Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-01-27

BoIs. CRY, Jan. "a, 1899

been awakened IN Legislative doings.
The question Of the location OF the
agricultural college Is on and there
are delegations here from Payette,
Idaho Falls snd Weiser, armed with
maps, evidence and statements "a
lore, to convince the legislative mind
that each Of their respective places is
in the exact center Of the State; that
each one has the best water supply,
the best alI-the-year-round climate,
produces the most and the most di-
verse varieties Of everything pro-
ducible, and is naturally and arti6-
cially the place where the college
must be located 70 save the expense
and modification of having to move
it afterwards. All of this is great
convenience to the Legislature, IS it
insures to that body the greatest pos
sible amount of information at q mod
icum of cost. But l am afraid some
of them will be disappointed. There
seems to be disposition on the part
of our honorables TO consider the best
permanent interests of tie State at
large in locating the college, and if
that proposition is adhered to the
prize will most certainly be awarded
to Welser, that being the warmest
valley, above Lewiston, in Idaho, and
the one that actually produces, in
perfection, the greatest variety Of
grains, fruits and vegetables.
An las it appears to spectators) un-
necessary amount of time is being
consumed by the Legislature in at
tempts to exempt property from tax
alton. The last bill Of the kind, up
to date, was one exempting Libraries
This bill had the support of gentle
men who have made something of q
record for broad-mindedness, when il
was up in the Senate, but / think
they acted under misapprehensior
of the subject matter of the law, and
not from wish to relieve property
holders from the payment of taxes
A students or family library wortf
from $50 to s10O-and that is abou
their usual value-might, without Sc
rious improperly, be exempted from
taxation, while to exempt the costl,
literary collections of the wealthy, o
the multitudinous tones of the pro
! fessionaI man, would be unfair to tax
payers. For instance, R. u. John
son, of this city, has a library wort
more, perhaps, than any two 16o acr
farms on the Boise valley. Like al
others who are so fortunate as to pos
sess such boon, he is able to pa
taxes on it. And, besides, he keep
it for private profit and not in an
sense to convenience or benefit th
public. 1t is, therefore, like the i
, braries of all other professional mel
strictly private property, and by a
rules of just taxation, should b
taxed. No library of over 500 va
ne should escape the tax gatherer,
for no other reason, because so man
+. of our people are made to pay VII
have nothing unmortgaged to pay ol
). A bill introduced by Mr.. Neill, ,
! Shoshone county, to permit hired me
to board and purchase goods of otl
ers besides their employers, is haviu
> hard time, and some members wi
: have the pleasure of explaining the
votes on this measure tn laboring me
two years hence. The hired ms
will naturally want to know why it
- that an Idaho Legislator would vo
to compel him to purchase goods
his employers store, board at his Ell
ployer's boarding house, be paid I
- in check and get it cashed and d
counted at his employers bank; al
d naturally, too, for one, not legisl
X tor, would think that when a m
., earns money he should have the pr
,e ilege of spending it where he pleas
Is so long as he spends it honestly
of support himself or his family.
es Another bill, also by Mr.. Ne
that should have passed without
dissenting voice, aroused the comb
ly i've qualities of our sclons. 1t p
.e. posed to make it unlawful for e
of ployers and employees to enter il
,d agreements that employees shall 1
become nor continue members of
i'' Dor organizations. All of this b
work will have to be undone, If |
by this Legislature, then by anoth
es Labor must have the right to org
,et ize and combine, or capital must
90 denied that right.
=, A State school of mines, to be
Gated at Osborne, Shoshone couu
se. ;s nroposed. hut it is not possible