Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-01-15
lDAHO5 LEGISLATURE
and PROHIBITION
BILL INTRODUCED IN THE SEN
ATE WOULD STRENGTHEN
LOCAL OPTION Law
Special Rooms Have Been Provided
at Capitol for Committee Appoint
ed to InvaJtigate State House
Scandal and Treasury steal.

The state affairs committee, OF
which Senator John Hart is chairman
has introduced a bill seeking 70
strengthen the present local option
law, and which, If passed, will cloae
every brewery operating in dry
county in the state. The introduc.
ton of the measure is creating uu.
usual discussion It 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 q
| 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, IL passed, will become effective
from July 1, 1916 TO May 1, 1917.
The house was put ON 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.
In the distribution of standing com
mittees, Anderson Of Bonneville was
given the Craftsmanship of banks and
banking. Other chairmanships were
sent to. the southeast, as follows:
Clark OF Fremont, charitable and
penal institutions; Shattuck, educa-
ton; Elrod, railroads, carriers, and
Immigration; Gilchrist, education;
Lau, livestock; Waters, medicine;
Holland, private corporations; Tay.
lcr, public health; Johnston, state af-
fairs and reference; Siddoway, school
and public lands; Gray, ways and
means; McMurray, warehouse, grain
and grading.
Special rooms in the capitol have
been provided for the house commit
tee appointed to investigate into the
state house scandals and the treasury
steal, in which the committee will
hold its sessions.
The house of representatives, on
January IL, decided to join the spe-
cial grand jury and the corps of ex-
pert accountants and conduct an in,
vestigation into the state house scan
DIAL and treasury steal, so that three
independent bodies are now probing
into the conditions brought about un.
! der the dome of Idaho's new capitol.
Speaker Conner appointed the fol-
J lowing as members of the committee:
Representative Randall of Latah
chairman; Representatives Randall of
Nez Perez, Gilchrist of Jefferson,
Shattuck of Bonneville, Koelsch of
Ada, Republicans; Farris OF Twin
Falls, Cannon of Gilmore, Democrats.
Minority Leader Anderson attempt
ed to force the adoption of substi-
tute motion providing that no investi-
: cation be begun before the grand jury
has completed its probe and the ex-
perts have finished their report on
: the treasury department. He contend
: ed that an investigation by the legis-
I lature while the grand jury is in ses-
!. sion would permit the opportunity
r for pernicious activities of designing
3 partisans to strive for mere political
: advantage without regard to the in
:, terests of the people of Idaho"
The senate heard special message
u from Governor Alexander recommend
d ing an appropriation of S2,250 to go
/ toward paying the expenses of Expert
E w. H. Gleason and his staff, who are
$ still working on the treasury investi-
!. cation. A similar message was de-
: livered to the house.
Senator Hutton of Shoshone intro
l duced the first senate bill, seeking to
: fix the district school tax levy at 10
10 mills.
Other county division issues were
brought before the house. The first
}. came from Evans Of Gooding and calls
for the creation of Camas county out
- of a part of Blaine county aand des.
igntes Fairfield as the county seat
Taylor of Madison introduced a bill
D. to create Teton county out of Madi
A. son county, with briggs as the county
q seat.
n Governor Alexander announced the
following appointments: A. l.. Free
hafer Of Council as public utilities
commissioner for term of six years
% to succeed John A. Blomquist, whose
e term expired Monday; Leroy G. Jones
ID OF G0oding, state game warden, to sue
10 coed r. C. Gowan, and William Thorp,
ID of Caldwell as chief deputy. Free
n hafer is former state senator AM
: an attorney. Jones was twice sheriff
The first week of the thirteenth SEES
sion OF the Idaho legislature was con
fined largely to routine matters an
in getting things Ia shape for actiol
4 at future sessions. The principe
points Of interest developing from tn
:, first weeks work was the governor
IL message, the introduction of prS
40 Inhibition measure, the appointment c
ne standing committees and the al
'r- proval Of the legislative appropriate
az bill.
he In his message the governor adv,
- Gated q legislative enactment tha
- would put Idaho in the list of prohib
ton states he advises eOmple1
ol reconstruction of the affairs Of til
ed state government upon the lines
"a efficiency and economy. Reduction j
taxes, he asserts, should be made s
far as consistent
I'll The general legislative appropri
at tion bill. carrying $4,000, to meet tf
arr legislative expenses, was approved /
lek both branches of the legislature. an
EN- rules were adopted for the guidans
OF the lawmakers
A prohibition bill was introduced
az the senate by Senator John Hart
The Menan. This bill. If approved by bo
~, houses and the people, would prohfl
- forever the manufacture and sale
intoxicating liquors within the stai
an 1t is claimed that there are enoul
votes pledged in both houses TO d
the measure.
on Protesting against an increase of 3
ent preparations for military purposes