The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-01-12

The fourteenth Idaho legislature
convened at Boise Jan. s, celebrating
the occasion with a dance 10 the
capitol building. p. w. Mitchell of
Nez Perce was chosen president pro
TEN of the senate and B. Harvey
Alfred Of Blackfoot speaker Of the
house OF representatives.
The opening preliminaries were
without serious conflict. The demo
cratic majority showed its power from
the start, the first test votes finding
the senate democratic by 2l to l6 and
the house 36 to 20.
House bill No. was passed Mon
day appropriating $7SSa to pay the
national guard the money due them
since last summer. The senate
passed the same bill Tuesday.
A bill appropr.ating $50, 900 for the
legislative expenses during the session
was passed by the house Tuesday.
Governor Alexander read his mes
sage Tuesday at 2 p. IN.
In his message, the governor shows
that the state expenditures of the
past two years amount to $2,9l8,979'
10 and the receipts to SO, ,095, ,O29.6i,
most of the $l75, 900 surplus going to
pay deficiencies of the former admin
istration. He says The same amount
appropriated two years ago, $2, lo4,-
$3.50, ought to cover every appro-
priation that Is required for the
bleunium OF 1917 and 1918. AS part
of this money is raised by direct tan
alton, he says that the state tax levy
Of the past. two years, Sl,26o'ooo'
should not be increased. He warns
the legislature against demands fol
increased appropriations and urges
that economy, efficiency aud equality
be made the watchwords.
Recommendation include the fol-
lowing:
That the legislative session include
40 days instead of 60.
That the livestock and sanitar!
boards be consolidated into one to b.
called the agricultural board.
That the board of health aud pur'
food department be consolidated.
That the banking and insurance
departments be consolidated.
That legislation be enacted to pro
hibit enormous expenditures of none
in seeking Office, to do away with tn
big circles at the head of the part
tickets on the ballot, TO put the ini
tiative, referendum and recall
effect, to strengthen the prohilitlo
law, to increase land sales, to CON
pensate workmen for injuries, t
complete home for feeble minded,
establish uniform system of account
ing in all the counties, TO issue BOND
for good road purposes, to safeguar
S ttlers on Carey act lands, to loa
state money on the amortization plat
to adopt the Torrens system of trans
ferring land titles, to reduce coyo'
bounty from So so to $l.50 an
remove $40 bounty on bears, to redu'
legal interest rate TO per cent,
ouire htigants to pay jurors fe
al civil cases, to fully itemize appr
D piation bills, to remove statute
initiation in cases of embeZZlemeI
of pubic funds, to empower u
governor TO remove inefficient a.
pintive executive officers, to siren
then the public utilities act,
r ouire state Institutions to tu
earned revenues into the state. tres
ury to be credited to the funds
such Institutions, to strengthen t
blue sky and antitrust laws.
The governor makes suggestions
distributing the court districts
Judges to facilitate the handling
litigation.
The demands of the state board
education for Increased appropri
tons are characterized as excessi
and the opinion is expressed that
appropriation for this biennium ne
not be any larger than that for
biennium Just past. The inco
from the endowment funds OF