The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-01-26
IDAHO LEGISLATURE
WELCOMES PUBLIC
FORMER RULE REQUIRING cARDd
is ABRC GATED BY IDAHO
LAWMAKERS.
Legislature Extends Warm Welcome
to Master of National Grange
Corrupt Practice Act Appears
in the Senate.

legislature were ordered thrown open
to the public when the house Of rep
resentatives or January 10 declared
for the American principle of equal
rights to all. Visitors cards were
abolished after a stormy session. in
which the former rule of the legisla-
ture permitting admittance to the
chamber by card was abrogated.
Party lines were forgotten. Repre-
sentative Storey of Ada county
started the fight for an "open house"
claiming the visitor card system was
proving embarrassing to his constitu-
ents and should be abolished A ma
jority of the house supported him.
The legislature later extended
warm welcome to Oliver Wilson, mas
ter of the National grange; w. W.
Deal, master of the Idaho grange, and
$50 grange members who made spe-
cial excursion to Boise from Nampa,
where the annual state grange meet
ing was being held. The members of
both houses met in the house of rep
resentatives and heard an interesting
talk by Mr.. Oliver regarding grange
and legislative matters
A resolution fathered by the min
ority of the house, asking congress
to pass national woman suffrage
amendment, was recommended for
passage, while the majority measure
requesting legislatures of other states
now in session was received on ad-
verse recommendation. A lively fight
is expected on the floor of the house
when both resolutions are taken up
for final passage.
Among the more important meas
ures introduced was a corrupt prac-
tice act in the senate, placing strin-
gent restrictions around candidates
| for office, and measure launched in
the house removing the task of Gre
ating counties from the legislature.
| A communication was received from
| the Idaho Federation of Labor asking
for minimum wage law for women
and an act limiting their days work
to eight hours. The commissioners OF
Bonner county filed protest against
a proposed bill to be introduced seek
ing to place the entire state in an
educational unit and providing that
all school taxes shall be levied anG
collected by the state and apportioneG
among the several counties according
to the number of school children il
each county.
Representative Kiger introduced {
constitutional amendment seeking t.
pay the salaries of state officials
monthly instead of quarterly. Repre-
sentative Holman introduced a bill
cutting down the interest rate to be
paid the state on logged-off state
land to per cent. Another measure
of Importance provides for the ap-
Ipointment of code commissioner
by the supreme court to codify the
laws. The Clark's fork bridge bill
asks for an appropriation of $4,000
to be spent in Bonner county.
Lumber companies and owners Of
small bodies of timber in Idaho will
be given the right of eminent do
main in building tramways, logging
and in the use of streams for logging
purposes if an amendment to section
4
for in bill introduced in the lower
house by representative from north.
ern counties is passed by the legisla.
ture The bill was prepared by mem
bers of the minority.
Attorney T. G.. Coffin was refused
hearing before the legislature on
his claim against the state for his
services in it's action to collect from
the National Surety company on o.
Nv. Aliens bond.
Both the majority and the minority
in the lower house of the Legislature
seem determined that the women OF
the United States shall be given the
ballot if congress will listen to ap-
peaIs from Idaho.
The legislature may be asked soon
by the Boise-Payette Water Users
association to memorabilia congress
to keep the ownership of the Arrow
rock dam in tie name of the federal
government.
Legislators in both houses have
been working on bills they wish to
dump into the hopper, but the word
has been passed out that measures
backed by the administration are tc
come first. There is some question as
to whether or not that action on the
part OF leaders in the majority car
head off the minority and the more
enthusiastic Democrats and keeI
them from flooding the Legislature
with pet bills before those endorsed
by the governor can be prepared.
Several bills have been introduces
, in the senate affecting insurance
measures.
Senator David G. Eames introduced
: joint resolution providing for sub
, hitting to the voters of the state il
| 1918 constitutional amendment re
lating to the erection of county com
, missioners. The plan. if adopted, viii
, make the term of county commission
. a,e f0,,Y va, 40 aF 4uro