The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-05

ed by county boards to revise the as
sessment of any county to conform
with that of other counties. This is a
question that has been long in dispute
but which was last year settled by the
supreme court. At present the state
board has not this power, according to
the decision of the court, although it
was evidently the intention of the law
that this should be conferred upon the
board. If the plan of the committee is
successful there will be an opportunity
to add in some instances to the rev.
enue of the state by equalizing the
county assessments, many of which
have been in recent years unreasona-
bly, low.
Cattle men are taking much interest
in the bounty law. The bill that was
introduced by Phelps that has already
been published in the Standard, meets
with general approval, except that the
reduction of the coyote bounty to 81
IS not thought well Of The commit
tee on stock growing, to which this
Dill was referred. has reported a sub
stltute which raises this bounty to 81
ana likes the bounty on wolf cubs at
the same figure The wolf bounty re-
mains at the figure named originally
in the Phelps bill, $5. This is satisfac-
tory to the stockmen generally.
Road laws continue to multiply. The
last one was introduced by Sands this
week and provides for the election of
road supervisors by the electors of the
road districts. The bill makes each
school district a road district and pro-
vides the method of nomination and
election of the supervisors. The COM
mlttee on highways has now five or six
road laws in hand and more in sight
There seems to be no law on the statute
books that is so thoroughly unpopular
as the present road law and every man
has different solution of the problem
of getting good returns from the road
tax.
Farmers generally are interested in
senate bill 12, which creates a state
board of horticulture for the protection
OF Montana orchards and fruit and for
the prevention of the introduction of
insects and other pests. The co-opera-
ton of Director Emery and the other
officers of the state experiment station
makes it possible for the work of the
proposed board to be accomplished at
much less expense than it could be done
otherwise. The board will not be re-
quired to pay the salaries of entomology
lists and examiners. as would be the case
did not the state already have these eX-
perts at the experiment station. This
measure deserves the cordial support of
all who are interested in the develop
ment of the agricultural resources of the
state. The Montana apple is now the
finest in the world and can be maintain
ed as such if the proper safeguards are
placed around the orchards
One bill introduced this week by Me-
! T elrJ 4 e,,.
chaplain at the state penitentiary. The
salary that this officer is to receive is
$500 and his duties are those attached
to similar offices elsewhere
Professor M. ]. Elrod of the state uni
versity. who is the state president of
the League of American Sportsmen,
spent two or three days in town this
week in conference with sportsmen and
others who are interested. and as re-
suit of this conference a new game law
will be introduced at an early date
The county division schemes are bob
bing up quite numerously and there will
be several of them before the house in
short time. The Rosebud bill that
was introduced by Marcyes has devel-
oped an interesting bit of political his
tory. In a circular letter that he sent
to the voters of his county prior to cleo
tion Mr.. Marcyes stated his position
in the following words:
'One word more on a topic that may
be used to my disadvantage in the ab-
sence of any explanation from me- Re
ports are being industriously circulated
throughout cert ain sections of the coun-
ty to the effect that if elected Ito the
legislature | will work for the enact
ment of law segregating the west end
of Custer county for the formation of
a new county to be known as Rosebud
county. I hope you will take the intS-
est in my behalf to explain to the
voters of your precinct the position l
have taken on this question: branding
any and all such reports as false in
every particular. My declaration on
this subject has been made as explicit
and public as l can make it and l wish
to emphasize the assurance to every
voter in Custer county that if elected
as one of their representatives l pledge
myself to use every honorable means
at my command to defeat any measure
for dividing Custer county that may be
brought before the legislature during
my term of Office
Despite this declaration, he has intro
duced a bill for the creation of Rosebud
county.