Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-02-11
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 APP
propriating $4,000 for bridge over
the Kootenai river at Bonners Ferry,
and the Minidoka memorial for the
relief of settlers were passed and 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 a
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 30 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 S00,-
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,
600 belonging to the school fund of
the state, contrary to law. A resolu-
ton providing for the appointment of
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 vote OF 80
| to 16. A3M
The anti-gambling bin was given a
setback, the committee referring it
back for amendment
One of the most important bills in
troduced in the legislature was pre-
| scented in the senate by Davis. 1t
provides for making 1t a felony for
any person, company or corporation
| Ito contract to deliver more water for
! irrigation than 1t 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 as
favoring all of Hastings bills along
this line
The following bills were passed: To
establish an agricultural college fund
regulating employment In mines; pro.
viding for the payment of wages in
| United States money or Its equiva-
lent: regulating the liquor traffic, cut
ting out brewery saloons and
| dives.
The measure providing for the turn
ing of one-half of the revenue from
saloons into the rural school district
full was defeated.
The senate joint resolution provid
ing for constitutional amendment
authorizing the legislature to pre-
scribe the membership and number
of members of the board of education
was passed unanimously.
A joker bill was introduced in the
house proposing to make St Patrick's
day a legal holiday. The penalty
clause of the bill provides that any
person violating any of its provisions
shall be condemned to dance the
Irish jig on the dome Of the state
house.
A war of words was started in tn,
house on Thursday morning, Februar,
a. over a bill authorizing the STATE
treasurer to accept checks and drafts
and place them On temporary "collec
| tn - -
Ing the treasurer to address the house
ON the matter under discussion wa
being considered. The faction op
posed to Treasurer Hastings wante,
three Boise bankers to also address
that body If he was to be permitted to
Finally the house invited the treas
nrer in to speak, and he came. Will,
he was explaining his conduct a
treasurer, he was twice interrupted b.
Shaw of Ada county, who wante,
Speaker Clagstone to call him to OF
der. While the fight was at its heigh
adjournment was taken to break /
up.
Most of the afternoon in the hous
was taken up with the consideration
of the anti-pass bill A long debat
took place, and at times 1t becam
bitter. Members became personal, an,
legislative courtesy was lost sight OF
The bill was indefinitely postponed b,
a vote of 80 to IL, three Republican
voting with the Democrats
The bill repeating the poll tax Law
and one providing that public printing
he let TO the lowest bidder were In
definitely postponed. The followin
bills were introduced by the irrigs
ton committee: Requiring licens
from land surveyors; fixing salary 0
state engineer at $4,000 per year; ere
ating a Carey act" board
Tafs Will Ride in Automobile.
Washington Mr. Taft bs