The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-06
Legislative DOINCS.
Continued from page ~

made the motion to recommit it to
the committee on state boards. Swim
dlehurst called attention to the rule
which provided that bills reported
from a committee should first go to
the committee of the whole before
being placed on final passage.
The speaker read the rule and fin
ally announced that his first ruling
was Incorrect, and that the bill would
go on general orders.
Among the bills reported from COM
mittee was No. 129, by Miller, pro-
viGing for a reduction of the price to
be charged by sheriffs for the board
OF prisoners from 50 cents to 40 cents
Il day. The committee reported in
favor of indefinite postponement AMI
Miller went to the defense of the
measure. He moved as an amend
ment that the bill be referred to the
printing committee, and in supporting
the amendment gave his opinion of
the economy ideas of his colleagues.
The bill was sent to the printing COM
mittee.
There was long debate over AL
lens bill to annex a portion of Silver
Bow to Deer Lodge, and a motion to
indefinitely postpone was carried.
But notice to reconsider was given.
Other bills reported by committees
and ordered printed were as follows
To annex portion of Choteau
county to Cascade; requiring county
commissioners to place signs at road
functions; appropriating money to
pay the Butte Machinery and Spe-
state penitentiary; to pay Conley &
McTague for the care of prisoners;
amending the state land laws.
The labor committee reported back
the fellow servant bills with the rec
ommendation that that they be indefi-
committee be given the privilege of
introducing a measure In their stead.
The report was adopted.
The house spent the afternoon in
committee of the whole with Schwend
in the chair. The first bill taken up
was that introduced by Benson, pre-
scribing the conditions on which for
eign corporations can do business in
Montana. 1t was referred to the i'll
dietary committee.
The bill appropriating $4,000 for
the state university at Missoula was
ordered favorably reported.
Bray's bill, requiring that all appli-
cations for franchises should be sub
mitted to a vote of the people caused
much debate. King said in his opin-
ion it was bad piece of legislation
and he thought there was three
times the chance for corruption where
the people voted on such PROPOSE
ton as where it was left to a city
council. After being slightly amend
ed the bill was ordered favorably re-
ported.
A favorable report was ordered on
the bill defining what constitutes az
son, and the Word bill providing for
constitutional amendment defining
the powers of state and county
boards of equalization was taken up.
The bill is designed to give the state
board of equalization the power to
equalize assessments. the supreme
court holding that has not now that
power.
Speaker White offered an amend
ment to the bill, and said iC was the
intention of his amendment to kill
the bill. my reason for desiring this
bill killed. he said lis that when
the law was in effect, before the SUI
preme court declared it unconstitu-
tional, it worked the greatest injus-
tice to taxpayers. This was under
the reign of Henry j. Haskell, the
first attorney general of the state,
and the legal adviser of the state
board of equalization. Many here will
recall the great injustice done the
cattle and sheepmen under that law
That law did more harm while it
was in operation than could be
wrought in one thousand years under
the present law.
Word defended the measure, say
ing Speaker White had wrong con-
ception of the bill. Word mead from
the message of Governor Toole, illus
trative of the unequal assessments on
several classes of property Rice
wanted more light on the bill. He
said that under the Haskell reign
IS head and they were not worth
it, and the state board had made the
sheep of Choteau county worth 1925
on the same sort of an assessment
There were motions and amend