The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-02-09
IDAHO LEGISLATURE
AGAINST ROAD TAX
MEASURE REPEATING TWO MILL
TAX LEVY LAW PASSED
~ THE SENATE.
Opponents Put Up Bitter Fight, But
Go Down to Defeat-county Unit
School District siiI to BE
Given Another Chance.


The bill repeating the 2-mill tax law
TOR roads enacted by the fifteenth
session OF the legislature, passed the
senate On February 1. by vote of 80
to 5. The long-expected fight on the
bill broke when the bill came up for
third reading. but the opponents Of
the measure went down to defea
Though the house of representatives
defeated the county unit school dis
trict bill on February 1, motion pre-
vailed later to reconsider its vote and
the bill may yet pass the house after
amendment
House bill No. 18, by the committee
on education, which raises the bond
ing limit Of independent school dis
tricts to s per cent Of their assessed
valuation, was passed without debate
and without dissenting vote.
Three state affairs committee bills
were passed in short order, on Febru-
airy /, being the companion bills relaf-
ing to court reporter salaries and
transcript fees. Attempts to amend
them by raising reporters salaries had
failed. and they went through rs in
troduced by the committee.
Another state affairs committee bill
was passed, which deprives the de-
partment Of law enforcement Of its
special fund derived from fees received
for occupation registrations. All such
fees will hereafter be deposited d.
rectly in the general fund Of the
state.
The bills passed by the house ON
February Include Vandesteegs house
bill Ne. r. which authorizes cities to
create city planning commissions Is
advisory parts Of their government:
Parish's house bill No. Sc, placing the
supreme court clerk ON a fiat SALARY
and depriving him of special fees as
reporter q the court decisions; and
Harrington's house bill No. so, requir-
ing sections to record numbers OF burial
plots ON death certificates as link in
vital statistics records.
After the hottest fight Of the session
| on the floor, the house Of representa-
tives on January 81 defeated House
bill No. Z, by the committee ON educa-
ton, proposing the establishment in
Idaho Of a statewide school tax Of two
mills and its apportionment to coun-
ties and school districts on q basis of
school attendance. The vote was e
to IS.
| The measure was championed by w.
Scott Hall, Of Oneida, chairman of the
| education committee, and the opposi-
ton was led by Representative Gala
han of Shoshone county.
| OF the seven bills introduced In the
lower house Of the Idaho legislature
on January n. none were of unusual
| consequence One provides an addi-
tional appropriation Of $1,000 for
legislative expenses, and another pro-
vides for . special meeting Of county
commissioners to readjust salaries Of
all county officials.
Another measure by the committee
on banks and banking was introduced
| on January 81. It was Senate bill No.
| 121, which makes it unlawful for any
officer. director or employee Of any
bank o. trust company to demand or
receive directly or indirectly any COM
mission Or other consideration on ac-
count Of the making by said bank or
trust company Of any loan or extern
sion Of credit to any person, firm or
corporation.
Valiant efforts Of the chairman Of
the house cemmittee on education, w.
Scott Han Of Oneida, to obtain in
dOrsemenf Of the committee Of the
| whole house for his bill to abolish
the office Of state commissioner Of
education. brought out at the Satur-
day session what seems to be q certain
| conviction that the measure viii be
killed.
It WAS learned after adjournment
from members Of the house who have
followed the bill into and ont OF the
education committees conferences.
that there Is little probability of
amendment and that the measure will
be given short shrift ON final cousid-
| Grafton.
| Five minor house bills were passed
BY the house on January %. among
them being the hotel inspection and
cold storage egg bills of the public
health committee and the one reQuir-
ing mining corporations to report to
the state mine inspector instead of the
commissioners Of commerce and indus
try.
An impressive feature of the morn
ing session Of the senate on January .
was the eulogizing Of President Nc
Kinley to commemorate his seventy
eighth birthday anniversary.
Eleven new bills were introduced.
One of them is assured Of passing the
lower house from the moment of its
submission. as the names of thirty
one out Of the fifty-four members ap-
pears upon 1t as sponsors. This is
House bill No. 12S. providing that
school district special levies shall be