Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1909-02-12
IDAHO SENATE PASSES
LOCAL OPTION BILL
New Measure Requires Signature Of
Forty Per Cent Of the Voters of
the State to Call an Election on
the, Question.

the appointment of committees to reg
ulate legislative expenses, the bill ap-
propriating $4,000 for a bridge over
the Kootenai river at Bonners Ferry,
and the Minidoka memorial for the
bill authorizing the state treasurer to
keep cash reserve fund OF $4,000
was favorably acted upon by the SEN
ate on Saturday, February 6, as was
also the senate local option bill, which
means the house will have to take
back seat with its local option bill,
which was approved by the local OPP
tionists of the state. The senate bill
requires signatures Of 40 per cent Of
the voters of the state, while the
house only requires 20 per cent to call
an election on the question, and 1t is
regarded as doubtful If Governor
Brady would sign the senate bill
should it pass.
Senator Kerns made another severe
attack on the state land board. He
claimed the members of the board
had displayed gross ignorance of state
land, and he charged that the board
is allowing to remain standing unse-
lected in this state no less than $780,
| 600 acres of public lands.
| The state treasurer made the charge
before the senate that Former Gov
ernor Gooding kept in Boise banks,
entirely without security, about $780,
900 belonging to the school fund of
the state, contrary to law A resolu-
ton providing for the appointment of
a special committee to investigate
the matter was defeated.
On Monday, February 8, a greater
portion of the time was taken up in
considering the bill to create Power
county. After tearing the measure
into countless fragments, 1t was in
definitely postponed by a vote Of 80
to 16.
The anti-gambling bill was given a
setback, the committee referring il
back for amendment
One of the most important bills in
troduced in the legislature was pre-
sented in the senate by Davis. II
provides for making 1t felony fol
any person, company or corporation
to contract to deliver more water fol
irrigation than it has title to under
the laws.
State Treasurer Hastings appeared
before the senate for the second time
during this session to explain his bill
to legalize his method of handling
collection" accounts, over which
there has been much heated contro
versy. The senate went on record al
favoring all of Hastings bills alonl
this line.
The following bills were passed: tt
establish an agricultural college fund
regulating employment In mines; pre-
viding for the payment of wages il
United States money or Its equiva
lent; regulating the liquor traffic, cut
ting out brewery-owned saloons an
dives.
The measure providing for the turr
ing of one-half of the revenue fror
saloons into the rural school distrie
fund was defeated.
The senate joint resolution PROVE
ing for a constitutional amendmen
authorizing the legislature to prt
scribe the membership and humble
of members of the board of educatio
was passed unanimously
A Joker bill was introduced in tn
! house proposing to make st. Patrick
, day a legal holiday. The penalt
clause of the bill provides that an
person violating any of its provision
shall be condemned to dance til
: Irish Jig on the dome of the stat
: house.
. A war of words was started in I'll
! house on Thursday morning, Februal
: IA, over a bill authorizing the sta
: treasurer to accept checks and draf
|. and place them on temporary "colle
Q ton deposit. The advisability of as
!. ing the treasurer to address the hou'
5 on the matter under discussion W;
!. being considered. The faction o
= posed to Treasurer Hastings want,
a three Boise bankers to also adore
O that body IL he was to be permitted
S Finally the house invited the trea
L urer in to speak, and he came. Viii
he was explaining his conduct
treasurer, he was twice interrupted
d Shaw of Ada county, who want'
y Speaker Clagstone to call him to {
y der. While the fight was at it's heig
% adjournment was taken to break
n up.
I. Most of the afternoon in the hou
was taken up with the considerati
c. of the anti-pass bill. A long deba
2. took place, and at times it becar
20 bitter. Members became personal, a
= legislative courtesy was lost sight
~ The bill was indefinitely postponed
n vote Of 38 to II, three Republica
Sc voting with the Democrats.
Cd The bill repeating the poll tax la
and one providing that public print