Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-03-15
A Summary Of Laws Enacted by the
Fourth Legislative Assembly
codes Adopted.
CHANGES IN ELECTION LAWS
Redistribution of COunties-Cascade
COunty's ReprrSn ntatiOn In
creased.

having adjourned an opportunity has
been givrn to examine the results of
their 60 days labor and to present that
result in concise form. More bills were
offered than in any previous Legislature,
but more than half failed to pass.
The first bill passed was the bill Great
ing the Eleventh judicial district Of the
counties Of Teton and Flathead--the
district over WI ch Charles w. Pomeroy
Of Great Falls will preside until the next
general election,
The laws governing elections were
amended radically. The corrupt prac-
tices act will prove the most important
amendment. if enforced, but SO radical
is it that it may become imperative.
Hereafter the pames Of candidates will
appear in a column headed with the
narue Of their party, thus enabling the
voter to moro expeditiously vote Il
"straight' ticket. and facilitating the
counting. A bill passed over the COVER
ernor's veto prevents judges from
marking the ballots of any except
the blind or disabled. This will
establish, to some extent, IN
educational qualification. Senator Fol
SON got his bill through requiring a
constitutional amendment to be sub
mitted to the people requiring electors
to have been naturalized at least ninety
days. AS candidates are not in the field
so long before election, they will not be
required to pay fees for naturalization
papers.
A law which is now in effect, and
which will control the primaries to be
held in Great Falls in a few weeks, is
the law preventing the packing" of
primaries. Under its provisions as strict
,mpartiality must be observed by judges
of primaries as by Judges Of elections,
and the qualifications of voters at pri-
maries must be as rigidly investigated
as at the polls.
Three new Offices were created-statc
examiner, at a salary of $1,000 per
annum and expenses; register of the
state land office at a salary ofS2,OO0 per
year; and deputy commissioner of in
eurance, to be appointed by the state
auditor, and to receive 81 800 salary.
For the years 1895 and 1886 appropria-
tions were made amounting to about
100000. This is to be realized from the
state tax levy of 2la mills and receipts
from licenses, which the new law greatly
increases.
Unusual expenses will be for stock
destroying animal bounties, which will
amount to about $4,000,
Another loss of revenue is caused by
the law abolishing gambling. which goes
into effect July l.
The lawyers are divided in opinion
concerning the status of the school book
question, and when the present contract
expires, July |, the supreme court will
be called on to decide the question.
The counties OF the state are divided
into eight classes, the first having an
assessed valuation of over $2U,00o,000.
decreasing at the rate Of SJ,O0O,OOO per
class down to Sl0,OoO,0O0. after which the
decrease per class is 100000. Salaries
Of officers are governed according to the
class of the county. Two new counties
were rehabilitation and Sweet Grass,
Under the new apportionment of
members of the legislature, Cascade
county gains one representative, Lewis
and Clarke loses one, Silver Bow and
Deer Lodge each gains one, and changes
in smaller counties make the member.
ship If the ncXl house sixty eight. an
increase Of seven. The senate will have
two new members, from Carbon and
Sweet Grass counties. making the legls-
lature comprise ninety-one members.
Cities are classed as follows: First
class, above 10000 population; second,
1000 to 10000; third, loo to 1000;
towns, 300 to 100.
Various state institutions aye author
ized to issue bonds for the erection Of
buildings, Commissions were appoi lted
to select a site for a capitol and to super.
wise the erection of a building. These
are to he pad for out Of the proceeds of
lands given by the United States TO the
state.
a commission is Ia hr appointed TO
select a site for Il soldiers home, and the
is enabled to take advantage of the
Carey bill granting the state l,O0O,OOO
acres OF arid land. Tho bitter root Lew
iaia redivivial is made the state floral en-
blrm, in accordance with the vote Of the
state floral emblem society. \ free
public employment office is to be estab-
lished in connection with the bureau of
agriculture and industry,
Among other subjects on which there
was legislation were the following: Pro,
yiding safeguards in coal mines; fixing
the prices to be paid by counties for
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