Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-02-19
LEGISLATURE OF IDAHO
POINTS IN THE DISCUSSION OF THE
RANDOLPH RAILROAD BILL.
A NH for the Closing of Barber
shops on Sunday Gives Rise to
Theological Observations.

latiye week of the legislature began WIN
a vigorous discussion of the RandolPh |
railroad bill in the house. The commit |
tee had recommended the indefinite post
ponement of the measure, but the house
decided in favor of it's recommitment
During the discussion which consumed
the larger part of the day, Randolph de-
clared there were 20, 900 people in northern
Idaho who demanded legislation when
should afford them more favorable rates
on the part of the railroads. The repre-
sentatives from that part of the state hao
pledged themselves to support q Dill OF
the character introduced by him, and the
change In their attitude as whole was
what seemed queer to him. lie could
not understand why the roads charged
the shippers in Idaho more than those III
Utah for transportation to the coast; that
the wheat growers in the Palouse coun-
try had to pay 141a cents bushel for snip
ping their wheat to the coast, while they
have received only an average of ~ cents
per bushel for the past three years. In
answer to the argument that the roads
were bankrupt, he quoted from the re-
port of the interstate commerce commits
sion, giving $4,000 900 as the net earnings
for the roads in the northwest.
Elder did not hope for much relief
should the bill under discussion become
law He believed that the national gov
eminent should take hold of the question
and straighten 1t out.
seat understood a similar bill was be-
fore the legislature in Washington, and he
believed that the two states working to-
gether could obtain the relief desired.
Wright claimed that train of freight
cars could be run from Chicago to TINS
state at the cost of $40 per car, excluding
interest on the capital invested and wear
and tear of the rolling stock, while ne
HI le xyhnr railroad
companies had charged from $500 upward
per car for that distance
Mccarthy believed in discrimination,
saving that while the railroads In the
northern part of the state were treating
the people unfairly those In southern
Idaho were doing all in their power to
develop the country. The Union Pacific'
with the telegraph lines in connection
with 1t, pays one-third of all the taxes
levied In the Ii counties through which 1t
passes The total revenue on freight ana
passenger traffic having origin and des-
tination within the state during 1896
averaged $302.62 per day, while the eX-
penditures were $346O per day. In eight
of the school districts through which the
Short Line runs in Bannock county II
paid school taxes to the amount of ST.
90225 last year, to $417.24 paid by all otner
parties or 81 per cent of the whole.
JONES did not hesitate to denounce the
railroads saying that If reasonable rate
were established the traffic would be many
tons increased.
The vote on recommittal was as follows:
Ayes-Allen, Andrews, Beary, Black,
Brim, Bryan, Briggs, Clagett, Elan
nigan, Fuller, Goldsmith, Gray Hadley'
Hampton, JONES, Mccarthy, Mitchell,
Morgan, Orr, Perkins, Randolph, Seat,
sisson, Sperry, Waite, Workman and
Wright-27.
Nays-Brown, Carter Clawson, Elder,
Fem, Fulton, Hamer, Harris, Hays, Holt
johnson, Keat McMurrin, Pugmire. Rice
Rigby, Rogers, Thomas Wallantine, Wat
ers and Nelson-M.
Not voting-Alford.
Other Measures I'm the House.
The following bills were passed by thu
house:
No. 1877, by Fem, regulating houses O.
prostitution, was passed by a vote of 3
to 5, the following voting nay: Allan
Clawson, Orr, JONES and Berry.
No. IS, by Rice, abolishing the city an'
county license of theaters, passed by
vote of 81 to 9.
No. II. by Flanagan, relating to tn
guardianship of minors, was passed by
vote of AZ to 0.
No. 1877, by Workman, fixing the lega
status of the county surveyors and pro
viding for the keeping of records of coun
ty surveys and regulating the surveyor
fees, was passed by vote of 81 to Z.
Senate Proceedings.
The Davis fee bill was again UP in in
senate this week. Three dollars day in
stead of "a was fixed as the per diem G
probate judges sitting as committing mag
istrates, and the per diem of commission
ers was reduced from IS to "a, and tn
mileage was increased from 10 cents t
15 cents, the bill then being committed
special committee.
Theology crept into the debate whic
ended In the killing of the bill to clos
barber shops on Sunday, Nelson earnestl
taking the ground that the state shout
not legislate on matters of conscienc
Though minister of the gospel, he ha
always been opposed to legislation Wit
respect to religious subjects. Bennett wa
glad to find himself in accord with tt
senator from Latah on one subject.
During the talk on the bill to abolish tt
office of deputy state treasurer, Ballentir
of Ada, said that the First National ban
here was the real state treasurer for
number of years. All the trueasurer ha
to do was to come here quarterly an
draw his salary and the compensate
paid by the bank. The speaker had bee
told that the bank had paid him $4,000, ~
alleged that the law had been passed fl
the purpose of that scheme.
In taking favorable action on the bill
prohibit entry of deficiency judgmel
Turner of Bingham contended that if II
measure became law there would be I
more money loaned, adding that the bi
was an effort to repudiate honest debt
On the other hand Nelson said he did NJ
propose to be bugabooed by capital; tn;
capital had thrust itself under the nos
of unsuspecting men who had made loan
not knowing that II the property given
security did not sell for enough, II
lender could reach out and take any 9TH
piece of property that the borrower migl
possess.
New House Bills.
The following additional bills have bee
introduced in the house:
No. 166. by the ways and means con
mittee, as substitute for No. IS, redul
ing a poll tax of all over q and under
years of age. amounting to $3.50.
No. 167. by Bryan, to provide a chal
lain for the state penitentiary.
LA F<1,. f.s