Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1918-01-10
ASKREMOVALOf.
COMPENSATION.
COMMISSIONER
Executive Board of Idaho
State Federation of Labor
Petitions Governor to Act
Against Chairman.
Ruling of Commission AL
lowing Surety Companies
to Enter Claimed Almost
Death Blow = Political
Deals Referred To.

The removal of the majority men,
bers of the workmen's compensation
commission who voted to let down the
bars and allow casualty surety COM
panies to write compensation insur-
ance in opposition to the state is
asked in a petition placed before Gov
ernor Alexander by the executive
board of the Idaho State Federation OF
Labor. No names were given in the
petition. The majority members who
so voted are George II. Fisher, presi-
dent of the commission and H. II.
Barnes. The minority member who
held out against and in opposition TO
the action taken is e. +. Cation. The
names signed to the petition are r. Fl.
Park, president of the federation: Paul
Spangenburg, secretary and A. w.
Miner, a member of the executive COM
mittee.
Governor Alexander has not taken
any action on the petition. He is en-
powered under the law to suspend a
commissioner
RESULT POLITICAL DEAL.
After reciting the facts leading up
to the action of the board, which is
held to be all but a death blow to the
Intent of the law. it is recited in the
petition thst "the petitioners are in
formed and believe, the action was
taken largely as the result of politi-
cal trade, whereby one member of said
majority was and is to receive the sup
port of the national committeeman of
this state for the appointment as
United States marshal, for which posi-
ton such member as aforesaid is and
has been an avowed candidate in di-
rect violation of the terms of said law
which are clear and specific:
LAW is A BARRIER.
"'No person accepting appointment
as a member of the board and quail
flying as such shall be eligible to cleo
ton or appointment to any public Of
flee during any calendar year which
shall include any part of the term of
membership on the board for which he
may have been appointed and qualified
and in which such election shall be
neld or appointment made. Resigna-
ton from membership on the board
shall not relieve such member from
any of the provisions of this act, and
the acceptance of the appointment and
qualification as a member of the board
shall constitute a valid waiver of any
and all statutory or constitutional
rights to or eligibility for holding any
other office during such time"
1t is recited that the law may not
be binding upon the federal govern
ment but 1t is and ought to be bind
ing upon the members of this board in
order to prevent such a thing as has
just happened, say the petitioners. 1t
is held the action gives certain people
nf xpaa in this of odN ptoo
and throws the burden on those who in
good faith complied with the law, as
well as upon the state insurance de-
partment.
PRAY FOR REMOVAL VIOLATION.
The concluding prayer Of the petit
tion is as follows:
Therefore. because of these said vio-
lations of said law, the said impositions
upon those who have sought to obey
1t, the said favoritism and special
privilege granted to those possessing
wealth above their fellow employers,
and because of theeaction of said ma
jority of said board, we enter this our
protest and respectfully request that
you, the governor of the state of Idaho
in behalf of good government and in
order to sustain the enforcement of the
laws of the state and more especial
ly of this law, exercise the powers CIV 4
en- you and that you forthwith remove
from office for cause those guilty of
violation of this law as set forth above
and particularly to remove from office
that member who. in violation of the
provisions of the law which he has
but just sworn to obey and to enforce
has become a candidate for appoint