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Show ltndl&i the G axiioih ame By William T. Ingleheart UTAH STATE PRESS ASSOCIATION When they quit lawmaking at the end of the fourth week of the twenty-sixth session of the state legislature the members counted their tangible achievements, in the matter of laws passed and killed at only about ten per cent. Ten per cent that is, of the more than 300 bills and resolutions introduced. introduc-ed. But that is a somewhat misleading mis-leading figure because in reality it takes in the neighborhood of 100 hours in preparation, committee consideration, lobbying persuasion and plain orginary horse-trading to one hour of debate on the floor to get a bill passed. And the 100 hours have already been devoted to many pieces of legislation le-gislation that will have an important impor-tant and controlling influence on the way the people of Utah will live and carry on their various affairs af-fairs for the next four years. For instance, the joint committee of labor la-bor and industry devoted a great of time, profitably, in ironing out a compromise on the bill respecting respect-ing extension of benefits under the Workmens' Compensation and the Occupational Disease acts. They recommended a boost in minimum compensation from $16. a week to $22.50 a week. W. C. Jensen, (D-Ogden) (D-Ogden) arid his committee have approved those recommendations. They will probably be accepted intact in-tact this week. Other negotiations and compromises compro-mises are ahead for the major controversial con-troversial measures yet to be presented. pre-sented. Such as elections and voting, vot-ing, post war planning for employment employ-ment and public construction, budgeting bud-geting of the state's income (and Ihere really is a stickler!); taxation taxa-tion (another brutal word in these days) .. highways, social security affairs and that always diverting and continuing question of doers for the hunters and brouse for the sheep and cattle (or which). There seem to be anywhere from two to twenty schools of thought on any or all of these proposals. Then you've got the liquor commission's com-mission's commissions or failures of commission (depending on the point of view), the department of agricultures desires to extend their domain to everything from the number of cows to bulis on public land, to assumption of control over all soil conservation enterprises. And the gamut of subjects before the legislature runs on to an unbelievable un-believable number. Rep. Selvoy J. Ery (D-Spring-viile) took a lot of wind out of the organized labor sails in the house early in the week's proceedings when he squelched Rep. Frank Bo-nacci Bo-nacci (D-Helper) and his effort to permit public employees and agencies agen-cies to bargain collectively by saying say-ing "are we to lose the spoils' system sys-tem and freeze every public job in Utah?" The house agreed with the Democratic floor leader. No collective collec-tive bargaining for the slate or other public employees. A lot of other civil service proposals pro-posals are quite apt to meet a similarly si-milarly conclusive fate. But the county firemen did win a victory their plea for recognition was granted. Senator Mitchell Melich (R-Moab) (R-Moab) chalked up a couple of credit cre-dit marks by his successful sponsorship spon-sorship of the emergency measure permitting the continued employment employ-ment of women in above-ground mining operations. The aggressive and articulate Republican floor leader in the house, Rep. Clifton G.M. Kerr of Tremonton, abetted forceful speaker W. R. White in cutting off debate that has resulted result-ed in the tabling of nine and the re-committing to committee of a like number of bills. The Senate, the smaller and thus far more deliberate body was having difficultuies in the matter of Governor Herbert B. Maw's recommendations re-commendations for commission appointments, ap-pointments, so far as the record shows, all is "sweet harmony" But, emphatically, the one vote margin by which president Dexter Farr (D-Ogden) won his place hasn't yet been sufficient to get the Democratic De-mocratic caucuses into agreement with the chief of state's suggestions. sugges-tions. The first major blast at one of i the Governor's pet reorganization schemes was exploded by Sen. Alonzo Hopkin (D-Woodruff) who wanls to do away entirely with Ihe Industrial Development and Publicity Publi-city commission. Due to resignation resigna-tion and death, Ora Bundy of Og-den Og-den is the sole member of that body. Commissioner Bundy apparently appa-rently got his wires crossed somewhere. some-where. With so many bills before them on the same or related subjects both senate and house have resorted resort-ed to the appointment of committees commit-tees to consolidate and harmonize related measures. The house has thrown all proposed salary increases increa-ses for stale, county and municipal employees into one committee. The senate has tossed all post war planning proposals info another. As the new week opens both houses have full calendars. The senate se-nate started off with thirty measures mea-sures ready for final action and the house with twenty-nine. And brave is the man who will predict what .will happen to any of them. |