Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-01-29
DIRECT PRIMARY
LAW UNDER FIRE
SIT IN SENATE WHICH SEEKS TO
ELIMINATE WHAT is CLAIMED
AS OBJECTIONABLE FEATURE.
ioaho Commissions are Apparently
Doomed, Members Of Both Branches
q Legislature Being Antaaon-
istic to Them.

ton OF a bill, the author of which is |
Senator A. P. Hutton Of Shoshone |
county, which seeks to eliminate what |
Is Claimed to be an Objectionable fea-
lure OF the present act in requiring
voters to declare their party affliation
before receiving a ballot and forcing
them to vote only a party ballot in
stead Of leaving it optional with them
which ballot or which set of candidates
they care to cast their vote for.
The introduction of three other acts,
one by Senator Fitz, making it manda-
tory for the governor to appoint as
members of the state board OF medi-
cal examiners only those physicians or
surgeons from list submitted by the
ldaho State Medical association, and
Two by Senator Whitcomb, by request.
allowing district court Judge to with
hold judgment in certain criminal
cases and relating to maximum SEN
fences in other cases, together with
the passage of the Whitcomb physi-
clan witness bill, and deferred action
on the Jay A. Czizek appointment, fea-
tured the session.
An antagonistic attitude on the
part OF members of both branches of
the legislature developed within the
past week against existing commits
slons, commissioners at heads of de-
partments and boards, and there Is
reason to believe now that every effort
VIII be put forth by them to strike
from the statute books the acts placed
there by previous legislature which
created either the commissions or
boards.
The public utilities commission has
apparently been marked for repeal
pending in both houses measures to
repeal the chapter that gives 1t exist
ence, and separate bill is pending
to take from it the power to regulate
competitions
The demand for the repeal Of the tax
commission is not so surprising, for,
with the eXistance of the state board
OF equalization, the tax body Is shorn
of its power
The anti-alien law, which gives
promise of stirring up a serious If not
complicated situation, is now before
the senate, having passed the house,
but 1t is very questionable ii 1t will
survive the upper house. The state
wide primary amendment. which would
substitute a state convention to nomi-
nate federal and state candidates in
place of primary election; the pro
posal to place the affairs of the fish
and game department in the hands of
commission, thereby recognizing
this department from top to bottom,
are two big issues the legislature has
not started to thresh out as yet.
Benewah county, created out of ter
ritory forming the southern portion
of Kootenai county, was signed by
Governor Alexander on January 90,
and to northern Idaho goes the dis
| tinction of securing the first new coun-
ty created by the thirteenth legisla-
ture. The birth of the county is stimuli
| taneous with the attachment thereto
OF the signature of the governor to
the act. The new officers for the
county must be appointed ten days
following signing.
Thus for the principal thing &C
complished by the session has been
| the completion of its county division
program. It is now generally conced-
ed that, since the Boundary, Benewak
! and Teton county bills have been
passed, there will be no more division
measures considered seriously at this
session.
Establishment of an arbitration
court is proposed by bill backed by
the Farmers Union. 1t would be In
effect a poor mans court for the set.
Element of suits involving less than
$500 without cost to the litigants.
The main reason advanced by the
advocates of the creation of Butte
county is that for four months out OF
the year those around AFeo wishing
to go to HALEY, the county seat Of
Blaine county, have to make trip
of 250 miles by rail, overland travel
being practically stopped in winter
A prominent Parma sportsman Is
endeavoring to have more stringent
trespass law passed concerning hunt
ing. He is DESTROYS of having meas
ure adopted which will prohibit hunt
ing within 100 yards of ranch houses
To provide a place for the fits
head of elk the state is securing from
the federal government is the purpose
Of senator Bowman's bill creating tht
Rlack lake game preserve The pre-
serve will be partly in Adams county
and partly in Idaho. It will embraces
parts Of the Weiser national fores
+. and parts of the Nezperce.
one of the proposed bills TO be In
troduced into the legislature at tbs
request of the women Of the state re
T Iates to the disposition Of the income
from the wife's separate property ant
to her earnings
Action on S. B. No 10, by Lowe
, suggestfng that In justice court case
I the court shall fix time for the tria
mot less than two nor more than nv
. days after summons was defnitel!
!, nostponed as the result OF the recon
J. mendation of the committee OF tn
whole.
measure introduced in the ser
ate provides for an appropriation Q
: s1S 400 to relieve 137 farmers an
CORPORATIONS OF the state who suffer
: cd through the destruction by tn
! state veterinarian of work horse
having CHAMBERS.
According to the testimony OF Ber
;amin P. Shawhan, receiver OF IN
: ging Hin irrigation project. given .
2 Tor the house committee investigator
: s1ata affairs Friday. the settlers o
{ 49,. -.fact s4aud In lose more than