Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-01-25

confined from page One)
management of the Independent school
districts.
Senator L. r. Thomas of Bingham
county is confident that the measure
providing for a constitutional conven-
ton will go through.
1T is considered a good time now to
advocate this" he said. 1T is a quiet
time and this means that the citizens
of the state will be able to give the
matter the attention its Importance
merits All this legislature can do is
start the ball rolling and leave it to
the next legislature to complete the
work. This would throw the conven-
ton at least three years into the flu
ture and give plenty of time for DELHI
Grafton.
"Our present constitution has been
amended 81 times and there are IL
or Is proposed amendments coming up
at this session. This shows the need
for revision. 1t is conceded that the
constitution as it stands is Anticipated
and should be brought down to date
We are not pushing our measure but |
find the sentiment favorable. / ex-
pect to see ii go through without much
opposition"
l had planned to introduce a bill
in the senate providing for the es-
tablishment of memorials in each
county for the soldiers, sailors and
marines of the great war with Ger
many, but a bill is to be introduced
in the house covering my idea. 1t will
carry no appropriation but will pro-
vide for the continuance and distri-
button of the $4,000 appropriated by
the fifteenth session.
Former service men in the house of
representatives are behind the meas
ure which is now being formulated.
The bill would provide that the COM
mander or commanders of the Ameri-
can Legion post and the county com
missioners should decide upon the
form and style of the memorial to be
erected in their respective counties.
Each county would receive $1,000 from
the memorial fund, if it in turn ad-
vanced at least the same amount
There are many counties that desire
to erect buildings, halls and other
memorials and that this bill would
give them the power they desire as
well as $1,000 from the state fund.
A bill providing that improvements
on land, not to exceed the amount of
$1,000 in assessed valuation to any one
family, shall be exempt from taxation
was introduced into the senate We'd
nesday morning by Senator Van Hoe
sen of Adams county. This is the first
measure to come from the minority
forces in the upper house
A bill providing for the aDolishment
of the state public utilities commission
is to be introduced in the house today
or tomorrow. The act will grant the
courts the power to hear and deter
mine certain issues with regard to
public utilities.
Under the terms of the bill the as
sessed valuation shall be deemed con-
elusive as a basis for determining the
lreasonableness or unreasonableness of
rates charged. The court in each jul
dicial district would have the power to
order the utilities to furnish adequate
service, instrumentalities and equip
ment to patrons in that district.
/ believe this act will be a popular
one. ] have heard but few who favor
the continuance of the state public
utilities commission. The majority
seem to be of the opinion that the COM
mission has heretofore failed in its
mission to protect the public or to in
sure justice for the public where any
interest of the utilities are at stake.
Those favoring the act claim that 1t
gives power to courts who are fimaliar
with conditions in each district and
that besides tending towards efficiency
il will be an economical measure and
will do away with the annual appro-
priation providing for members of the
utilities commission and a large num-
Der of assistants and clerks.
Harvest and threshing hands on
farms in this state are to be exempted
from the workmen's compensation, ac-
cording to the Jarnagin bill in the
house which proposes to amend the
present workmen's compensation law.
The measure. which also excludes
bank and mercantile employees. as well
as school, county and road district en-
ployes, is as follows:
Section /. That section 6216 of the
Idaho compiled statutes 1919 be, and
the same is hereby amended to read
as follows
Section 6216: Employments not
covered. None of the provisions of
this chapter shall apply to:
81 Agricultural pursuits, including
employment in threshing and harvest
ing operations.
"2. Household domestic service.
"3. Casual employment
"a Employment by charitable or
CARNATIONS; or,
g. Employment of outworkers; or
of
&c Members of the EMPLOYERS fam