The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-19
MEASURE PROVIDING FOR POP.
ULAR ELECTION OF SEN
AToRs is REPORTED.
TWO CHANGES SUGGEST Ed
Consideration Of the Bill in Committee
Causes a Party Division and the Re.
turn Of Minority and Majority Re-
port, the Latter Favoring Enactment
Of tho Proposed Law.
Special to The Daily Missoulian.

Special to The Daily Missoulian.
Helena, Jan. 1S.-More important
legislation was projected in the as
sembly today than on any other since
the beginning of the session. One was
bill dealing with the state lands
Governor Norris sent to the senate and
house a communication embracing the
reports of the commissions he appoint
ed recently on state and timber lands
belonging to the state and accompany
ing the reports was a bill agreed upon
jointly by the commissions
In the house the bills went to the
committee on conservation of resources
and in the senate to the public lands
committee. In the measures there is
a proposal for fees which will pay the
expense of the administration of lands
instead of putting the burden on the
grants. There Is also a provision for
a contest board. An important pro-
vision for the disposal of lands makes
the total acreage of grazing land which
can be purchased by an individual 800
acres and of agricultural land 100 acres.
Another important provision makes the
first payment on state lands Is per
cent instead of 30 per cent, as at pres
ent, and extends the payments over 20
years instead Of 10 as the law now
provides.
Relative to timber lands provision
is made for a fire warden and the
game warden and his deputies and all
peace officers are made deputy fire
wardens. 1t is provided that no timber
lands may be sold and there is to be
no further sale of timber until there
10 leo No cOal la jg
to be sold by the state and it is only
to be leased on a royalty basis. Min
ing claims may be located on state
lands as is now done under national
Laws. Provision is also made for the
location of reservoirs and water rights
for use of state lands.
Next in Importance to the state
lands bill was notice of joint res
olution given by Bogart of Missoula.
1t recites that "It is the sense of the
eleventh assembly that the state board
of equalization shall fix the assess
ment of all property of all railroads
operating in Montana at so per cent
more than the assessment fixed for
1908"
Shoemaker Of Lewis and Clark asked
to be excused from serving on the
lands investigating committee and
Harbert of Flathead was put on in his
place. 1t is thought this committee
will get to work this week. Residents
of Carbon county were on hand with
a protest against the Byrnes bill, which
makes 1t unlawful to kill grouse, sage
hens, female elk, mountain sheep and
goats. For the first time this session
John MacGinniss of Silver Bow was
present. He took the oath as a mem
Der.
Political Division.
In the senate there was the first po-
litical division of the session. The
committee on privileges and elections
made minority and majority reports on
the Donlan bill, relating to the election
of senators The minority which was
signed by Long, recommended that the
bill be indefinitely postponed and the
majority recommended its passage
The vote was IA for the majority and
7 for the minority and the bill will 90
on general orders. The majority rec
commended two amendments to the bill.
One changes the requirement for the
choice for senator from majority Of
the counties to at least 10, and the
other provides that "the candidate who
is thus the choice Of the electors of the
party of which he Is q member In the
largest number Of counties electing a
majority Of the representatives of his
party on joint ballot In the Legislature,
shall be the choice of the electors OF
such party in all the counties of the
state. In the event two or more candi-
dates Of the same political party are
the choice in the same number of
counties by electing majority of the
representatives of such party on joint
ballot in the legislature then, and In
such event, the choice of the candi-
dates so tied shall be determined in
favor Of the candidates receiving the
highest number of all the votes cast
by the electors of such party for such
candidates in the counties creating
such tie"
Bills introduced.
Bills were introduced as follows:
Senate Bill No. 38-By Donlan, CIV
ing first-class cities the authority to
increase the compensation Of the may
or and councilmen.
Senate Bill No. 39-By Cowgirl, pro-
viding for the creation of a state vet.
erinary board.
The following notices of bills were
given:
By Sykes-Regulating the practice
Of medicine
By demonstrating to chattel
mortgages
By Misunderstanding to convicts
under death sentence
In the house committee reports were
made as follows:
Increasing salary chaplain soldiers
home, favorably; appropriating money
to pay claim julius Barney, favorably;
providing for paddle wheels or screens
at the intake of all bitches. re-referred.
Bills were introduced as follows:
BY witmer-To amend sections 2054