The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-15

Today is Arbor day, state holiday I'M
/ der the provisions of the law and as
result business generally will be suspend
! ed at the state Offices although the force
/ engaged in the room OF the secretary of
I state will be employed in packing up for
! removal tomorrow.
OF course, while nominally closed, the
state boards, consisting of the governor,
secretary of state and encouragement,
will doubtless hold few meetings. I'm
der the rules which are established by
law it is an easy matter to hold three or
four board meetings. per day. For instance:
The board of land commissioners holds
meeting in the morning. When the work
for which the assembling was had is
completed the two outsiders, Reese and
Walton. fall out, and the governor an
nounces: '"rhe state board of examiners
will please come to order" The state
board comes TO order with all members
present and there being no business on
the table the state board adjournS The
board of printing and supplies is then
called to order and after doing what 1t
has OH hand dissolves and the state board
of pardons holds a meeting. And so on.
Yesterday the state board of examiners
held a meeting on the matter of printing
the journals of the house and senate. I'M
mediately following it the state board OF
printing and supplies held another meet
ing and opened bids for the work.
The Deseret News company carried off
the plum. Its bid was as follows: For
printing the session laws, the index to the
same and the senate and house journals;
Session laws. SIPS per page index, $4.42
per page; journals. S1.55 per page.
Star Printing company, session laws,
S2S5 per page; index, $440 per page; jour
mails. Sl.70 per page.
tribune session laws, $3.50 per page;
[ Journals.
page.
The number of pages of the session laws
will be somewhere in the neighborhood of
500; the index, 100. The computation on
the journals is definite. The bids accord
ing to figures made at this office will
amount to something over $4,000 and less
than 5000.
COUNTY BILL SIGNED.
The govrnor yesterday signed the
county government bill, which was passed
during the closing hours of the legisla-
ture. Although the bill has an emergency
clause, it does not take effect until sixty
days from the date of approval, on ac-
count Of not having the necessary two
thirds vote of both houses on passing.
There are now three bills in the hands of
the executive which remain unsigned;
the estray bill, the drainage district act
and the interest on state warrants bill.
MILITIA MATTERS
Up to date two of the appointees on
the staff of the governor have declined
to serve. There is a vacancy in the posi-
ton of inspector general and state in
spector of rifle practice. The governor
has not yet announced his selection for
either The newly appointed brigadier
general of the National Guard has not as
yet qualified. On this account the Off
GERS of the minor organizations in this
city are growing somewhat anxious. The
colonel of the First Infantry has asked
the adjutant general to provide him with
a place for holding drills and in his re-
quest made at the officers meeting last
Sunday, suggested that he did not expect
the commanding officer would be in a
position to give the matter any attention;
hence he made the request of the clerical
officer. Orders will be issued in a few
days to resume drills and unless some
thing is done for the men it will have to
be an out of door exercise with the or
CARNATIONS in this city,
By right the city government ought to
provide some place for the storage of
arms and for business meetings of the
companies. In case of a riot the city
authorities would be the first to call for
the assistance of state troops, and it is
to say the least, a small act to perform
the furnishing of an armory There are
six organizations in the city, three COM
pan1es of infantry battery of light ar
tillery. troop of cavalry and the signal
corps and one of them have a first
class place to meet.
In the future officers of the National
Guard will have to pass a rigid examna-
ton ere they can assume command and
don shoulder straps. The new code pro-
vides that all officers, except staff shall
pass an examination before a board ap-
pointed for the place. The governor has
not yet appointed this board of
officers, but from inside authority
it is gathered that he will desig-
nate them as soon as the commander of
the guard qualities and matters are ad-
iusted. The rules which will govern will
be formulated by the members and will
be quite rigid, if reports be true. The gen
eral fitness of the elected officer. will be
first considered. His ability to command
respect and general make up will cut
quite a figure. Hitherto it Is said there
have been to omany boys elected to posi-
tons in the guard, and it is proposed to
stop this: The respect which an officer
is entitled to is not shown by the mem
bers, and this too by reason of the fact
that the officer himself is too "'kfttenish'
to command it.
1t is stated that the cavalry troop at
Spanish Fork is not in as good condition
as it might be owing to lack of official
acumen on the part of the commanding
officers. The men are dissatisfied and do
not attend the drills as they should The
matter will be looked into very soon and
some changes made
Captain John NJ Cummings company at
Cannoville, although isolated is doing
spsendidly and the men are in first class
condition. The officer referred to is a
good drill master and has the confidence
and respect of his men. Good attendances
are had and from information received,
If the company should come to this city
for parade, some of the boys here
would hide their heads in shame when
they saw those country lads work in uni
form.
SESSION LAWS.
There is a great demand for session
laws already. and as soon as they are
printed the supply can be readily dis
posed of. The clerk of the supreme court,
who is the librarian of the state. says
that he Is asked every day if he can
furnish a copy of the same. It will be
twenty days ere the work will be fin
lshed.
FEES OF OFFICERS.
The announcement that several officers
of this county would not turn in fees to
the treasures has caused considerable
speculation in official circles. The Herald
which contained the news exclusively
was in demand in several quarters yes
terday. Now that the county bill has
just been signed, the question arises as
to whether or not the clerks have not
the right to keep AL fees for juries turned
in for the next sixty days. The bill pro-
vides that all fees collected for this pur-
pose shall be turned into the treasury
of the county. AS it does not take eff
feet for two months, it is quite likely that
the clerks will have perquisite for
some time to come.
One official who is interested, says that
Salt Lake county is not alone in this mat
ter. That letters have been received from
many officials throughout the state and
that many have announced their interi-
ton of making a test case in the courts
as to the right of the legislature to make
a law which takes effect from the first of
the year. There will doubtless be con-
siderable fun over this matter ere the
finish is reached.
TAUGHT A LESSON. I