The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1897-02-06
LEGISLATURE OF IDAHO
PROGRESS OF THE WORK IN OUT
TING DOWN SALARIES.
How the EiEht-HO1r nm Passed In
the senate and the Deficiency
Judgement Rill IN the Mouse.

1 AASeASN
Boise. Idaho. Jan u.-During the past
| week more aeIivlIy mas been shown in
| general legislation. The salary ami tee
bills In the senate and the deficiency
| Judgment bill In the house have been the
| leading topics OF debate
In the discussion Of the salary bill In the
| senate, Harris. the author OF the BILL con-
| tended that at the time the present eal-
| africa were fxeo the cost Of living was
| more than double what It l. now.
Bennett and Turner of Bingham. Op-
posed the cutting OF the salary OF the
| superintendent OF public instruction to
/ $ia0. saying that the stale could not get
| a competent man for 50 small q sum-
| On the other hand Bessett and Cough
amour thought there were plenty OF COM
| petent teachers who would DO very will
1 ling to hold the ottice at the nguro namesk
/ and the amendment prevailed for the
| time being. but later In the week u was
reconsidered and the salary fixed at
$500
An amendment to IN the salaries of the
l Justices of the supreme court at S25o9
| was lost. and the 1900 figures remained In
the bill
| An amendment to fix the salaries OF the
district judges at Sl200 was defeated as
l also one to make II 1850 and $500. and II
| was left as In the bill at 5000.
The bill ixes salaries as followS: Gov
ernor, $OOo; secretary of state, 1850;
| state auditor. 1850; state treasurer. 1900;
attorney general. 1850; justices Of the
4 supreme court. 5000. judges OF the dis
trtct court. SeOO0
| Davia Fee ban.
There was also considerable talk in
the senate over the Davis fee bill. regu-
| lating the fees and compensation OF coun-
| ty officers. Coryen claimed that II the
| bill was passed tho officers could not
| make a living.
A motion to reduce the fee for record
ing mining claims to 81 was opposed on
the ground that 1t would have tendency
| to encourage prospectorS TO record worth
less claims and the amendment was voe-
ed down Il was agreed that the fees ac-
crulng in land office business should be
included in determining the compenSa-
ton Of the clerk OF the district court
Settlers are obliged to execute many pa
\ pers before the clerks and hitherto there
has been no law requiring the clerks to
| report the fees received from this source
| A debate was precIpltated over the mo-
ton OF Young to Increase the sherins fee
for serving summons or complaint from 50
| cents to IS cents Harris contended that
1 IN many small counties Il was necessary
l to make up the Sheriffs minimum from
the treasury. and that II these fees were
cut HttgantS would be relieved and the
L DuTNen thrown on the Taxpayers laws
| OF Oneida declared thai his county had
been paying its sheriff 5000 a year, while
there were plenty of good men who would
be glad to do the work for 500. Davis OF
Boise said that his county had received
only about NlOO last year. The amend
ment to increase the Zee from 20 cents to
IS cents was finally defeated. Further
I consideration OF the bill was postponed
| for a week.
After a lively debate. during which the
Bible was quoted on both aides. the bill
to abolish capital punishment, was rec
commended by the committee OF the whole
to be indefinitely postponed.
The Eight-HOuP Measure.
When Benefits bill making eight h0urs
days work in mines and mills was
taken up In committee Of the whole OF
i the senate, Coughanour opposed 1t on the
ground that 1t would work an injustice to
mine owners. He asked the senators to
let the l0-hour system alone. until they
were thoroughly satisfied that the pro-
/ posed change would not do more harm
than good In advocating the bill BEN
l nett said that he had been told by the
| manager OF the DeLamar mine that the
/ eight-hour system would not Inture the
company. adding that it would be bstter
for the men and for society at large to
give the men more time for self-improve-
ment. Young said the bill would increase
the number OF men at work In the Occur
| d Alenes, adding 300 or 100 10 the pay
rolls. The bill was recommended for pas
sage.
state Timber Lands.
In supporting his bill to define tho pow
ers and duties Of the state board Of Land
| commissioners. Nelson stated that az
the law now was the state could not sell
Its timber land for the reason that at
the present time the state has not ac-
CURED enough land to make the neces-
l sary improvements to get the timber Tia
Il rn1ttA urfry
| board Of land commissioners the power to
act when they acquired more land and
the state could sell the timber from
| what 1t now has. The bill was approved
rhe House ON Deficiency Judgments.
Randolph's bill relating to deficiency
judgments was finally approved In the
house, but not without much opposition
| The bill provides that when a sale has
once been ordered In foreclosure proceed
lngs and when the proceeds OF the sale
| are found insufficient, no iudzment can
I again be docketed for the balance.
Waters declared that the bill was In op-
position to the laws Of contract. When a
man borrows any sum Of money, agrees
TO pay that much and his note "a the
contract. The borrower Is none the less
liable for that note when the property
\ given as security deprectates adding
that such a law would prevent the loan
Ing Of money.
Taking the other side Perkins said
Mortgages are the curse Of this coun-
Try and II this bill would do away with
the loanins of money. with property as
security. It would be the salvation Of our
nation He continued by saying that
In a time Of depression the forced sale of
i property would only add to the wealth Of
the moneyed class and aid In the building
up Of landed artstocracy
Clawson's bill providing that county
commissioners shall not extend the time
OF payment Of outstanding Indebtedness
or reduce the interest charge unless 20
authorized by two-thirds vote OF the
qualihed electors. was indefinitely post
| poned.