The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-01-24
Reporting the State Business
BY MARK A. SHIELDS

BOISE, Jan. '19.-Interest in the
legislature this week has centered
about the budgets submitted by Gov
ernor Davis and in the anti-Japanese
legislation.
The budgets submitted contains
appropriations recommended by the
governor for the several departments
OF the state government and for the
penal and charitable institutions.
IN his recommendations the COVER
nor is asking for approximately $780,
00o more this biennium for the diff
ferant departments and for the penal
and charitable institutions than they
re eived two years ago. The budgets
are now in the hands of the commit
tee on appropriations in the house.
Cecil Weeks of Canyon county Is the
chairman of this committee. t. III
The legislature as whole appears
to want to lower taxes. To do this
the budgets must be cut down and
the appropriations committee has
promised to use the legislative axe.
There is every indication that the
appropriation bills turned over to the
legislature by the governor will be
rewritten and revised downward.
The Capital News says the appro-
priations asked for by the governor
are higher than in 1919 and The
Statesman calls the recommends
lions made by the governor "disap-
pointing"
In his recommendations the gov
ernor does not mention the highway
department. Neither does he men
ton the state fair and the Lewiston
livestock show. Funds for the main
tenance of the highway department
are to be taken care of with tax
of / or cents on gasoline and a
bill making direct appropriation
for the fair and the livestock show
are to be introduced at later date.
Budgets covering appropriations to
be recommended by the governor for
the state educational institutions
have not been submitted to the legis-
lature yet The governor has said
that all costs for new buildings at
the educational institutions must be
met thru the sale of bonds.
The state cannot bond to exceed
$4,000 this year, according to the
latest figures compiled and the new
hospital at Blackfoot is to be given
100000. This will leave but $780,
900 for the new buildings at the edu-
cational institutions and the state
board of education is asking for
100000.
Interest is steadily growing in the
anti-Japanese legislation pending be-
fore the legislature. The Thompson
bill has been indefinitely postponed
in the senate because it was based
on laws in Japan, which prohibits
Americans from owning land. The
judiciary committee in the senate
recommended that the bill be killed,
but a stronger bill is being drafted
by Van de Steeg Of Canyon county in
the house. He now has a resolution
pending which calls on congress to
exclude the Japanese and asks the
federal government not to interfere
with western states which desire to
bar the Japanese thru legislation.
Representatives and senators from
the upper Snake river country do not
look with favor upon the proposed
legislation which would prevent the
Japanese from owning and leasing
land because they fear it will injure
the sugar industry. The Van de Steeg
resolution will be up in the house
within few days and a record vote
must be taken.
Senator Thomas of Bingham
county in an interview Wednesday
said he was in favor of legislation
prohibiting Japanese from acquiring
land in the State of Idaho.
II am in favor of them leasing
land, however, for a period not ex-
ceeding five years for the reason that
without their labor the sugar indus
try would be injured as it is difficult
to get white labor to do the work in
the beet helds," he said.
Senator Thomas said he thought
the Japanese were preferable to the
Mexicans, because the latter were
constantly violating the laws of the
state ..
House bill No. by Parrish maxi
ing it penitentiary offense to take
a car for Joy riding has been passed