The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-06-02
GOVERNOR M'CONNELL
CALLS ATTENTION TO
CONSTITUTION

W. J. Mcconnell, former governor
of Idaho, has addressed letter to the
State Land Board, which deals with
excessive loans and the losses which
may have been or may be sustained,
the investment of the permanent
funds, Indebtedness of school districts
and kindred subjects. The former
Governor has mailed The Tribune
copy of his letter 1t is as follows:
I'm the interest of the school chill
dren of the State of Idaho, ! desire to
direct your attention to Sec. III. Ar
ticlc TX, of the constitution Of Idaho,
which is in part as follows: Sec. 3. The
public school fund Of the state shall
forever remain inviolate and intact.
And the closing sentence of the same
section further states that The state
shall supply all losses thereof that
may in any manner occur
Not only the fathers and mothers
of Idaho, but every sturdy American,
| is loyal to the children of their state,
and they will insist that that section
lie considered sacred trust, and as
such must be faithfully upheld; hence,
as will be appreciated, the taxpayers
Of the state will be called upon to sup
ply all losses which may in any man
ner occur Losses have occurred, by
making excessive loans. and others,
| judging from rumors afloat. are liable
to follow; but if so, let us meet them
manfully, as the trainers of our con-
stitution provided; let us be loyal to
the little ones with whom God has,
and will bless our fair state.
1T is a we'll established axiom of
business that first loss is always the
best If mistakes have been made in
making loans, clean them up, as the
statute provides, ascertain the loss. ii
any. and ask the legislature to supply
it as the constitution directs. If this
provisions carried out, as is intended,
every taxpayer will be interested in
loans made by the Land Board. and
will give you valuable aid in determin-
ing the good loans from the bad.
need not tell you that it is the duty
of the chairman of your Board to adj
wise the legislature of all losses of
school funds which may have occurred
and request that an appropriation be
: made to supply such loss.
Another matter to which | wish to
7 call your attention is the investment
/, of our permanent funds in school
b. man of the 18th, that already s., 34o,-
1860 of such funds have been invest
f ed in that class of bonds. l presume
y the investment was made under the
+ authority supposed to be granted by
4 Sections 76 and II, Chapter l5o, Ses-
: sion Laws of 1911, approved March 7
t of that year. The Act of which the
e Sections named are part is very pro-
S lix. containing as it does 1874 sections;
: therefore it is possible that the then
). governor did not give each of the
n many sections the scrutiny required
e to detect infringements of the consti-
n tuition.
v Sec. 3, Article VIII, of the consti-
d tuition, provides that no school dis
h trict or other legal subdivision of the
S state shall incur and Indebtedness
e without the assent of two-thirds of the
e qualified electors thereof, voting a
e an election to be held for that purpose
d Did two-thirds of the qualified electors
in any school district from which yot
have purchased bonds consent by vot
: ing or otherwise, to the issue of tn
bonds you purchased? If such ma
jority did assent. the bonds are valid
= other conditions having been complies
2 with fear however that investiga
| tlOT VIII reveal tndl III lllduy SdSS
| the bond election was held under tn
| provisions of the statute to which
| have referred sections 76 and z
Chapter l59, Session Laws of l9l
which is in part as follows: Such ele'
| tons must be held in the manner pr,
| scrihed for election in this Chapte
! The ballots must contain the word
v Bonds, Yes" or Bonds No." If tw
thirds of the votes cast at such ele
ton are Bonds, Yes" the Board
Trustees must issue such bonds I
will be noted. under this provision
law an insignificant majority of Il
electors might impose a bonded de
upon a district The trainers of Il
constitution of Idaho avoided such
contingency, by providing that tw
thirds of the electors must assent.
it not true that the investments ma
in bonds issued under that statute a
less secure than even the most rec
less land loans? | write this as
open letter. that the friends of t
children, whose heritage is at stal
may have an opportunity to analy
this question, which involves the III ca
ing of a simple English sentence, T,
n thirds of the electors thereof. voti
4 at an election etc. must assent to t
issue of bonds.
Sincerely yours.
"W. J. MCCONNELL