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Show binder jjk the house let a lot of bills a lot of( people wanted to die, in that same committee. This session completely dodged the issue presented them by last fall's election calling for the nonpartisan non-partisan lection of the judiciary. The senate considered state bar association bills for days and then never even gave the house a crack at them. So you'll go on electing judges in the same old-fashioned way which is probably all right. The State Publicity and Industrial Indus-trial Development Commission will go on doing business at the same old stand despite the violent if not valiant efforts to kill it in the senate sen-ate because of some personal animosities ani-mosities against its personnel. Other miscellany include the granting of funds for a statue of Brigham Young in the national statuary hall in Washington; the construction of a long-sought state hospital for children suffering from crippling diseases; Mitchell Melich's two major proposals for a continued study of the Colorado river treaty and asking Congress to rescind the Antiquities Act. Labor won the earliest major fight of the session in getting industry in-dustry to unite with them on passage pas-sage of amendments extending and clarifying the benefits extended extend-ed under the state industrial compensation com-pensation and occupational disease acts. This was the outstanding instance of opposing forces getting get-ting together on legislation for the general benefit. The representatives of the people peo-ple have had their biennial opportunities oppor-tunities to make laws. They've a lot of them. They got mad at one another. They got mad at the Governor and his administrators administra-tors of state departments. They got mad at the lobbyists striving for special advantages. But they By WILLIAM T. IGLEHEART Utah State Press Association The twenty-sixth Legislature broke up Monday night in rather a haze of mutually exchanged uncomplimentary un-complimentary remarks between the Governor and the Senate over the administration of the state li-' quor control commission. That particular subject took the public limelight for the last week and prolonged the session into five "sixtieth" days the sixtieth being the legal termination. But meanwhile the boys and girls had dumped a $27,777,000 appropriation ap-propriation on top of the taxpayers, taxpay-ers, reviving the general property tax levies, grabbing a bond reserve re-serve fund of $300,000 and giving the general fund an estimated $3,000,000 above a legislated ceiling ceil-ing on public welfare funds; all to meet the "Santa Claus" spirit of the appropriations. ' They furthermore accomplished these worthy purposes without doing anything in particular to meet the anticipated post-war employment em-ployment and construction problems. prob-lems. Democrats will be arguing for quite a spell as to whom came out first in the liquor controversy, the Governor or the Senate. The latter turned down a reappointment for James C. Allen (R) whose term is expiring, but the former refused to accede to the Senate demand that he fire the other two members. mem-bers. The Republicans will just go on saying, as they are now, that both Democratic factions lost. Only the voters can eventually tell. The evidence compiled is being be-ing sent to the Salt Lake county and third district court attorneys for possible grand jury action. So what? The legislature did re-finance on still a temporary basis that prom- ises, pretty well, the state school' system. In so doing they permit city, county and district boards of education to lift their levies for school purposes in varying degrees de-grees and gave the system a general gen-eral fund appropriation of $4,622,-000 $4,622,-000 with provision that districts will have to meet higher standards in teachers' wages in order to participate, par-ticipate, as well as meet state board curriculum and other requirements re-quirements in order to more nearly near-ly equalize educational opportunities opportuni-ties in the state. This program was formulated by the Governor's special school financing committee which labored labor-ed for the past two years under the chairmanship of the able speaker of the House, Rulon White, Ogden Democrat. The Governor had trouble with the joint appropriations committee commit-tee which took away frm him his cntingent fund and gave $500,000 to the state board of examiners for them to meet emergency needs of departments and institutions during the next biennium. They likewise over-rode his early recommendation rec-ommendation that they appropriate appropri-ate to departments in lump sums, by detailing their allotments to specific purposes. Agriculture didn't fare so well. Although they get a new dairy division di-vision in the statedepartment, the other bills pasesd for the specific benefit of farmers and stockgrow-ers stockgrow-ers didn't amount to much. Bulls on the pubilc domain were limited limit-ed and Grand county got a peach mosaic control appropriation. Other Oth-er bills were like those. State, county and municipal employees em-ployees received more than usual consideration. The boys on the hill decided since the taxpayers last fall voted them an increase in pay through the adoption of a constitutional amendment they could hardly do less than give their hard-pressed fellow employees employ-ees of the public certain increases. They also attempted to get under way a move to have public employees em-ployees brought under, the provisions provi-sions of the federal social security act amendments now pending in Congress. The general welfare program (as represented by the Welfare Commission and county agencies) came in for somewhat less attention atten-tion than in the last few sessions, but recipients of old age assistance assist-ance had made legal the $40 a ceiving under gubernatorial edict, month ceiling they have been re-efforts re-efforts to release the counties from their 15 per cent share in the program's cost, failed; old folks were permitted to engage in agricultural pursuits "to relieve the labor shortage" without loss of their grants. Sportsmen did win a point or two but by failure of their various vari-ous organization to get together on a uniform and adequately prepared pre-pared program, they missed any real accomplishment. Deer season opening was set for Oct. 25th. The house conveniently buried in sifting sift-ing committee the measure to permit per-mit opening seasons Sunday. But did also accomplish many things that will benefit all the people of the state. Greatest criticism of their failures would probably be directed at their neglect of postwar post-war problems. But the war situa-to situa-to tell what really is best to do. A tion isn't right now clear enough special session can be called on the morning after that great day of peace. |