exist at the same time as substantive law, in which case the later one necessarily controls: Smith v. Kelly, 24 Or. 464 (33 Pac. 642); State v. Linn County, 25 Or. 503 (36 Pac. 297); Grant v. Paddock, 30 Or. 312 (47 Pac. 712); Stoppenback v. Multnomah County, 71 Or. 493 (142 Pac. 832); Richards v. District School Board, 78 Or. 621 (153 Pac. 482).

It will be remembered that Section 2 of Chapter 175, supra,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
166 P. 41, 84 Or. 652, 1917 Ore. LEXIS 277, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/benson-v-withycombe-or-1917.