The river press., 1913-02-12
MAKING NEW LAWS.

MAKING new LAWS.
Measures Creating New Counties
Cause Lively Dispute.
HELENA, Jan. 4.-After q sharp
fight involving roll call and much
oratory the house dynamited out of
the committee on new counties senate
bills for the creation of Wibsux and
Phillips counties, or at least adopted
. motion sent up by Jordan Of Daw.
son directing the committee to hold .
hearing to consider the measures, and
to report them to the house the morn
ing of Feb Z.
Holt of Custer, chairman OF the com.
mittee, objected on the grounds the
bills had been jsmmed through the
senate, and 1t looked like the sdvo-
Gates of the new counties were trying
to railroad them through the house.
Workings bill increasing the age Of
consent from 16 to 18 years passed the
house this morning by q vote of 81 to
25. The measure was opposed on the
ground that it would permit youths to
be blackm allied by unscrupulous wo-
men and girls. Advocates of the meas
ure replied that the number of youths
who would be blackmailed would he
much less than the number of young
girls who would receive protection.
This bill had the endorsement of the
women's clubs OF the state.
The house this afternoon on third
reading passed house bill ITO by Grip.
pen for the submission of q conssitu.
tional amendment authorizing cities
to increase the limit Of indebtedness
for the purpose of installing lighting
and gas plants. The vote was 81 to
10. The house passed house bill IS
by Connor defining communicable
diseases and house bill SO by Sweet
regulating the manner in which in.
surance companies may trans act bust
ness in Montana.
In the senate this morning q substi.
tute for house concurrent resolution
No. l. calling for an investig alton in
to the sanitary and general conditions
at the state reform school at Miles
City, was presented, was put on first,
second and third reading, and passed
without opposition.
Boardman introduced bill to SUBJ
NIT to the electors at the next general
election the proposition of the state
exceeding its constitutions al limit of
Indebtedness for the issuance of bonds
in the sum Of $4,000 to acquire q site
and build an executive mansion.
Darroch introduced a bill submit.
ting constitutional amendment relat-
ing to the amendment of the constitu-
tion by initiative petition.
HELENA, Jan. 5.-Highways and
mines taxation occupied the time of
the house this morning. After long
discussion the majority report of the
committee on highways, recommend
ing for passage n. B. SO. by Drinkard,
was adopted over the minority report
recommending for passage H. B. IS.
by Mcmahon.
The Drinkard bill provides for coun-
ty control of highways and the Nc
Mahon bill for state control. Advo.
Gates of the Drinksrd bill urged that
it's provisions would give better salts.
faction because of the era of develop
ment now being Witnessed in Montans Q,
and that state control would give good
automobile highways, but not roads
for the farmers. The McMa ahon bill
has the endorsement of the county
commissioners. 1t was drafted by q
state commission three years ago.
Majority and minority reports were
received from the committee on mines
and mining on h. B. 9S, by Amin, for
the submission of constitution al
amendment changing the method OF
taxation of mines. The majority re.
port recommended that the bill be
killed and the minority report that 1t
be passed.
Amin declared that out of prop
ertv valuation of s346, 900, 900 in the
state, the mines reported q valuation
of only sl4, ,496, 6,057, whereas the stocks
of Butte mines alone. listed on eastern
exchanges, have market value OF
S279, ,000, 900. Advocates of the ma.
jority report held that there was no
way of determining the value of q
mine for assessment purposes and tha,
the mining companies paid fair pro.
portion of the taxes In Montana.
Immediately after the noon recess,
Carroll of Granite moved that further
consideration of the mines taxation
report be indefinitely postponed. The
motion was lost on vote of "a to 40
The minority report recommending the
bill for passage was then adopted by