The Butte inter mountain., 1903-02-21
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP

SPECIAL 10 lllI INIIk MOI NIAlN.
Helena. Feb. sI.-Changing county
boundary lines is not always success.
This is shown in a bill which Represen-
tatiyc Faust Of Powell county now has
Gn the legislature 10 extend the bounda-
res of Powell county and to alter the
boundaries OF Lewis and Clarke county
TO conform thereto" To be brief. Powell
county wants the Bald Butte strip back
Four years ago Lewis and Clarke coun-
~ coveted this strip. At that time it was
part OF Deer Lodge county, which then
embraced all that is now contained in
Powell county. There are n number Of
good mining properties in the strip and
at least one large mine. The ownership
OF most OF these properties is in Helena
the geographical supply point for the re-
gion. The people IN the strip were anx-
ious for annexation 10 Lewis and Clarke
county, so the representatives of Deer
Lodge county in the legislature intcrposcd
no objection.
TWO years later. or at the session oi
the Seventh assembly, Powell county was
created out OF the northern part of the
then Deer Lodge county. the third county
TO be taken out OF this historic old coun-
ty. Now the residents of Powell county
and. it is understood some at least OF the
residents of the strip want to go back
across the range for a county seat and
be annexed to Powell county.
Although Speaker white has an
nounced his appointment OF the steering
committee. and although the steering
committee in the senate also has been
named. that joint body has not yet taken
charge OF legislation. The need of it Is
not yet apparent, though il the United
| Copper company pursued the same dila-
tory tactics which it has pursued in the
senate Tor several days the work OF the
legislature might be congcstcd. Extraor-
dnary busncss-lkc methods have pre-
vailed 50 far in both house and senate,
save for the United Copper Interruptions.
Although about 900 bills have been intro
duccd altogether. an immense number are
disposed OF already, many by being killed
early in life.
Yesterday the house worked hard and
industriously and cleaned its calendar up
by putting through committee of the
whole every bill it had on general file
The activity of the house in this regard
was like that displayed in boys schoo
| when a holiday is promised on condition
that certain amount of work is accom-
plshed-the house had the trip to Grca
Falls today in mind.
Work OF this character does away will
the need of a steering committee. n,
steersmen are needed when the legisla
tors get really busy. And so Speakc
Whites appointees are yet looking fo
work. They are Representatives King
Hilgcr, Cannon Swndlehurst and Beye
all conservative, level-headed men.
Colonel Rice has introduced a bin
numbered ga in the house to change tn
classification OF counties. His plan is +
classify the various counties as follows
First class, those having AN assessment o
$24ooo,ooo or more, second class, $40
100000 to $4,000, 900 third class, SIS
100000 to $40 900 fourth class, SIT
100000 to $r5,ooo,ooo fifth class, $4,000
900 to $1,000 900 sixth class, $sooo,o 90
to $4,000, 900; seventh class, $3ooo.oo
to $4,000 900; eighth class, all undc
$3ooo,ooo.
Beaudry's new bill for the payment
: salaries to constables is intended to ligh
en- the lot OF the poor constables in citi,
! which have the salaried instead Of II
feed justices of the peace. He would gi,
$1,000 year to constables in cities ha
Il ing a population of from 10000 to 30 ,oC
i and $500 a year to those in cities
more than 10000 population