The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-02-21


administered To committees which had
been employing dilatory motions.
Edwards Of Flathead said Ii was a
question of whether the dog wagged
the tail or the tail the dog and was
heartily in favor of the motion. Stork
of Cascade said he saw no occasion for
the house To take such hasty action
The motion was defeated by a vote OF
So to q.
Mr.. Lindsay. in rising to explain his
vote. stated that, while he was I'm favor
of the hill that had been mentioned,
yet he desired to state that he had at
tended every meeting Of the ways and
means committee. and that he could
positively say that there had been no
desire exhibited upon the part of the
committee. or any of it's members, to
withhold prompt consideration Of every
measure that had been considered by IL,
and that he should vote against the
motion introduced by Mr., McCabe,
Bills were introduced as follows;
by committee ON ways and means
To provide for the erection and COM
pletiun for a steam heating plant. the
plumbing of boys building recently
erected. to pay for labor and material
used therefor az the state reform school
at Miles city, and appropriate money to
pay therefor.
by Butler-To classify. appraise and
provide for the sale and lease OF state
lands
by Marcum-Concerning false pre-
lenses, amending section 20SS of the
penal code Of the state of Montana and
repeating section sos of said penal code.
by committee on appropriations-Ap-
propriating money for the payment of
claims of certain persons. companies
nd f,p ittnt
by the Fourth legislative assembly Of
the state of Montana. and for public
printing in the year 1896
BY committee on appropriations
Making an appropriation To defray the
expenses Of \. II. Hamilton connected
with the contest to a seat in the house
of representatives from the county of
Teton.
By committee on appropriations-Ap-
propriating money for the payment of
the claims of certain persons for ex-
penses incurred in the transportation of
prisoners to the penitentiary.
BY appropriation committee-To ap-
propriate money for the payment of the
claim of II. II. Gibson for services as
stenographer to the capitol commission
investigating committee and for tran
script of testimony.
BY committee on ways and means
To provide for the support of the gov
ernment for the fiscal years 1897 and
1898, levying tax of 2l2 mills upon all
property.
After recess Butler introduced a
resolution providing that the house,
when it adjourn, adjourn To Monday,
and work Washington's birthday. The
resolution was defeated by a vote of 3S
to 20.
A telegram was read from the Omaha
Exposition delegation at Butte request
ing joint informal session Monday at
which the delegation wished To meet
the members of the assembly. The re-
quest was granted upon a motion by
Langhorne.
The house then went into committee
of the whole with McNally Of Silver
Bow in the chair. A substitute for Lee
hey's hospital fee bill to prohibit en-
ployers from deducting fees from wages
without consent of the employed, was
taken up. The substitute reduces fees
to one dollar. An amendment by Power
of Missoula. provides that nothing in
the act shall he construed To prohibit
any engagement between any corpora
tion and it's employees. Mr. Power made
an extended defense of the n. J.. hospi-
tai service system. AS amended the bill
was favorably recommended.
commission investigating committee
was given by unanimous consent per-
mission to report. The report follows:
Your committee appointed to inves-
tigate the acts of the CAPITOL commits
sion of the state of Montana, beg leave
after a careful and painstaking inves-
tigation. to submit the following re-
port: First-That the law of 1895. ere
ating and empowering the state capitol
commission. Is unwise iniudicious and
grossly eXtravagant, and we therefore
recommend its repeal, II such can he
done legally, when taking into consid-
Grafton the fact that some contracts
have been let under the law.
"Second-While we find that there
have been a great many rumors abroad
concerning the alleged wrong doing of
the commission. we find. upon most
careful investigation of all the facts,
that absolutely no evidence exists to
show any wrongful act upon the part
of any member of the capitol commits
sion. No testimony could he obtained
tending 10 show that single member
of the commission even exceeded the
authority given him under the above
act.
"But we desire to report our most
emphatic disapproval of the conditions
which obtain in the present law gov
erning the erection of this capitol
building. We do not believe II was
good business policy for the members
of the commission to have entered into
contract with the architect for plans
costing $4,000. for building to cost
not less than a million dollars, when
the members of the commission knew
that it was impossible to float the war
rants. and would consequently be un-
able to use these plans in erecting the
building contemplated under the act.
II is true that the law requires the
erection of the building To cost not less
than one million dollars, but before the
contract was made between the capitol
commission and the architect, George
r. Mann the members of the commits
sion knew that the warrants would not
be salable. unless by a legislative en-
actment interest on the warrants was
guaranteed. We find that Senator
Flowerree. a member of the commits
sion. took this attitude. voted against
the contract with the architect, Mr..
Mann. and when the contract was let
he refused to sign II, Under the terms
Of the contract there would be S3l.5OO
due Nr. Mann before a stone cor brick
of the building was laid, while the total
cost OF plans and supervision for a
building To cost 100000 would be but
SIS 900
In conclusion, We invite the atten-
tinn OF the house 20 careful scrutiny