The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1915-02-04
WAVE IN
IDAHO LEGISLATURE
PLAN STATEWIDE PROHIBITION
AND PUTTING BAN ON POOL
HALLS AND SLOT MACHINES.
Governor Alexander Submits Special
Message. Declaring for the Strict
est Economy in Management
Of State Institutions.


A reform wave swept over the leg.
islature on the 27th, and. before 1t
had passed, bills were ON record call
ing the second time for statewide pro-
to close pool and billiard
halls and place the ban on slot ma
chimes The house felt the full force
OF the tide.
In the senate nepotism was the sub
ject under consideration, and 1t was
evident after federation that the
Rockwell act. making ii misdemean,
or for an official, either state, county |
or city, to appoint or vote for the ap, |
pointment of any person related to
him by affinity or consanguinity with |
in the third degree, will pass
Declaring for the strictest economy |
in the management of state institu- !
tions, which means cutting even the
budget of the state board of education,
Governor Alexander submitted a |
lengthy message to both houses. In it
he highly praises the University of
Idaho and asserts in the most posi-
tive language that he is against seq
regation OF any of its colleges and
stands for one great educational in
stitution, to be located at Moscow.
The direct primary law came under
fire in the senate at its morning SEES
sion on January 23 through introduc-
ton of bill, the author OF which is
Senator A p. Hutton of Shoshone
county, which seeks to eliminate what
is claimed 10 be an Objectionable fea-
ture of the present act in requiring
voters to declare their party affiliation
before receiving a ballot and forcing
them to vote only 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 a list submitted by the
Idaho state Medical association, and
two by Senator Whitcomb, by request,
allowing a 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 Whiteomb 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
sions, commissioners at heads OF de-
partments and boards, and there Is
reason to believe now that every effort
will be put forth by them to strike
from the statute books the acts placed
there by previous legislature which
created either the commissions OF
boards.
The public utilities commission has
apparently been marked for repeal
pending in both houses measures Il
repeal the chapter that gives 1t exist
ence, and a separate bill is pending
to take from 1t the power to regulate
competition.
The demand for the repeal Of the tal
: commission is not so surprising, for
with the existance of the state boart
Of equalization, the tax body is shorf
, of its power.
The anti-alien law, which give
promise of stirring up a serious If no
complicated situation. is now befor'
the senate, having passed the house
but it is very questionable II 1t will
survive the upper house. The state
D wide primary amendment, which woul
Y substitute a state convention to nom
s nate federal and state candidates Il
| place of a primary election; the pre-
a posal to place the affairs of the ifs
:. and game department in the hands, q
a commission, thereby reorganiZin
: this department from top to bottom
are two big issues the legislature ha
= not started to thresh out as yet
Benewah county, created out of TEL
ritory forming the southern porto
of Kootenai county, was signed
!. Governor Alexander on January q
and. to northern Idaho goes the di
!. tinction of securing the first new coul
: ty created by the thirteenth legisli
ture. The birth of the county is simu
taneous with the attachment theret
+: OF the signature of the governor I
}, the act. The new officers for III
g county must be appointed ten day
q following signing.
n The house indefinitely postponed |
= b. No. SO, by Clark OF Fremont whe
!. it came up for final passage Tt
bill proposed to repeal the estrs
law, thereby permitting the runniI
o Of unbranded stock upon the ranl
s without danger of its being taken u
e One hundred and thirty-two mes
3 ures had been introduced in the houl
II at the close Of business January 2
V while the total in the senate was b
II thirty-nine
q With the introduction OF H.
a Nos. rs and 100. the members Of Il
Ada county delegation who we
elected on the business mems tick
. launched the program by which tn
II hope TO give Boise back her speci