The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-02-26
'BLUNDER OF DRY
BLOCKS PROGRESS
PREVENTED PLACING THE HOUSE
PROHIBITION MEASURE BE-
FORE THE MEMBERS.
Minority Leader of the Senate Makes
Charges of Corporate Influence
and Pledge Making Following
Defeat of Measure.


senate failed to comprehend what the
senate was voting on, the attempt OF
the prohibitionists in the upper house
Of the present legislature to make the
house prohibition bill effective Janu-
AIRY /, 1916, a special order for Febru-
airy 20, failed by one vote.
The bill had been in committee OF
the whole all week, but had never
been considered. 1t was put there TO
offer an amendment to provide that its
terms will not apply to saloons grant
ed licenses this year and allow their
licenses to run until the date OF ex-
piration. which will be October of 1917.
1t is expected when the bin comes up
again all amendments will be voted
down, the measure will be recommend
ed for passage and will be passed under
suspension of the rules. The motion
to make it a special order lost by a
vote of 81 for and IL against. Harding
81 Oneida, dry" was the solon who
misunderstood the question.
Defeat of the Thomas act, senate
bill No IL, which seeks to repeal sec
ton AZ of the utilities act to deprive
the public utilities commission of the
right to restrain competition among
utilities operating in electrical fields,
was the distinct surprise given the
senate on February 10. The measure
lost on a vote of Is to IA, and Day of
Latah Immediately served notice to
reconsider the vote. Charges of cor
porate influence and pledge making
were hurled at the senate by Minority
Leader Pugmire of Bear Lake.
The collapse of an attempt to i'm
peach Judge Edgar G. Steele of the
Second Judicial district, the defeat of
the initiative and referendum resolu-
ton, a sweeping victory for the anti
public utilities commission advocates,
revision of the reform measure and an
attack on the legal counsel of Govern
or Alexander when calling off the at
tempt ON reconsideration to override
his veto, featured somewhat strenu-
GUS legislative session on February II.
The Judiciary committee of the
house of representatives recommend
ed that no action be taken on pre-
ferred charges against Judge Steele
on which to base an impeachment and
the house adopted the recommendation
without debate and hardly sign of
interest.
The charges laid before the commit
tee were by l.. l.. Haynes of Moscow,
alleging the jurist violated the con-
5tltution in two respects by failure to
enter modified judgment in accord
ance with supreme court opinions so
directing and failure to render deci-
sions within the thirty days following
completion of trials.
In its recommendation to the house
the judiciary committee found the
charges were not substantiated in any
particular.
After heated debate and by a vote
of 81 to 26, the house delivered the
death blow to house joint resolution
No. Z, seeking to amend the constitu-
ton.
A game preserve act house bill No.
1874, creating in Cassia, Twin Falls,
Oneida, Bear Lake, Bannock, Power
and Franklin counties a game pre-
serve, was passed by the house.
In committee of the whole the re-
form measures on pool halls, slot ma
chimes, etc, were amended. One OF
them extends the closing hours of pool
halls frofh to II O'CLOCK and another
prohibits the use of slot machines.
The fish and game bill was recon-
mended for passage and the senate
herd district bill, by Sweet. was killed.
Senator Whitcomb of Lemhi, author
of senate bill No. s, vetoed by the
governor, surrendered to the vote on
February II, but in doing so he bit
terly scored the legal counsel of Gov,
ernor Alexander, who advised him tie
act was unconstitutional. 1t sought to
permit physicians to reveal confiden-
tial relations with patients. ITS a
share and a disgrace to the state"
said Whitcomb, that the governor is
surrounded by legal advisers not fit
to practice in the police courts"
Raising the maximum amount OF land
which may be sold to one person to
800 acres, and permitting the sale of
100 sections of sehool land annually
instead of 25 sect )ns, II. ]. r. No. 3.
by Shattuck, passed the senate last
week
But eight votes were cast in tha
house against the Homedale bridge
bill. The bill appropriates $4,000 for
the building Of a wagon bridge across
Snake river at that point
The legislative members are bnsv
men these days, night sessions bayfne
begun in the house last week in order
to keep up with the press Of business
In order to promote the measure
passed by the senate consolidating
the office of insurance Commissioners
with that office Of bank Commissioner
the governor In message to the sen
ate withdrew the name Of George 3
Steele of Occur d'Alene as the norni.
nee for the office OF insurance com.
missioner.
A bill passed by the house last vsek
almonds the Law requiring the nae !.
the Babccck test to prevent ersamer.
les from escaping it's provisions Nv
claiming cream which does nat naos
the required test was purchased n.
use In the manufacture Of ice cream
A modern avsfesTo ~ 1n1<....s .