American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-02-20
PUBLIC UTILITIES MEASURE
RECOMMENDED FOR PASSAGE
stringent Measure, Patterned After
California Law, Cause Of Bitter
Fight in Idaho Legislature.

The Ryan public utilities bill n
Of the most stringent introduced in
the legislature, and patterned after the
California Law, was recommended for
passage out of the house of repre-
~sentatiyes on Monday, February II,
after a night punctuated with bitter
ness. Charges of bad faith were hurl-
ed across the floor by members and
every effort made to kill the measure.
While the Ryan bill was being fought
over in the house, the nat killed
the judicial recall measure.
Only the amendments as offered by
added to the public utilities bill when
1t left the committee of the whole. A
majority of the house refused to con
slider the amendments that had been
prepared by the enemies and many of
the friends of the bill, believing they
might contain jokers and defeat the
purpose of the public utilities act. The
charge Of bad faith arose over the
promise of members OF the commit
tee and champions of the bill that
after the amendments of the commit
tee had been considered all other
amendments would be taken up in
their turn. However, after the adop-
ton OF the committee amendments the
other amendments were cut off
through a motion that the committee
rise and report the bill back to the
house for passage. This motion car
r1ed. An attempt to secure a two
thirds vote to suspend the rules plac-
ing the bill on it's final passage failed.
Representatives Ferguson, Law and
Mendenhall of Bannock county, Repre-
sentative Wright of Bear Lake and
Representative Taylor of Cassia couE
ty led the fight against the bill. Rep
resentatives Johnston of Bingham,
koelsch and lawson of Ada and Ryan
Of Washington defended the measure.
By a vote of Is to 6 the senate de-
cisively turned down the judicial re-
call bill introduced by Senator Dow
Cunning of Owyhee county. This is
the second time the senate has gone
} n record as defender of the supreme
court in this state. The senate also
killed the lobby register bill, by Sena-
tor Defenbach. The measure required
lobbyists to register with the secretary
Of state.
The house swung the AK Monday
morning and killed several road and
bridge bills. The measures that suf-
Tered were a road bill calling for a
bond issue of $4,000 to build a high
way into a mining district of Idaho
county and a bridge bill appropriating
$4,000 to build a bridge across the
Snake river, eve miles west of Bliss. /,
The anti-prize fight or boxing bill. !
making it a criminal offense to pro-
note a boxing match, was also killed.
Under suspension OF the rules. the
state horticultural bill was passed on
February IT.
Idaho's divorce colony will be de-
populated if a bill introduced in the
louse Monday by Representative Law
becomes a law. 1t requires a res
dence of one year, instead of six
months, before a petition for a decree
II divorce may be filed. !
There will be no recall of judges in
IDAHO in the next two years The
on Monday defeated the resolu-
ion for a constitutional amendment
% make all state and district officers,
including judges. subject to recall.
The vote was Is to 6, with three abb
sent.
Educators throughout the state are
interested in the bill introduced
II the senate by Robinson to carry out
he intent of the constitutional
amendment adopted at the last cleo
ion to provide for a state board or
,ducation. The Robinson bill pro
tides that the state board of educa-
ion is to have supervision over the
University, the two normal schools. {
he academy at Pocatello. the indus
rial school at st. Anthony. the school {
or the deaf and blind at Gooding and I
III the public schools of the state. The {
members of this board are also to act )
IS regents of the University OF Idaho. '
The supporters of the bill to create &
county from Boise county have {
s their argument the distance from l
he county seat at Idaho City.
The committee on education intro i
three joint resolutions to amend i
he constitution. One would relieve i
he superintendent of public instruc- a
ion from duty as a member of the I
land board. The other two
remove the state and the coun-
Y superintendent of instruction from L
olitics by making the offices appoin- t
i've instead of elective. I
NJ. S. Parker has been asked to re-
ign as a deputy under State Pure
God Inspector James H. Wallis on h
ccount of the criticism which the APP a
committee of the legisla- Il
Ire has directed at the department T.
uring the hearings which have been fl
ED by that body relative to the ap o
for the next two years. ],