The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-03-10
l. R. THOMAS BACK
FROM LEGISLATURE:
ACTIVE SESSION
Blackfoot Fair Loses
$4,000 Appropriation
in Rush For
Adjournment

Senator Thomas returned home
from Boise and is holding down the
office this week during the absence
of his partner Judge Andersen. He
was busy, but had little time to
tell his legislative experiences He
said they had some big battles over
the direct primary and adjustment of
matters connected with the state
highway.
In speaking of appropriations for
the fair, Mr.. Thomas said they had
been in the habit of making very
liberal appropriations for the Boise
fair and the Lewiston livestock
show and the first measure they in
troduced for them this year called for
100000 for each of them. The
second measure introduced called for
$4,000 for each of them and $10,-
900 for the Blackfoot fair. None of
these measures passed but they at
tached rider to the appropriations
bill to give $4,000 to the Boise fair,
100000 to the Lewiston livestock
show and $4,000 to the Blackfoot
fair. Before this measure had been
introduced, Senator Thomas looked
up the history of the so-called state
fair and found that the only basis of
law for giving anything to the state
fair was a line in some old law that
authorized appropriating money for
q state fair and then the Boise folks
incorporated the Boise fair under the
name of the state fair and got ap-
for it. Senator Thomas
had measure introduced creating
three state fairs, the Boise fair, the
Lewiston livestock show and the
eastern Idaho district fair at Black
foot, the plan being to put them on
such footing that when an appro-
priation was made for any state fair
that ours would be one of them. 1t
did not carry any appropriation at
all; he lost 1t by only one vote.
While he was speaking in behalf of
the Blackfoot fair he took occasion
to tell them all about what we have
here and what improvements we had
made last year. To impress them
with the thoroness, substantial
character of the buildings and other
he mentioned the long
line OF hog pens and that all these
pens have. cement floors, electric
lights and running water in them,
which is true. One of the Senators
commenting on the situation said he
had understood that the patients at
the insane asylum at Blackfoot were
very much crowded and needed i'm
mediate relief. He had the impress
sion that they were crowded in like
hogs in pen, but now since he was
Informed by Senator Thomas regard
Ing the fine pens we provide for our
hogs, cement floors, electric lights
and running water, he knew, of
course, that the patients at the
asylum must be pretty we'll provided
for since we took such fine care of
our hogs.
The measure proposing to appro-
pirate $4,000 for our fair prevented
the legislature from adjourning early
In the evening last Saturday. They
got into a controversy over the ap-
for the three fairs, had
committees going back
and forth and remained in session
until l O'Clock in the morning and
then lost by two votes.
Senator Thomas says he enjoyed
the work of the legislature, but it
was too strenuous. He was serving
on good many committees and they
were always seeking to work the
committee work in between other
things so that it kept a man busy
Continued on page 4