Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1917-01-19
LEGISLATURE TAKES
UP COAL PROBLEM
DRASTIC STEPS PROPOSED BY
LAWMAKERS TO END FUEL
FAMINE IN UTAH.
Resolution Would Authorize Governor
to Seize the Railways Of the State
and Operate Lines Tapping
Coal Territory.

OalJ l<dhe OlIy.-memDeTS Oh the
house and senate took cognizance of
the coal shortage in Utah on Monday;
January 10, and in both houses reso,
lutions were introduced with view
to fixing the blame for the general
famine of fuel and steps proposed to
relieve conditions.
In the house resolution was intro
duced by Charles M. Hecker, author.
izing the governor to seize the rail-
ways of the state and operate the lines
tapping coal territory and use the
Utah national guard IL necessary to
make the measure effective.
r. II. Currie also introduced a reso-
luton In the house calling on the
Denver &c Rio Grande to submit to
the legislature a statement of the
number of cars of fuel originating in
shipment In Utah between December
/, 1916. and January Is, 1917.
In the senate Senator Dern offered
resolution calling for an investiga-
ton by joint committee of the
house and senate, the committee 20
have power to call witnesses and ex-
which enter coal territory.
Governor Bamberger when he
learned of the resolutions, said he ia
vored an investigation into the coal
situation. He reiterated that he set
out in his message to the legislature
his ideas in regard to an investigation.
Three bills were introduced in the
senate on January 10, while an even
dozen bills and resolutions were pre-
sented in the house.
Endorsement by the state legislature
OF compulsory military training for
young men and the adjustment OF
the state militia is asked in a senate
Joint memorial to the president ana
to congress introduced in the upper
house by Senator Wootton.
Governor Simon Bamberger reported
that senate bill No. 1, providing for
an appropriation of $4,000 to cover
the expenses Of the legislature, had
been signed by him and transmitted
to the secretary of state.
Members of the committee on manu-
features and commerce. in charge OF
| the prohibition bill, admit that the
measure will have to be redrafted and
the prohibition commissioner feature
will have to be eliminated before the
measure can get past the house, but
the committee declares that it will
place the responsibility Of altering the
bill upon the house itself.
The senate rushed its open session
program through at high speed on
January IL. and Immediately after adj
journment went into caucus where
the details of the corrupt practice bill
were threshed out. The measure Is
designed to purify elections, accord
ing to its supporters, ard contains
radical provisions relative to spending
| money and censorship of newspapers.
Six bills were introduced in the SEN
ate on January II. Senator Cotton Of
fered a measure to prohibit the traf
fic in peyote and forbidding delivery
of the drug to Indians for religious
rite or for other purposes.
Senator Chez presented a bill to
regulate the exhibition of motion pic
lures and to provide for state board
of censors.
Senator Bevan offered a bill to reg.
ulate the sale Of narcotic drugs.
Senator Chez presented bill pro-
viding that freight charges on carload
lots of coal delivered to any point in
the state shall be based on weight of
coal when it reaches destination.
Senator Chez introduced bill to
define and prohibit trusts.
Senator Evans introduced a bill to
provide for the settlement, registra
ton, transfer and assurance of titles
to land and to make uniform the laws
of the state in issuing the same.
One bill and one resolution were in.
troduced in the house on January IL.
The live stock men of the state
caused resolution to be introduced
in the house protesting against the
increase in the charges which the de-
partment of agriculture has made for
grazing live stock in the national for.
est reserves.
CaZier of Juab county had the hon.
or of introducing the second bill Of the
session in the house. The measure
gives to cities of third class a Justice
pie.
Five bills and three resolutions in.
troduced, with one resolution passed,
is the sum total OF legislative activi-
ties in the house of representatives
OF the Twelfth Utah legislature dur
ing the first week of its session. so
far as legislation originating in the
house is concerned.
A fight against the report of the
rules committee developed in the
house. Insurgents, led by j. G, Wild
olson, Jr., OF Weber county objected
to the proposed legislative committee
so strenuously that 1t was thought
best to read the rules section by sec
ton and adopt each as II was read.
A commissioner of prohibition TO be
appointed by the governor for two
years at salary OF $4,000 a year to
a. ..,n oh - h.,