The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-02-05
FORMER GOVERNOR
OF IDAHO CENSURED
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IN.
VEsTlGATlNe SCANDAL MAKES
MAKES RECOMMENDATION.
State Officials Accused Of Careless.
ness in Protecting State Funds
Bill to Abandon Albion Normal
is Defeated.

Bill to Abandon Albion Normal
is Defeated.
Found careless and lax in theii
methods and for failure to take proper
action to protect the states deposii
OF $4,000 in the Bank of Nampa, al
Nampa, which failed. the Legislative
investigating committee probing into
the statehouse scandal on January %
recommended that former Governor
John M. Haines, former Secretary OF
State w. L. Clifford and Attorney Cen
eral Joseph H. Peterson be censured
py the law-making body of this state
The committee filed it's first findings
with the house of representatives.
Submission of the report and
spreading on the legislative records
created profound impression. AT
the time the Bank of Nampa failed
the state had on deposit $45,905. As,
or $4,000 PRINCIPAL and the balance
interest. The United States Fidelity
Guaranty company was surety for
| $4,000, which it paid to the state
a1ter the failure. The sureties for
the balance were G. r. Hickey, George
Duval and William Strobe. Hickey
met his obligation to the state in full.
Duval and STROBE could not pay, leav-
ing the $4,000 loss. The two latter
were deeply in debt to the bank. The
state levied on their property, but mas
been unable to recover.
| Inc committee recommends that
some action be taken in an endeavor
10 recover some of the loss on the
pond OF the defaulting treasurer. O.
V. Allen, and so instructs the attorney
| general.
That the Albion State Normal
school will not be abandoned through
an act OF the present legislature is
evident from the act of the house on
January ~ In killing bill to accom-
pilsn this, as introduced by ThraiI-
XIII at the request of the board of
education.
A reform wave swept over the leg
islature on the 9th, and, before it
mad passed, bills were on record call
ing the second time for statewide pro-
hlbltlon, to close pool and billiard
nails and place the ban on slot ma
chlnes. The house felt the full force
of the tide.
In the senate nepotism was the sub
Ject under consideration, and it was
evident after federation that the
Rockwell act, making it a misdemean.
or Tor an official, either state, county
OF city, to appoint or vote for the ap.
polntment OF any person related to
MIN by affinity or consanguinity with
in the third degree, will pass.
Declaring for the strictest economy
IN the management of state institu-
tons, which means cutting even the
budget of the state board of education.
Governor Alexander submitted a
lengthy message to both houses. In il
he highly praises the University of
Idaho and asserts in the most posi-
tive language that he is against seq.
regatlon OF any of its colleges and
stands for one great educational in
stitution, to be located at Moscow.
The public utilities commission and
Carey act projects, as handled in this
state, came under fire before legisla,
i've committees on January 26. The
senate corporations committee held
an open hearing on the Thomas bill,
proposing to take from the utilities
commission the right to regulate com,
petition between public utilities, and
the house investigating committee
nad Carey Act Engineer Burnett on
the carpet to determine where the
Carey act trust fund went Both hear
ings were lively.
The senate hearing developed an,
tagonism toward the utilities commits
sion, which was scored as the use
less commission" by speakers and as
vigorously defended and praised by
its hackers. 1t was featured by a
clash between Senator Thomas, au-
thor of the bill seeking to amend the
act, and former Governor Frank R.
Gooding, who championed it.
Gooding referred to the deplorable
condition of Carey act projects in
southern Idaho, saying it was "appall-
ing. Thomas resented bringing the
Carey act problems into the argument
and served notice on Gooding that he
would, at the proper time in the SEN
ate, handle the Carey act problem,
which he classed as disgrace to our
memory" during the Gooding admins.
tration.
The house investigating committee
brought out little new in connection
with It's probe into the condition of
Carey act projects in Idaho or what
became of the 100000 Carey act trust
fund, except to show that much of it
went into engineering work.
Governor Alexander has signed the
Teton county division bill. giving to
southeastern Idaho another new coun-
ty, making the third division measure
that has passed the present legisla-
ture and the thirty-sixth county in the
state. The county seat is briggs and
the new county is to be organized
within ten days after the bill is
signed. 1t is composed of the east
half of Madison county, its principal
territory being the Teton valley. on
the border of the Yellowstone Ma
tional park.
Idaho electors may have a chance
at the next general election to decide |
if they want the short ballot. A reso-
1ution infrOducpd nv Canafor Hutton