Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-01-25
TELLS HOW
SOLONS WORK
KING WRITES OF PRO
GRAM FOLLOWED BY LEGIsLA.
TORS IN DAILY LABORS
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN LAW
Would Abolish Public Utilities Com
missiOn-IIas Few Friends.


Boise, Idaho, January 20, 1921.-To
the Herald: The past week the mem
bers of the sixteenth legislature have
been earning their per diem in com
mittee work rather than in regular
session Nearly every day the pro-
cedure has been to convene at ten
O'Clock, rush through the routine bust
ness, including the first and second
reading OF measures introduced, all OF
which is accomplished in from ten to
thirty minutes, and then adjourn to
devote the remainder of the day TO
committee work.
Each BILL upon first reading, is re-
ferred to a committee and the com
mittee, if it considers that the bill has
any merit, asks that the measure be
printed. The committee sometimes re-
fers the bill back to the author for
amendments or in a few cases, re-
ports unfavorably and recommends
that the measure be indefinitely post
poned.
The more important committees OF
the house and senate are meeting
jointly in consideration of many of
the bills being introduced This pro
cedure obyiates differences and misun-
lderstanding on various measures be-
tween the two houses and hastens the
work. A majority of the bills which
have been introduced in the house and
senate thus far have originated in the
various committees and most of the
Legislators are holding back the in
PRODUCTION of measures in which they
or their constituents are interested
until they ascertain whether or not
the committees propose introduction of
similar laws. Bills originating in the
committees have a much better chance
of finally becoming laws than if
single legislator is sponsor for the
measure.
Representative Campbell has not in
troduced any bills in the house. He is
a member of several committees which
have under way number of important
measures dealing with horticulture and
problems of the farmer and the stock
grower. | find that Mr.. Campbell is
being accorded the highest respect and
consideration among his colleagues in
the house and prominent members OF
that branch of the legislature seek his
endorsement and views concerning
measures introduced or to be prepared
for introduction. He is a member of
five committees and | am a member
of four We do not serve on any COM
mittees of a similar nature and so, be-
tween us, we can keep in touch with
what is being done in nine different
committees.
Yesterday, upon request, / intro
duced measure providing for the ad-
mittance to tho Soldiers Home OF
veterans of the Great War. / also sin-
troduced. upon request. a memorial
to congress, requesting the early pass
age of a measure providing for month
! ly instead of quarterly payments OF
pensions to Civil War veterans and a
bill providing for the increase of the
salaries of justices of the supreme
court and district judges Another bill
i have sponsored provides that insur-
ance agents must he residents of the
state of Idaho. Montana and Washing
ton require insurance agents to be
residents of the state before permits
will be granted but Montana and
Washington agents may come into
Idaho at will and solicit business to
the injury of the Idaho men engaged
in this business and thousands of dol
lars are taken out of our state each
year by Spokane agents.
House joint resolution No. l which
is pending before the legislature, pro-
poses an important change in the mat
ter of the terms of county commits
sioners for counties in this state. It
is in the form of a constitutional
amendment and is a follows:
Section /. The board of county
commissioners shall consist of three
members whose term of office shall be
fixed by the legislature so as to pro-
vide for the election of one county
commissioner for a term of four years
and two county commissioners for a
term Of two years: and to provide also
for the rotation of the four-year term
among the commissioner districts in
the county
Section 2. The question to be sub
mitted TO the electors of the state at
the next general election in order to
determine whether they will approve
or reject the amendment proposed in
, section I. shall be as follows:
"'Shall section 10 of article is oi
/, the constitution of Idaho be amended
: so as to provide for the election oi
one county commissioner for q tern
+ of four years and two county commits
sioners for a term of two years, anC
for the rotation of the four year tern
! among the commissioner districts in
: the county?'"
Later on in the session q bill will
be introduced providing for higher sal
aries for county commissioners ant
J. possibly requiring them to devote theil
entire time to county business. Some
e Legislators favor a measure providing
for the commissioners acting as a sort
!. of a board of directors, making il
!. mandatory to select comfy manager
: who shall be responsible for all the
business affairs to the board Of direct.
ors. This proposed measure would
$ operate much the same as the present
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