Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-01-21
URGES ABOLITION
OF IDAHO SENATE
MAJORITY FLOOR LEADER OF
HOUSE PROPOSES RADICAL
CHANGE IN LEGISLATURE.
Introduces Proposed Constitutional
Amendment Which Seeks to Abolish
Senate and Reduce House to
Twenty-four Members.

| mousse OF representatives OF the legiS
lature OF this state in session here, on
January 16, with the introduction of
a proposed constitutional amendment
which seeks to abolish the senate and
reduce the house to twenty-four sal
aried members, thereby cutting down
the present legislature just seventy
members. The amendment was in
! troduced by Representatives Johnston
and koelsch. majority floor leader
and whip respectively If passed
| 1t will divide the state into twelve
districts composed of contiguous
counties divided equally as to popula-
tion and each entitled to two repre-
sentatives. The plan is better known
as the 'one-house" legislature.
The opening of the legislative probe
into state departments and transac-
tons of state officials. the filing OF
Expert Gleason's first report showing
how the state lost money in the hand
ling of the public building endow-
ment fund; the passage. with prac-
tically no opposition. of the Boun-
dary. Benewah and Teton county crea.
ton bills in the house and the attack
made on the public utilities commits
sion followed in close succession as
the features OF Fridays legislative
programme
Boundary county is to be the north
half Of Bonner: Benewah county,
part of old Kootenai; Teton. the east
half of Madison. The first two named
passed the house unanimously; the
third had only two votes registered
against it. Edelblute spoke against
Benewah. but voted for it. The three
bills went TO the senate.
Attorney General Peterson. State
Treasurer Eagleson. Receiver Small
wood and Z. II. Dewey appeared be-
bore the committee and testified with
regard to state moneys in the Bank
of Nampa. at Nampa. Idaho. at the
time of the failure of the institution.
The testimony summarized was to
the effect that after the bank failed
the state instituted suit to recover
against the bank as principal. and
the personal sureties. c. r. Hickey
in the sum of 10000 w. S. Strobe in
the sum of $4,000 AS the personal
bondsmen owed the bank. a compro-
mise agreement was reached by the
attorney general by which the bank
released them from their obligations
to 1t and the state then sought to
recover from them in payment for its
deposit. Their personal property was
seized and Krull appointed as trus-
tee to administer and collect on it
for the state. Up to the present
time the state has not recovered the
full amount of it's deposit.
Senator Thomas Or pipohar, oo,,u
ty attacked the utility commission by
introducing a bill to remove from it's
power the right to regulate competi-
ton between public utilities, seeking
to repeal section As of the act.
The first report of Expert Gleason,
probing into the affairs of state ac-
counts and funds, was filed with Gov
ernor Alexander. 1t deals exclusively
with the public building endowment
fund. showing that a total OF $685.
5O9.61 has been misplaced from this
fund. itemized as follows: Seventy
i've thousand dollars lost by disposing
of s750,000 capitol building bonds. sold
at Az per cent when they could have
been sold at per cent: s2,9S2.76 in
overpayments to contractors and sup
ply companies. and s5,526.S5 taken
from the trust fund and used for
maintenance of the capitol. for which
the last legislature spez ically appro-
priated $4,000.
Senator Kaline OF Lewis county in
troduced community property law
amendment providing that community
property can pass to a survivor to the
exclusion of collateral heirs. Sena-
tor Rockwell of Blaine introduced an
act to consolidate the insurance de-
partment with the banking depart
ment.
Representatives Munsinger OF Mini
doka fathered nepotism act making
it a crime for a state official to ap-
point relative in his office.
The state affairs committee. of
which Senator John Hart is chairman,
has introduced a bill seeking 10
strengthen the present local option
law, and which. il passed, will close
every brewery operating in a dry
county in the state. The introduce
ton of the measure is creating I'M
usual discussion. 1t is believed to
be the first step taken to put through
the present legislature not only con-
stitutional prohibition amendment,
! but statewide prohibition act AS a
companion to the bill was report on
the constitutional amendment intro
duced by Hart, offering an amend
ment to change the date. The amend
ment, if passed, will become effective
from July l. 1915. to May /, 1917.
The house was put on a working
basis on Tuesday when Speaker Con-
ner announced the permanent stand
] ing committees. Aside from the in
PRODUCTION of twelve new bills, the
house did little. The senate held
short sessions in the morning and
afternoon.
Teton county, the new unit 10 be
added to southeastern Idaho from ter
ritory taken from Madison county,
with Griggs as the county seat, was
moved up to third reading In the
house of representatives of the legis-
lature on Thursday and will pass that
assembly, thereby winning half its
! fight for existence.
| Clark OF Fremont county intro
duced bill relating to sheep grazing
| on cattle ranges. woodward OF Frank
I