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Show IDAHO LEGISLATURE CONVENES I Governor Hawley Reads Message to the Assembled Statesmen, Explaining Explain-ing Purpose of Special Session. Boise, Idaho. The first special ses-iiou ses-iiou of the legislature ever held in :his slate convened on Monday. There have a number of occasions in the past when governors have threatened threat-ened to call the legislature into special spe-cial session, but heretofore the difficulties diffi-culties confronting the sailing of the ship of state have been surmounted without calling for aid on the legislative legisla-tive branch of the government. The opening session was marked by the reading of the message of the governor gov-ernor and the fight that broke out in the senate regarding the contesting of the seat of Minority Leader Ravenal MacReth, who is charged with holding two offices, those of water commissioner commis-sioner and state senator. An investigation investi-gation was ordered. The message of Governor Hawley was read to both houses in joint session ses-sion by the chief executive himself, the first time in the history of the state that a governor has performed such an act. The message dealt with the taxation taxa-tion situation in this state, reviewing In detail the situation that confronts .the people with respect to the high taxes, advocating the indorsement of the full cash value plan and the recommendation rec-ommendation that legislation should be passed to entirely revise the revenue reve-nue laws. Governor Hawley declares in his message he is not to blame for the condition that exists in this state with relation to taxation. "The whole amount of taxes raised In 1911 for state and county purposes is- $4,557,795 as against $3,286,-578.78," $3,286,-578.78," declared the governor in his message. "An increase of course, was to be expected. The blame cannot be legitimately placed upon the shoulders shoul-ders of myself, or any other state officer, of-ficer, but must rest where it belongs, on the county and city authorities." The message also hurls the lie at those who have accused the governor of burdening the people with unjust taxation and whom he classes as "small-fry politicians who resort to deceptive utterances, and biased partisans." par-tisans." The request for the investigation covering the right of members of the senate to hold seats was made by Senator Clency St. Cuair of Bonneville Bonne-ville county, who created a sensation sensa-tion when he made the motion. Senator Sena-tor Karns, Democrat, of Wallace, attempted at-tempted to have passed a substitute that all members of the senate be confirmed, but a vote along party lines lost the substitue, the Demo-eras Demo-eras standing by and the Republicans voting against it. The seat of Senator Shawhan of Canyon county is also involved, in-volved, for he is now in the employ Df the state as a Carey act commissioner. commis-sioner. The revenue bill providing for the appointment of a state tax commission commis-sion was introduced in the house. Governor Hawley has been insistent insist-ent in his claim that the special session ses-sion of the legislature would be non-expensive, non-expensive, and has claimed that the total expense should not exceed $20,-300. $20,-300. The lower house, of the Idaho legislature legis-lature at the last session had fifty-nine fifty-nine members, while there were twenty-three members of the senate. L. H. Sweelser will be president of the senate during the special session, and Charles D. Storey speaker of the house. |