The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-11-02
Governor Alexander vetoed the work

Governor Alexander vetoed the work
men 3 compensation law passed by the
affecting the miners and
timber workers especially and all work
men in the state generally. He said it {
was not perfect measure. Perhaps no
perfect law was ever enacted at the
outset, but this bill had been carefully
prepared by a non-partisan commission
of experts on the subject and the Gov
ernor showed his contempt for the eff
fort to give the workmen of Idaho
just compensation law by even re-
fusing to pay the small expenses of the t
commission, the members of which
served without salaries.
His real reason for vetoing the com !
pensation law was because it provided
that the board should be composed Of
state officers, including the commits
sioner of immigration and labor, who
should serve on that commission with
out salaries. This denied him the priv
ilege of making appointments to add to
his political machine.
The Governor claims credit for saw
ings made in the pure food depart
ment under the administration of j.
X. White. Mr.. White was an active
employ Of the department long before
Governor Alexander took office. More
over, he was appointed to the position
\ by the state board Of health and not by
Governor Alexander. Mr.. White is a
Republican, and it is known that Gov
ernor Alexander wanted a Democrat
in the place. He had another reason
for having opposed White and that was
because DR.. Falk, secretary of the Board
Of Health, wanted White appointed
and during the 1914 campaign Mr.. Al
exander stated that the first thing he
would do after he was installed IN Of
flee would be to "fire Falk.' He did
not do SO for the health board would
not stand for it.
As an instance of his method of
campaigning, it can be related that in
1914 at Meridian after the primaries
he made statement that there was a
state bee inspector at a salary Of
SIS 900. George E. Atwater of Nerd
ian, a prominent Democrat, called Mr..
Alexander attention to the incorrect
ness of that statement and was assured
it would not be repeated, but at his
next meeting Mr.. Alexander, then can
didate for governor, repeated his false
hood. He repeated it again at Emmett
and at Idaho Falls his statement as tt
the bee inspector was challenged III
open meeting by Joseph Farnsworth
who told Mr.. Alexander the statement
was untrue. Nevertheless, Mr.. AL
exander continued to repeat the false
statement to the end Of the campaign
He also referred in his message to
the legislature to the bee inspector fund
I y.oA. +bC<
should be abolished, when he knew that
long before it had been knocked out
by the Supreme Court in the ease of
Mcpherson, State Inspector, vs.. Hus
ton, State Auditor.
Governor Alexander never did a
days work on farm, III the mines OF
: in the timber.
Mr.. Davis is practical farmer and
mines and could get and hold job to
day in any mine needing men.
Mr. Davis is familiar with the need
Of the farmers, the miners and the tim
| Der claim holders. He is in hearty sym
pathy with them and earnestly desire
to aid them. Governor Alexander s in
terest in them is purely of a vote get
ting character.
Governor Alexander's policies ar,
antagonistic to state development. con
stituting an obstacle to the promotion
of natural resources, and being de
structive of necessary cooperation b.
reason of his endeavors to array elias
against class
N Mr. Davis policies are constructive
l. He sees the necessity for team wor
ic bv all classes for the benefit of a
e. citizens and for the upbuilding of thei
s. state.
y In his speech at Twin Falls on o.
IA tober ;, 1916, Governor Alexander
y speaking about the legislative bill
~ put up to him said: CHOW l suppos
er you wonder what | did with then
Well, l III tell you just what did abo,
e. it. | had them all piled up in a pi
or and ! run my hands down along then
ne and as | come to thick one | took
~ out and put it in one pile and then p,
fs all the thin ones in another pile and
no vetoed the thick ones, and signed IL
VI little ones
te In this manner the Governor handle
ed vital matters of state, affecting m
ne only state institutions, but the great i
al dustries of Idaho. Was it not h
p- business to carefully consider the
AZ. subjects before acting upon them.