Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1917-03-08
NOW
SITTING BILLS
FOR W|NDUP
IMPORTANT MEASURES TO BE
BROUGHT TO TOP OF THE
CALENDAR
STATUS COMPENSATION ACT
constitutional Convention Through
Lower House-Utilities Amendment
Withdrawn as Having No Chance

Boise, March 2.-Following an all
day skrimish in the house over the
workmen's compensation act pending
before the legislature it was decided to-
day to substitute the Anderson elective
compensation bill for the Rockwell
measure that passed the senate. Repre-
sentatives of employers and labor have
| agreed to the compromise. While house
leaders give assurance the senate will
| accept the house amendments, senate
leaders did not seem to be so confident.
When the house opened its session
today the special committee appointed
to receive and handle the Rockwell
| elective compensation bill that passed
the senate, submitted divided report.
Ihls committee is composed of Ander-
son, Bates, kirbs, Johnson and Kiger.
The first three named are democrats,
the two latter republicans. Kirbs held
the balance of power on the committee
and Joined with the republicans in re-
commencing that the Rockwell bill
pass. Anderson and Bates recommend
ed that the bill be sent to the com.
mittee of the whole for amendment.
They wished to substitute copy of the
Oregon act in place of the Rockwell
bill. Six democrats joined with the re.
publicans and the majority report was
adopted by vote of 3S to 26. Quinlan,
Ross, Seymour, Struthers, Thatcher and
kribs, democrats, voted with the re.
pubicans. Moody did also for the pur.
pose of moving reconsideration.
At noon the democrats caucused. 1t
was decided then to stand together and
substitute the Anderson bill for the
Rockwell bill with but two changes,
the first for reinsured risks and the
second making compensation effective
one week after injury instead of two.
With the exception of Thatcher of Ban
mock all the democrats stood for this
program, the vote by which the major
ity report was adopted was reconsider
ed and the minority report sending the
rockwell bill for amendment to the
committee of the whole carried. The
measure will be considered Saturday.
During the discussion on the compen.
saton measure in the house Bates made
the charge that the senate authors of
the Rockwell bill were not sincere and
that their only purpose in fathering the
bill was to block the passage of any
measure. He classed it as "a hybrid'
For the purpose of bringing to the
top of the calendar the more important
bills pending in the house and before
the legislature, the speaker appointed
Shearer, Adamson, Hubbard, Sims and
Lewis as the house sitting committee
and Jones, Findlay, Storey, Miles and
Hussman as the house joint sitting COM
mittee to confer with the senate.
The house passed the senate resolu-
tion submitting to the voters of the
state the question of whether or not a
convention should be called to revise
the state constitution and there was in
troduced and passed second resolution
providing constitutional amendment
limiting the number of delegates en-
titled to seats in the convention equal
to the number of members in the house
of representatives.
One years residence on the part of
divore seeker will be required in
Idaho if the governor approves the bill
passed by the legislature today. 1t
extends the time for those seeking to
file complaints to server the bonds of
matrimony from six to IL months. The
bill was introduced in the house to re-
move Idaho from the so-called "Reno'
class, and passed that body today. 1t
was approved by the senate after an
amendment was attached providing that
it will not go into effect 1or six months
from and after its approval. This will
enable those who are here for divorces
or have suits pending to secure DEGREES
of separation.
Although the division of counties in
this state has caused more log-rolling
probably than any other class of legis-
lation and has occupied more time of
the law makers, the house of represen-
tatives refused to pass bill to leave
the division issues with boards of
county commissioners. The measure
was introduced by Representative Peck
ham of Canyon county for the express
purpose of taking county division out
of the hands of the legislature and
providing they should be settled by
counties affected. The house killed
the bill by indefinite postponment.
Realizing that it was too late in the
session to hope to push his fight to a
successful issue to amend the public
utilities commission act, Senator Cum
mings of Bannock county withdrew two
of his bills so providing and the utili
ties commission fight is therefore
brought to an end.