Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-02-23
ANTI-ALIEN BILL
AGAIN CONSIDERED
IDAHO LEGISLATORS CLAIM
ENOUGH VOTES TO PASS THE
MEASURE.
Charges Are Made That Improper
Lobbying Has Been Going on and
an Investigation IL De
manded.

DutSct ANahOs Ah0 tAMti-aitcA ohtt
defeated by the legislature some time
ago. for fear its passage might result
in international trouble between the
United States and Japan. was rein
troduced in the senate at the Febru-
airy 10 session. The measure Is
duplicate Of the house bill that was
killed. and is fathered by Senator
Bradbury OF Bonneville county. where
the Japanese are alleged to have ae-
Quired title to large tracts of valu-
able sugar4beet lands.
It was over the defeat of the for.
mer bill and the charge that a $4,000
fee was paid TO G. NJ. Booth. a Twin
Falls attorney. claiming TO represent
the Idaho society OF Japanese, that
the senate ordered an investigation
made. II opens Wednesday. Those
back Of the new anti-alien bill claim
they have the votes In both houses
to pass 1t.
The direct charge Is made that Inn
proper lobbying has been going on.
not only with state officials, but
around the legislative houses, which
the state board OF equalization took
cognizance of when it directed the
public utilities commission to make
an investigation. The corporate In
terests are alleged to be active In an
attempt to defeat the workmen,s com.
pensation bill, backed by the labor
unions, which passed the house OF
representatives and is now before the
senate.
The affidavits that have been hled
with the state senate regarding the
charge o. improper lobbying to bring
about the defeat Of the anttalien bill
allege that Booth openly boosted he
was employed by the Japanese society
and that he expected TO receive the
large fee. In explanation he says that
he was prompted only by the most
patriotic of motives.
Booth hints that certain sinister
forces" are at work 70 embroil the
United States with Japan over the
anti-alien law In order to distract at.
tention from the submarine issue with
Germany and deter the United States
government from taking action against
Germany.
The house of representatives, by 0
vote of Al to 20, on February 10. re-
jected the joint resolution TO provide
for a one-house legislature composed
OF twenty-one members and the abol.
ishment of the senate. The resolu.
tion was championed by Daughters,
! Johnston and Lucas. At the same ses.
sion the house passed. with but one
vote registered against It, the Alfred
direct primary act. which substitutes
i the present primary by 3 state pri.
mary conducted entirely through the
mails.
Among the more important bills in.
troduced in the senate we're the fol.
lowing: By Jackson. prohibiting the
sale and manufacture OF cigarettes: by
Bradbury, anti-alien act; by Rockwell,
authorizing senate and house commit.
tees to investigate state departments
i TO decide on system of accounting;
4 by Wedgewood and others, proposing
amendment TO constitution to EN-
power state to create and enforce
compulsory workmen's compensation.
| fixing days work for women at eight
hours, creating Portneuf county, de.
ining crime Of criminal syndicatism
to prevent strike agitation.