Montpelier examiner., 1911-03-17
WORK OF IDAHO LEGISLATURE
Some Of the Measures Adopted at
Eleventh Session and Few OF
the Many That Met Defeat.

In addition to providing for the ex-
Denditure Of $3,300,000, including the
nroceeds of bond issues, and provid-
ing for the submission of many con-
stitutional amendments, the Eleventh
legislature enacted many measures OF
vital interest to the people of the
whole state, and killed other measures
demanded by numbers OF voters.
Judged purely from material
standpoint it Is doubtful II any other
acts of the Eleventh session. are OF
such far-reaching Importance to all
tbe people of the state as the series
of acts relating to the public lands OF
the state. says the Boise statesman.
These include law legahzing all
past acts of the state board or 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 Wash
ington of a committee to adjust mat
ters between the state and the nation
as to state lands included in forest
| reserves.
Next in Importance In the minds OF
many Is the legislation on the liquor
issues. This includes three important
measures. One of these, known as
the search and seizure law, Is in
tended to make effective the local op-
ton law enacted by the Tenth SEES
sion, Should this stand the test OF
the courts it will, it is claimed, elm
mate bootlegging and work great re-
form in many parts of the state. An
other bill that became law places
all the territory, outside OF incorpor-
ated cities and towns, under the ban
ner of prohibition. Still another bill
makes 1t impossible to buy liquor in
a drug store for any purpose without
first subscribing to an oath before an
official.
Great things are promised from the
operations of the Shawhan antitrust
law. This is sweeping In its provi-
Bions. 1t incorporates many of the
best features of the best laws on the
statute books of other states. The
Idea of personal guilt is emphasized
In this law and it is expected to cure
many of the trust and combination
evils that now beset the state. Its
friends assert that it will do much to
reduce the cost of living and bring
many lines Of business back to
legitimate basis.
For 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 eleven road bills
; introduced at the instance of the good
roads association of the state, nine
became laws and the two bills de-
ieated were unimportant.
While the primary bill as originally
. introduced did not become law ow-
] ing to the opposition of Governor
: Hawley to the party affiliation" 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.
i A series of bills prepared under the
direction of the state board of health
l to prevent the sale OF impure food
and drugs, to provide for sanitary
/. conditions in all places where food
: products are prepared or supplied TO
+ the public and to care for the public
health in many other particulars, oc-
: cupied much of the time of the law
q makers.
Great benefits are anticipated from
r the eodification of the school laws OF
the state, the placing of the state
schools on mill tax basis and the
a provision for state board of educa-
i tion to be composed of expert educa-
o tors.
q A banking law wide in its scope, a
r general insurance law and law gov,
erning the operations of benevolent
# associations are the results of much
n hard work on the part of men spe
n cially interested in those lines oil
q work.
.. Farmers will be especially well
pleased with a comprehensive pure
q seed law, noxious weed law, a grain
IL commission law and number of laws
q intended to improve conditions in tbs
N irrigation districts of the state.
n To many the law to permit the run
ming of certain kinds OF amusement
. on Sunday when petitioned for by {
- majority Of the voters OF 3 commu
~ nifty will appeal. The provision fol
II the commission form of government
;. in all cities of size, and the law Il
,e provide for the fixing OF telephone
gas, light and power rates will b'
popular. and many think will lead Il
Improvements.
- Labor organizations worked hare
r. for the eight-hour law, the initiative
"a referendum and recall; and they seen
10 In fair way to get them all
Among the measures defeated II
- which the widest interest was takel
ia none, perhaps, was more to the from
"a than that providing for railwa.
. commission. The hardest fight OF tn
=. entire session was made over thi
so proposition. Not only the bill to pre-