Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1921-02-11
HOT ON THE TRAIL
OF EDUCATION HEAD
HOUSE WOULD ABOLISH THE
OFFICE or STATE COMMITS
SIONER or EDUCATION.
Measure Approved by Vote Of 20 TO
22.-The First Proposed Changes
in County Boundaries Sug-
nested In TWO New Bills.

house bill No. SO. by the committee on
education, to abolish the office of
state commissioner Of education and
fix the salaries of heads of state edu-
cationai institutions.
The first changes In county boun-
daries to be proposed in the present
session are included in House bills
Nos. 1873 and 1874, by Sanborn, which
would take one slice from Owyhee
county and another slice from Twin
Falls to be added to .Gooding. House
bin No. 200 would annex part of
Owyhee county to Gilmore.
House joint memorial No. 5, by Mil
Ter, was introduced and passed by the
house under suspension of the rules on
February 8. 1t calls upon congress
to enact reclamation legislation at
once upon a broad national policy.
House bill No. 1872, introduced by
the judiciary committee, creates the
Eleventh judicial district of the coun-
ties of Cassia, Jerome, Minidoka and
Twin Falls, with two judges, one
transferred from the present Fourth
district and the other to be appointed:
The bill also transfers Gilmore county
from the Fourth to the Third judicial
district and thus reduces the Fourth
district to the counties Of Camas,
Blaine, Gooding and Lincoln, with one
presiding judge.
By a vote Of 35 to 2, the senate
passed house bill No. 1S, by the state
affairs committee. This bill repeats
the act providing for continuing APP
preparation In Idaho to be used jointly
with federal appropriation to be used
under the Smith-Hughes act.
Ex-service men Of the late war were
recognized unanimously by the senate
in the passage Of senate Aill No. 80,
by Burky, which gives to such service
men thirty-day preference right
to file on Cary act lands in Idaho.
An important measure in which
county commissioners are interested
was introduced in the senate, Feb
rnary 5. It empowers counties,
through the commissioners, to bid upon
and perform contracts for building or
repairing any part or portion of state
highways within their county wher-
ever such contracts, are to be let by
the department of public works.
House bill No. no, by the committee
on livestock, creating a sheep commits
sion of five and appropriating $4,000
for their use to eradicate scab in
Idaho, was passed under suspension
of the rules.
Thirty-one representatives, enough
to insure its passage, are sponsors of
House bill No. 173. to restore the
direct primary in Idaho, which was
introduced in the lower house of the
sixteenth legislature on February 4.
The first six names in the list of
sponsors are the six ex-service mem
bers of the house. The list also in
cludes the names of the three Demo-
cratic members. The houses lone
woman is one of the sponsors.
The chief feature Of the primary
measure, as it will now come before
the legislature, are: Preservation of
party integrity by oath of electors at
time of registration and the printing
and binding of these oaths. Limiting
expenditures OF candidates and nomi-
nation Of judicial candidates in the
same manner as candidates for other
offices. Provisions for state platform
conventions.
Three bills. were passed February 4,
one OF which is Severson's measure to
relieve purchasers of the state lands
whose payments are now about to
become delinquent. 1t permits the
state land board to withhold until De-
ceElber 81, 1922. cancellation Of GER
tificates for land sales because OF
payments delinquent in 1920, 1921 or
1922.
The Albion Normal school fight held
the center Of the stage in the senate
on February 4. A test on the strength
Of the bin to abolish the school was
made on McMurray's motion to in
definitely postpone and came at the
end Of sharp debate. The motion
lost by vote OF 10 to IL.
House BIN No. "a, giving full control
Dy the legislature TO the house and
senate chambers and adjoining rooms
during sessions passed by unanimous
vote.
Senate bill No. SO, preserving qualifi-
cations and manner of licensing engi-
neers, passed BY unanimous vote. as
also did Senate bill No. 70, by Feath-
erstone, providing for the election of
justices OF the supreme court and dis
trict courts.
The reformers are not inactive and
to date there are two blue laws staring
members of the Idaho house ana sen
ate IN the face. The. first of these is
known as the Gilchrist net, which pro
rNses rigid censorship for moving
pictures, the operation of a commits
sion with authority to PISS On ain
films exhibited in the state and hai
these that do not meet WIKI tl,e;r =,