Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1913-01-07

ately listed and itemized, to the end
| that appropriations shall be limited, so
far as possible, to strict necessities,
and that the Institution should not be
provided with too large a general fund
which can be used for purposes not
covered by specific terms or the appro-
priation act.
A third appropriation bill should
cover the needs of our state penal and
lreformatory institutions, the same
principle as to listing and itemizing
the appropriations being observed hero
as In other cases All incidental ap-
preparations. as before indicated, should
be cared for In the bill which makes
provision therefor, and they should not
be found repeated in a general appro-
priation bill
The Introduction Of Bills.
The state OF Idaho is not today IN
| need of much new legislation There
are certain matters os large Importance
which will be separately considered.
concerning which, elaboration and
discussion by you, and the passage Of
some kind of remedial legislation is alb
solutely essential. but the great body
of our statutes relating to matters u
general concern need little change o.
amendment at this time. 1t will not be
necessary, therefore, to introduce and
consider great number of bills 1t
will be infinitely better for the leg
islature to spend more time in the
careful consideration of few inlpor-
tant bills than to spend great deal
of time in the hasty consideration OF
many bills covering wide variety of
subjects, most of which do not require
special consideration at this time
The introduction of such a large
number of bills has the inevitable effect
Of crowding the calendar at the close
of the legislative session, and, in order
to secure consideration before adjourn
ment bills have sometimes been passed
or rejected with almost incredible
rapidity. On one day during the last
regular session the house of repre-
sentat.ves considered and either pass
ed or rejected no less than 50 important
measures.
Such headlong haste in the passage
Of bills is vicious in the extreme. for
the reason that it affords no oppor-
tunity whatever for that due and care
full consideration by the law making
body which the people have a right to
expect and demand
Individual members of the legisla-
ture need n~ feel that they are lack
ing in their duty to their constituents
If they do not personally introduce a
large number of bills They should
feel that the general body Of our stat
utes is in no great need of change or
modification, and that the best inter
ests of the state VIII probably be SUB
,lI
they are for sufficient length of time
to enable our citizens to feel that they
know what the law is. Due modesty n
the introduction of many bills will al
so save the state vast sums of money
in printing expenses, and this is an
item which shohld merit your earnest
consideration. Your rules should be
made to provide that all bills must he
introduced not later than the fortietll
day of the session in order that the
remaining time may be given to bills
previously introduced.
] advise that you allow no seeming
necessity to induce you to permit such
nasty and indiscriminate consideration
of bills as might prevent each and
every bill from being read at least for
the third time in full, and being care
fully considered, section by section,
In order that mistakes may be cor
feeted. and that each individual menu
Der may. be fully advised of what it
Is proposed to enact into law. A due
consideration for the rights of the peo-
pie, and an orderly procedure in mat
tiers of the government, will compel me
TO be very reluctant to give my assent
to any measure which may be passed
by your honorable bodies without that
due and careful consideration which its
Importance may merit and demand.
Curtaline Number of institutions.
While it is recognized on every hand
that numerous mistakes have been
made In the past with reference to the
location of some of our state institu-
tons, we have seldom been frank or
honest enough with ourselves to admit
our mistakes and the necessity of at
tempting to correct them. We should
at this time, however, be entirely can
did with ouselves and with the people
OF the state whose representatives we
are. We should face the situation with
firm determination to do the right
thing regardless of what interest may
be affected thereby, and regardless
also of whatever merely local resent
ment might be caused by such action
as We may see fit to take I'm the in
terests of the people as whole. Some
of our institutions have been located
at places which should not have been
considered and certain Institutions
have perhaps been created which were
not strictly necessary.
In view of these facts we should now
consider whether or not we are main
tanning any institutions which could
be abolished without detriment to the
state. and we should refrain from es-
tablishing others which are not abso-
luteiy necessary. If IL is found for in
stance, that two institutions are nov
in operation in particular territory
which is not large enough to maintain
more than one. or If II is found that
one of these institutions can be abol-
ished, or that two or more can be con-
solidated without unduly Gripping the
CO.. 4,t.a ~ -. -.