The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-03-01
MONTANA Law MAKERS.
A WEEKLY SUMMARY OF WORK
OF THE NINTH LEOlSLA.
TIVE ASSEMBLY.

TIVE ASSEMBLY.
Some Of the Measures that Will be Added
to Montana Statutes.
HELENA, Feb. 2l.-The sen ate this
afternoon declined to concur in the
board OF health bill passed by the
house.
There were majority and minority
reports from the committee on corpo.
rations on House bill pa, regulating
the hours of trainmen. The majority
favored the indefinite postponment OF
the bill, but this was lost by vote OF
13 to IL, and the bill placed on gen.
eral file. The report of the committee
on military affairs recommending
postponment of House bills ~ and 10,
both relating to the Soldiers home,
was also voted down.
Ralston introduced bill requiring
railroads to furnish cars within ten
days or be penalized.
\ communication was received from
Governor Toole nominating j. A.
Ferguson as commissioner of agri-
culture, labor and industry, and
c. H. Head as member of the state
board of dental examiners. Both
nominations were confirmed in open
session.
The sen ate substitute for senate bill
20, relative to the safe keeping of
public funds, was amended so that the
designating of repositories was placed
in the hands of the state treasurer in.
stead of the state board of examiners.
1t was recomme nded for passage.
BY vote OF 66 to 2, the house today
passed the so-called compromise rail-
road commission bill. prepared by the
committee on transportation as sub.
stitute for four other railroad com.
mission bills introduced in the lower
law making body since the beginning
of the session. The explain alton of
the large vote in favor of the bill is
that the friends of the more radical
measures came to the conclusion that
1t would be useless to make any effort
to get anything other than the substi-
tute bill through the house. They be-
lieved the present bill is better than
none at all.
The bill provides for commission
of three members, who shall draw
salaries of 81, 900 a year, the clerk of
the commission to be paid s., 400 per
annum. The bill gives the commits.
sion power to fix and enforce rates:
make exactions of the companies for
fair and efficient service; forbids the
illegal pooling of interests, and pro-
hibits rebate and discrimin alton of
any sort between shippers.
The house then took up considera.
tion of the initiative and referendum
bill. Dempster moved that it be re-.
commended for passage, while Leiper
opposed. He said that while the initi
ative feature of the bill was not so
bad, as it provided that only per
cent. in one.third of the counties was
sufficient to refer.
Speaker Hedges favored the bill.
He said that two direct legislation
bills had been killed and this was the
last chance, as it was nearly the end
of the session. The motion to strike
out the enacting clause was lost by a
vote of y to II, and the measure was
then recommended for passage.
The house then took a recess and
when it met again the bill was placed
on third reading. Bembrick sought
release from his pair, which was
granted after some discussion. The
vote was As to 25, which, while a ma
jority, was not the required two-thirds
and the bill was defeated.
HELENA, Feb. 22.-The house out of
respect to the law of the state which
makes Washington's birthday legal
holiday, did not meet today, but the
senate convened at , o'clock and
trans acted considerable routine busi-
ness. The committee on military af-
fairs reported favorabiy on kennedy's
House bill No. 157, for a state flag.
The report was adopted. House bill
No. lO1, appropriation for historical
library: House bill No. 200, appro-
priation to pay claims of counties for
taxes enormously collected, were
killed on adverse committee reports.
The committee on corporations other
than municipal reported adversely on
Ralston's bill requiring railroads to
supply cars within ten days. The
committee on education reported for
indefinite postponment House bill l75,
relating to the duties of high school
trustee.