Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1920-10-28
To SELL
MORE SCHOOL
VICIOUS.
So Declares Former Chief
Justice Ailshie in Inter
view Given Boise Newspaper
Favors More Members on the
Supreme Court; Talks on
Other Proposed Amendments

Characterizing the proposed consti
tutiona amendment which would au
thorize the state land board to sell 200
sections of school land each year,
which the electors are to vote upon
at the coming election as Fmost dan
gerous and pernicious," Judge James
F. Ailshie former chief justice of the
supreme court, has made the following
statement printed in the Boise States
man:
II think it very important that the
special attention of the people be
called to four constitutional amend
ments that are being submitted to the
vote of the people at the coming cleo
ton. At least one of them is most
dangerous and pernicious.
Gas submitted by the legislature
and published in the public press they
are joint resolutions Nos. 6, s, 10 and
Is.
Amendment No. 6 provides for in
creasing the membership of the SUI
preme court from three to five mem
bers In view of the fast that the !
supreme court is couple of years be- !
accordingly delayed, it seems necessary |
and important to adopt this amend |
ment.
Amendment No. 8 proposes to
authorize appeals to the supreme |
court from decisions of the public |
utilities commission, and if adopted |
would greatly increase the work of the
supreme court This Amendment
ought to be defeated. The reasons
which call for the adoption of amend
ment No. are equally good for de-
feating No. s. Besides, there does
not seem to be any good reason for
asking or requiring the supreme court
to review the facts in a public utilities
case and it can now, without any
amendment, review the law of the
case.
CALLS NO. 10 VICIOUS
Proposed amendment No. 10 is a
most vicious and unwise provision,
and ought to be eternally beaten. 1t
proposes to authorize the state land
board to sell 200 sections of school
land each year. The constitution as
originally adopted provided for the
sale of % sections of school land each
year, then at the election of 1916 an
amendment was adopted by a com
paratlvely small vote, and without
discussion, so as to allow the sale of
loO sections annually and now it is
proposed to authorize doubling this
sale and making it 200 sections or {
one hundred twenty-eight thousand
acres yearly.
Now the question arises; why such
haste to sell off all the school lands +
OF the state? Our population is not
increasing very rapidly. We have in '
Idaho millions of acres of land held t
IN private ownership not under Guilt t
Vatlon, hundreds of thousands of {
acres of the finest of timber held by I
private owners that will not be cut in S
the next 20 years. t
:, In my opinion the chief accomp-
nshment of this proposed amendment h
would be simply to enable timber com v
panles and livestock corporations to .
gamer into private ownership of v
Low large companies these state lands,
q. =, minimum prices, and they in turn
VIII hold them for speculation. There
a.. are comparatively few farmers or set
Iers who will bid on these timber or
I. slIazng lands. Now I ask why not let
.ne state continue to own this land c
aI reap the profits of increased valu- i
a !. Why be in hurry to barter n
!. all awayq Let us defeat proposed
amendment No. 10.
ARE NO LIMITATIONS r
Amendment No. 10 proposes to
the state to lend its credit
!, invest directly in the develop
~e :n OF unused water power
~ the state. This within it. 4
en may not be unwise. In view,
rG;"eVer, of the present appro-
: of water and the recent act
:. (. IIo.inlgress known as the Water Pow
! pli and the large area of forest
OSSe covering the principal unap-
;;..oprlated waters and water power
.'e =: II is doubtful if this amendment
: .'s present form would properly p
3 aauequately safeguard the people s;
! 4. ne state in attempting to accom- W
a ,,on 1he purpose it is supposed to eli
I've. The amendment contains no OF
l1'si1 Ta or safeguards whatever. tn
40. seems to me that we should w
nop t amendment No. and that we en-
snt oy all means defeat Nos. 10 and in
Let me repeat that No. 10 is
Seusaoie and ought to have the P,
HniiuOuS ODDOsition Of, tbo ,,oorIo oe 90