The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1915-02-04
PUBLIC UTILITIES
BOARD ATTACKED
COMMISSION DECLARED USELESS
5Y ITS ENEMIES AND PRAISED
BY ITS FRIENDS.
House Passes a Bill Providing for the
Payment of Expenles Of County
Commissioners When Attending
Conventions.

Carey act projects, rs handled in THIS
state, came under FIRE before legisla'
tive 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 |
had Carey Act Engineer Burnett on |
the carpet to determine where's ths |
Carey act trust fund went. Both hea~ |
ings were lively.
The senate hearing developed ar,
tagonism toward the utilities commits
sion, which was scored as the use
less commission" by speakers and aa
vigorously defended and praised by
it's hackers. 1t was featured by
clash between Senator Thomas, ap-
thor of the bill seeking to amend the
act, and former Governor Frank X
Gooding, who championed it.
Gooding referred to the deplorable
condition of Carey act projects In
southern Idaho. saying 1t 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 a disgrace TO our
memory" during the Gooding admins
tration
The house investigating committee
brought out little new in connection
with its 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 1t
went into engineering work.
The two branches of the legislature
were in session only during the morn
| ing, on January 26. The senate
passed the Sweet bill, giving discre,
| tionary power to commissioners In
creating herd districts. The Rockwell
nepotism bill was laid over for dis
cussion. New bills we're introduced
as follows;
In the senate-By Elliott, amending
mothers pension act to give aid to de-
serted women; by Thomas, the lazy
husband" act, making desertion a fell
ony; by Bowman, authorizing county
commissioners to provide emergency
employment for those seeking It; by
Mendenrall, steele, Kicks, Johnson,
Houtz and Harding, establishing AT
Pocatello in place Of the Academy OF
Idaho the Idaho Technical institute.
In the house--By McMurray, Wat
ers, Hicks, Faris. Lau. Gray, Elrod
Findlay, Cruickshank, Allard and
Woodward, creating a game preserve
out of Cassia, Twin Falls, Oneida
Bear Lake, Bannock, Power and
Franklin counties; by Johnston. ap
propriating $63, 1000 for supreme court
by MCGOWAN, appropriating $1,000 fol
commission expenses to investigate
north and south railroads.
The house passed the Gray-Lau bill
! providing for the payment Of expense'
, of county commissioners when attend
ing conventions, and the York bee in
spection act. The latter provides fo
! state inspection of apiaries.
The introduction of the Pocateilt
technical institute bill promises a bit
ter clash in the Legislature, as the ac
clothes this new educational institu
,, ton with all the qualifications OF al
institution OF higher education; II
fact, 1t is charged with attempting t
> establish a second university in Idaho
= Governor Alexander has signed tn
Teton county division bill giving t
|, southeastern Idaho another new couu
: ty making the third division measur
! that has passed the present legisla
! ture and the thirty-sixth county In tn
state. The county seat is briggs an
the new county is to be organize
!, within ten days after the bill
= signed 1t Is composed of the eaf
y half OF Madison county, its principa
territory being the Teton valley, o
the border of the Yellowstone Nj
p tional park