The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-08

He said he hadn't been worrying the house
with MANY speeches, but he wanted to say a
few words now. The journal showed that
tho bills for public buildings had been re-
DO ted from the committee IN state insti-
buttons. of which he was a member. on
Monday. He wanted to say that part of
the committee had never known that the
bills We o mp for consideration II report.
IL may have been that \ meeting OF the
committee was called for that purpose. On
behalf of some OF tho committee he de-
sired to object to any such record appear
ing in the journal, TIL committee had had
an omnibus bill under consideration, but
had never acted on it. He objected to the
report that was handed in Monday being
accepted as the report OF the committed on
state Institutions.
A. +. Bray, chairman Of the committee
on state Institutions. said he admitted
there might have been . little irregularity
about the rspo { of the committee. Vari~
Gus bills had been before the committee.
including the omnibus bill. Aondav morn
ing some OF the members OF the committee
came to him and asked to have the bllls re-
ported. The same things that were in the
omnibus bill were in the separate bills. only
they were not tied up together.
Annear, of Silver Bow. another member
Of the committee. said il wasn't exactly
that way either. The committee. by a vote
of six to three, had struck out Butte for the
school OF mines. and inserted Walkerville.
Lewis. of Cascade and Dawson, said in
order to st sighten the matter out he would
move that the record of the committees
report be struck from the journal. and that
the bills be recommitted to the committee.
This was carried by yeas twenty-eiRht.
nays eight. on division, and the matter was
dropped there for the time being. 1t came
up later. however. when. after q recess for
dinner, opposing reports were made ON the
committee on state institutions on the mat
ter. The first ons read was the majority
report on the bill locating the state peni-
Tertiary at Billings. The report was signed
by A. +. Bray. Babcook. German. Rose and
Martin.
The speaker said he had a minority re-
port. but A. r. Bray said it did not refer to
the penitentiary. SO it was not fsnd at that
time.
Scharnikow, of Deer Lodge. moved that
ths bill be indefinitely postponed. He said
he was opposed to moving q state institu-
ton after it was once located. 1t was q bad
precedent and an expensive one. The
moving of the penitentiary would
be u heavy EXPENSE. snd would
osdent. but would spend money that
would be absolutely wasted. To throw away
what the state already had would be the
height of ext avagance. The penitentiary
had been located at Deer Lodge for
twenty-five years, and he knew of no
/ reason for its removal that would not ap-
ply with equal force to any other state in
stitution after it was once located. Be.
sides, the penitentiary was possessed of all
facilities where it is now. The state was
already running somewhat short of money.
and this extra e1 ense was useless. But If
the public institutions were to be auctioned
off, let others have a bid besides Billings.
Babcock, of Iellowstone ne, spoke for Bill
lings, which, he said, was only seventy-6vs
miles from the geogr aphical center of the
state. and when Montana settled up, would
be the center of population. though it
wasn't now. AS to the expense, he could
show that the new buildings at Billings
could be erected at a cost that would not
exceed that needed to enlarge and repair
those at Deer Lodge. Billings donates TO ty
acres of land. and gives the stone prac-
tically without cost to the state, and offers
| to pay neaI ly all the expense of transport
ing the oonviots ON the old to the new
p ison. The fact that tia penitentlary had
been at Deer Lodge for twenty-five years
argued nothing. Billings was located cen
trally. supplies were chean, coal could be
had cheaply, and the prison could be main
tanned at q moderate cost. The pres mt
penitentiary had been located when there
were no railroads and when Deer Lodge
| was a more central point. The time had
come when all this was changed.
Fleming, of Bsayerhead. said Scharnikow
had tried to impress on the members that
the p~enitentiary had been located at Deer
Lodge by the state. Such a thing WAS
never done. As he understood it, the pen
itentiary was a gift f ON the federal gov
eminent. The state had accepted it, but
! had never formally located it at Deer
Lodge. The present penitentiary included
a number Of buildings, which we're en-
tirely inadequate to meet the demands
made on them. 1t would be necessary to
have a large Rpproprlation-some said as
much a. $50, OO0-.to increase the facilities.
The penitentiary buildings at Deer Lodge
are mostly OF wood, though there are some
of brick. The cells are of wood with iron
lining. This necessitated q heavy rate of
insut ance. The condition of the buildings
was such as to require q large number of
guards. about twenty-five, he thought. BY
making two buildings Of sandstone and To-
| eating the prison at Billings, two-thlrds of
these guards would be dispensed with. II
Deer Lodge had any inducements to- offer
for keeping the prison there the membsrs
would be- glad to hear them.
A. T. Bray, on behalf Of the committee.
said he wished to give the reasons which
influenced them in making the report.
They had been officially informed that
some steps would be necessary either to en-
large the present quarters or to rebuild.
Over S., 800 had been spent on the prison
tor rer airs last year. and it WAS estimated
that SJ3,0W would be needed for improve
ments during the coming year. Some had
come to the conclusion that il would be-
cAea or TO put up a new building. /. had
been said that the freight alone on stone
necessary to rebuild at Deer Lodge would
be ST.. 900. At Billings it could be deliv-
cred T ee. The state was not 30 rich but
that Sl2,0 90 was some object. 1t was tho
opinion of the committee that the bill
should be brought before the house, 80 thai
whoever won or whoever lost the state
would be the gamer. He asked that the
bill be placed on general orders, 40 that the
subject might DO investigated.
Bach said that while he WAS not prepared
to commit himself to vote for or against
the bill. he WAS opposed to indefinite post
p%oneInent. The people of Deer Lodge
thought they possessed certain quallfca-
tions that entitled them to keep the peni-
tentiary. The people of Yellowstone
thought they had claims. For those roa-
sons the matter should como up before the
committee OF the whole for n full discus-
sion. A motion to indefinitely POSTPONE
was not the proper way to attack a bill be-
fore II had been considered in committee of
the whole. At this time few membe q of
the house were . epared 10 say whether
they would vote for or against the measure.
He moved to lay on the table the motion to
indefinitely postpone. This motion cut off
Lewis, of Cascade and Dawso who wanted
TO speak on the bill. and he protested
against Bach shutting out others who
wanted to be heard. Bach insisted on his
motion and it WAS put and adopted by yeas
rs. nays II.
Tho vepitaptisry hill hsvipo haan dis.