The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1911-03-17
some NEEDED LAWS

|SOME NEEDED LAWS
Enacted By The Eleventh Session
Of Legislature.
In addition to providing for the
expenditure Of So, 800, 900, including
the proceeds Of bond issues, and pro.
vlding for the submission of many
constitutional amendments, the
legislature that passed into history at
a late hour Monday, March 9th, en-
acted many measures of vital interest
TO the people Of the whole state, aud
killed other measures demanded by
numbers of voters.
1t is yet too near the close Of the
end OF the session to get proper
perspective OF the work of the legisla-
tors, but some OF the bills enacted in
to law or killed stand out 50 prom
inentIy in the interest of the people
that brief reference to them, even
at this time, will be welcomed.
Judged purely from material
standpoint 1t is doubtful IL any
other acts Of the Eleventh session are
cf such far reaching Importance to
all the people OF the state as the
series OF acts relating to the public
lands Of the state. These include a
law legalIzing all past acts OF the
state board of land commissioners
and clearly defining the powers and
duties Of that board, the ratification
Of the statutes of the United States
bearing upon the Idaho public lands,
and the sending to Washington OF a
committee to adjust matters between
the state and the nation as to state
lands included in forest reserves.
Next in Importance 10 the minds Of
many is the legislation on the liquor
issue. This includes three important
measures. One OF these, known as
the ''search and seizure" law, is in
tended to make effective the local
option law enacted by the Tenth
session. Should this stand the test
Of the courts it will, it is claimed,
eliminate bootlegging and work
great reform 10 many parts of the
state. Another bill that became
law places all the territory, outside
of incorporated cities and towns, un-
der the banner Of prohibition. Still
another bill makes it impossible to
buy liquor in drug store for any
purpose without drst subscribing to
an oath before an official.
Great things are promised from the
operations OF the Shawhan antitrust
law. This is sweeping in its pro-
visions. It incorporates many of the
best features of the best laws on the
statute books Of other states. The
idea OF personal guilt" is emphasized
10 this law and it is expected to cure
many Of the trust and combination
evils that now beset the state. Its
friends. assert that 1t will do much to
reduce the cost Of living and bring
many lines of business back to a
legitimate basis.
Fer the first time since statehood
the road laws OF the state are sys-
tematized. Provisions are made for
the creation OF road districts and the
construction OF permanent roads by
special taxes Out of II road bills
introduced at the instance Of the
good roads associations OF the state,
nine became laws and the two bills
! defeated were unimportant,
While the primary bill as original
ly introduced did not become law
owing to the opposition of Governor
Hawley TO the ''party afflliation" pro-
vision, an amended bill became law,
correcting some Of the worst evils of
the present Law. such as the manda-
tory second choice and the miserable
method of adopting party platform.
A series of bills prepared under the
direction of tie state board of health
to prevent the sale of impure food
and drugs. to provide for sanitary
conditions in all places where food
products are prepared or supplied tc
the public and to care for the public
health lin many other particulars
occupied much OF the time of the law
makers.
Great benefits are anticipated from
the codification of the school laws o.
the state, the placing Of the stat'
schools on a mill tax basis and th'
] provision for state board Of educa-