American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-02-15
VOLUME XVII.
LEGISLATURES $4,000 GONE.
Another $4,000 for Expenses Voted
By Lower House In Five Minutes.


members and attaches. Only two men I
refused to vote for the appropriation I
bill when it was passed under suspen-
sion Of rules. They we're Grice and 4
Tyler, both of whom are Democrats.
The bill was whipped through the I
house within five minutes after it had /
been introduced by Speaker Alfred, +
Ernest Anderson and Dr. Moody
No protest was entered by the mi I
nority members, and no member of (
either house asked for an explanation /
Of where the money was going.
$4,000; 81 Days; 447 Bills.
When the legislature convened, jan !
uary 8, it appropriated $4,000 for +
salaries and expenses. 1t was then 1
planned to complete all work in 40
days and adjourn. Thirty-seven days I
have passed since the legislature met. |
its first appropriation is gone, and the /
end of the session is not yet In sight /
A total of 311 bills has been intro /
duced in the house, and 1876 bills in
the senate. Three days yet remain in
which new bills may come in.
Two years ago the legislature spent
s64,500.
It is rumored about the legislative
halls that the Democrats plan to ad-
journ the legislature at the end of so
days. The Bourbons deny the allega-
tion. The senate may have been work
ing to that end in killing off house
bills. but in doing that the upper
hourse aroused the animosity of the
house Bourbons.
The calendars in both houses are
loaded down with bills, and it does not
seem possible that the legislature can
complete it's labors under so days un-
less many bills are indefinitely post
poned. The legislature is still facing
A<he passage of a number of important
administration bills. which are far
down on the calendar.
The house spent a half hour during
the morning squabbhng over the pay
ment of claims for services to Paris
Martin and William Healey, attorneys.
both of whom have been helping GER
= tain members of the legislature draw
bills.
$3.50 for Drafting Bills.
Martin was allowed $500. Healey
was given $3.50.
The motion to pay the lawyers was
made by DR. Moody. 1t was lost when
a majority of both the Democrats and
Republicans voted against it, but ii
was passed on a second vote. when
Peter G. Johnston. Republican. asked
that the bill be reconsidered.
Democrats and Republicans alike
declared that they knew nothing of the
legal counsel placed at the disposal of
the house. Both Johnston and Moody
said they knew the house had retained
lawyers to assist in preparing meas
lures MCGOWAN of Latah and Beecher
Hitchcock, chairman of the appropri-
ations committee, said they had not
been advised of the action of the house
in hiring attorneys.
After the motion to pay the barris-
ters had been lost the first time it was
put, Speaker Alfred offered an explain
alton. saying that he had announced
from his desk that the house retained
counsel for the use of all members of
the house. His explanation had the
result of putting the motion over when
it was reconsidered.
Martin and Healey are both Demo-
Gratis; Martin was defeated in The last
general election for county attorney
In the course of the tilt it developed
that A. c. Hindman, assistant attorney
general, had drawn a number Of ad-
ministration measures. but the speaker
in his explanation said the governor
had promised to pay him for his work.
Revenge on Senate Bills.
Senate bills on the house calendar
we're made to suffer when retalatOry
measures were adopted by the lower
branch in return for the action of the
upper body in killing several house
bills without giving them a hearing
on the floor. The house members
seemed ready to proceed under the
old Mosaic law of an eye for an eye
and tooth for a tooth
Senate bills Nos. 6S, 100. S4 and 4,
we're tabled on their arrival in tht
house by unanimous vote.
Senate bill No. ga by the commit
tee on mines and mining was referre,
back to the house committee OF
mines and mining when it came VI
for third reading add final passage
Anderson of Canyon wanted to xii
the bill without further ado. Will,
others waited TO send il back to thl
mining committee for amendment
The bill provides for the establish
ment of a state bureau OF mining
Peter G. Johnston agreed with Ernes
Anderson that the bill should b.
struck down in cold blood. but whei
he cooled off he voted to put it il
the committee for amendment. Tn
IN r-ar cnrna hN hninc snnt 70 th