Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-19

Nez GerCe ana speaker Allred nlmSelf
| stumbled into the self same error dur
ing impassloned speech, which were
largely if not wholly instrumental in
putting over the revamped Anderson
| bill amendment.
CONNER BILL IN AGAIN.
| The minority caucus, however, took
occasion to re-dedicate itself by q ris-
ing vote prior TO adjournment, to sus-
tain and vote for any Democratic COM
pensation measure that might be in
troduced containing the principle of
| secured compensation versus state as
sessment fund monopoly. Well found
ed rumors that the Introduction of
such bill was pending by Anderson
of Canyon, being indicated, and Rock
well took his little bilI'' and laid it
away. The violent contest on the
1 Bates bill finally forced out the COM
petitive Democratic measure on Feb
ruary first with Anderson as the au-
thor, and behold! it vas the Conner
bill of the thirteenth dynasty vetoed
by the governor at the self-same per-
iod, wearing a new ribbon on its neck
with bright gold chain and locket on
its expansive chest slightly polished at
the edges, but in substance the same
old bill" 1t was a fine testimony to
| Speaker Corners genius as elaborated
in the thirteenth session, and it seemed
to be universally conc aded by all leg
islators who knew anything about
compensation texts whatever. that
| Conner in his time had drafted a
mighty good bill, which, with two Years
additional nationwide compensation
history to draw from, could be amend
ed to date and il written into law
would stand the test In fairly good
shape. Its schedules were about 10
per cent less on the average than those
of the Rockwell bill. This pregnant
fact endeared it to the large employer
especially as pertaining to the partial
permanent disability" schedule.
Labor leaders had, at Rockwells re
quest, consulted with him and his
| committee on the structure of the bill
which afterwards appeared as senate
bill 10. The bill was criticised and
condemned as to principle only, admit
ting that It's administrative structure
and schedules of benefits were without
substantial fault, but as labor was for
mally standing and fighting for a pen
sion fund, sifted through a state mono
poly of administration as against
compensation" on any other basis or
schedule, no matter how liberal or fair
| they rejected all overtures to consider
favorably the Rockwell bill at this
stage Of development, and as firmly
proceeded to fight the old Conner bill
\ under its new label of Anderson"
| The house was split between the two
principles and the two bills: hopelessly
split, it appeared, and as to adherents
about evenly divided, with the Repub-
lican minority pledged against the
principle of the Bates measure, and
ready to join the Anderson segment of
Democrats when they had perfected
their bill, by revision and minor
amendments, for which purposes pri-
vate conferences, many of them lasting
into the small morning hours, to which
the minority caucus committee, con
sisting of Rockwell, Lowe of Cassia
and Randall OF the senate and Johns
ton and MCGOWAN of Latah of the
house were frequently invited, but
who refused to officially participate as
a joint caucus committee, until the An
derson Democrats could declare them
selves an official Democratic caucus
committee, and which 1t was admitted
could not be accomplished as the
Democratic chasm had continued 70
widen as was ingenuously explained