Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1919-01-21
COUNCIL OF
DEFENSE QUITS
WAR EMERGENCY PASSED EXEC-
UTIVE COMMITTEE DECIDES
LAB0RS NOT NEEDED
MAINTAIN COUNTY COUNCILS
Secretary Hansen Designated To
Gather Idaho War Data

& The state council of defense has
3 virtually ceased to exist or function,
although the county councils of de-
tense will be held intact in the Al
counties in the state after-war activi-
" ties expected to come up and local
u problems may be effectively dealt
81 with. The executive committee of
1.-THE state council appeared before Gov
ernor d. w Davis Friday afternoon,
and through ]. T. Pence, chairman, re-
n auested to be relieved, the emergency
having passed for which il was Gre
ated and there being no further war
3 labors to be performed, the country
being at peace. Governor Davis
agreed with the committee and granted
the relief sought
~ Among those members of the exec
utive committee attending the final
conference with Governor Davis were:
#Chairman Pence, Secretary Hansen,
81 Mrs S. II. Hayes, Mrs. Frank B. Kin
won, Henry X. Johnson, r. NJ. David
E son Harvey Alfred, r. f. Bicknell. j.
F. Richards, Captain Robert Nj. Nc
Cracken and H. A. Lawson.
M Chairman Pence informed the Cover
NOR that at a recent meeting of the
Executive committee it had been decid
ed the state council had fulfilled the
mission for which it was created and
that while there remained to be exc
cuted some important matterSr these
could be attended to by one or few
persons He laid special stress upon
the necessity of delegating some one
to proceed to gather data on the war
activities of the state within the Al
counties and to properly turn il over
to the state government, so that when
: it is decided to write this war history
the historian will have available the
matter needed.
The councils chairman pointed out
further that there are after-war act
ivities coming up, as the fifth liberty
loan drive, for which it will be desired
to use the county organizations; that
some of the county councils are now
supervising the fight against the spread
of Spanish influenza and are confront
ed with local problems needing their
attention. He did not think it advis-
able to break down the entire state
organization and it was decided after
some little discussion that this Will
not be done While the state cOun-
Gil through the executive committee,
* will cease to function. the county
councils are "to carry on" until re-
lieved and they will be so notified by
the chairman and secretary OF the
state council.
Governor Davis highly praised the
{ members of the state council for the
remarkable state organization which
was perfected in Idaho during the
period of the war and the excellent re-
suits accomplished. Personally. he
said he realized the excellence of this
organization. having used ii twice as
state chairman of the liberty loan COM
mittee, and generally the state owed
to individual members of the state,
county and community councils, debt
of gratitude for their war activities.
1t was decided that the matter of
providing for the gathering OF the war
data should be taken up with the leg
islature There has already been in
troduced in that body a measure seek
ing to continue the war council organ
ization as a whole, to be called into
action as a legally recognized body on
proclamation of the governor. Under
ii are to be organized county and COM
munity councils identical with the
present state council organization
Members are required to serve without
pay but will be allowed travelling eX-
penses when necessary.
The executive committee of the pres
ent state council at its last meeting de-
cided to recommend to the governor
that Joseph Hansen, who has been Sec
retary of the council since its Organi-
cation. and who is probably the bes'
posted man in the state on the activ-
ities of the state, county and commun-
ity councils, be designated TO gather
the desired war data, that suitable
appropriation be made for this and
that headquarters be provided in the
state capitol building.
The matter of working out the plans
for this important work will be taker
up by Governor Davis with the legis
lature during the present session o.
that body.
The Idaho council of defense organ
fzation is believed to hold the nationa
record for conducting its work at less
expense than any other state In th'
union The total expense is approx
mately SOL 900. Some states have
spent million or more dollars. the eX
pense with them being greater becaus
OF the much larger population within
their borders.
1t can also be said to the credit o
The Idaho council that il was recog
nized by national leaders as one o
the most perfect organizations OF 1t
kind in the United States.