The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-18
WHAT OUR LECIS-
LAToRS ARE DOING
Twenty-Three Working
Days of Fifteenth
Session Left
FIVE PROBLEMS
TO BE CONSIDERED

BO1SE.-With but twenty-thret
official working days left of the
fifteenth session there are five fun,
Elemental outstanding problems
which the legislature must settle. In
a general way they are general ap.
preparations, a new primary law
educational institutions and theil
support, the soldier and the unem.
ployed, reclamation and irrigation
matters.
Now that the consolidation of de.
partments measure is practically Out
of the way the task of facing and
meeting the other problems with
considerably less than half the ses-
sion left, is a stupendous one. Many
minor bills Of merit may be lost in
the fast grind of the closing days
while 1t could be but reasonable to
suppose that other bills which will
not stand the test Of use, will slip
thru.
AS has been predicted, the ap-
preparations for the coming biennium
will exceed any that have been made
by preceding legislatures with a
consequent raise in the state taxes.
But a reasonable explanation for
this is the intense problem Of fur
nishing state activity because of
labor unrest; the return of the SOL
der host; the necessary development
Of the states educational institu-
lions; and the increasing demand for
permanent roads with its correspond
ing increase in federal road appro-
priations which must be met by the
state.
The largest general appropriation
measure coming before the legisla-
ture during the past week was the
one which would make possible the
completion of two wings for the
state capitol, each to cost $450, 900.
Other bills are, appropriating $780,
600 for q building and mechanical
shop for the deaf and blind school;
appropriating $4,000 for q survey
of the water resources of the state;
$4,000 for road in Gilmore county;
100000 for the cost Of laying out
survey and constructing system of
state highways; a measure for the
issuance Of state highway bonds to
the value of 100000 to build high
ways; $4,000 for the University of
Idaho extension department.
By the end of this legislative
week 1t is believed that all appro-
priation measures will have received
their Introduction into the house and
the amounts over which the COM
mittee Of the lower body have had
endless hours of discussion, will be
brought to the public eye. They will
include the appropriations for the
biennium, for the penal and charit-
able institutions, the state schools,
and roads. The majority Is facing
this problem, resigned to the fact
that the amounts will be exceeding
large, but as one member Of the
finance committee says willing to
lay its necessity before the tax payers
Of the state"
The senate Is now agreed on the
terms Of the new primary law. But
two changes were made in 1t for its
final passage, altho joint committee
found 1t necessary to work for weeks
to arrive at their final conclusion.
From the original draft the date Of
the primary was changed from July
to August. The second change was
Of more Importance, tho undebated
and uncommented on by senate
members. However, 1t is. funde-
The words who do not
correctly represent the principles Of
the party to which they are acred-
tied" were added in an amendment
IN tho nuo 7co f}Ona f0r do1oO On foo IN
The state conventions already con-