The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-02-26
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.

LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.
Closing Days 'of Session Will Keep
Lawmakers Busy.
HELENA, Feb. 22.-Developments Of
the past week may resul. in the pas
sage Of bills creating the new counties
OF Clay and Wibaux, and possibly
others. In addition to these two new
county bills, 1t is now proposed to form
Richland county from portions Of
Dawson and Valley; wheasland coun.
ty from Mesgher and adjoining coun.
ties; and Lake county In the Flathesd
district. The friends OF each Of these
i've new county bills may form . COM
binatton, In spite Of the constitusi onal
prohibition against trading votes,
and put them through. Then it would
be In order to test the leg ality of legis-
latvie action In creating new counties.
Among the bills introduced the past
week is one that provides for an ad.
ditional Judge In the Twelfth judicial
district. The district already COM
prises the four counties of Chouteau,
Hill, Blaine and Valley, and ii the
proposed new counties of Clay and
Sheridan are formed there will be six
counties In which four terms of court
must be held each year. These pros.
pective conditions suggest the necessi.
ty for an additional judge.
Senator O'Shea's measure fixing the
maximum rate of interest on loans at
IL per cent now awaits approval by the
governor. Senator O'Shea has an
other bill In the house. It was ad-
vanced by the banks and banking
committee after passing the senate
ahead of all house measures covering
the subject. The bill authorizes the
collection of interest on county, city or
town funds for the benefit of the pub
lie. It axes the rate OF interest at q
per cent. pay able quarterly, and pro.
vides that it shall be computed from
daily balance sheets kept by the banks.
The senate and house have different
ideas of the kind of an executive man.
sion that 10 needed. The senate wants
. bond issue of $50, 900; the house
wants an appropriation of go. o.0OO.
What the upshot will be when each
body acts on the others bill, is m at
ter of conjecture. That one bill will
60 through is practically assured.
In order to terminate dilatory dis
cussion in the house, Speaker Mac.
donald NJ ade the startling announce.
ment that the session is costing Mon
tana taxpayers about $3.50 per hour,
and an investig alton of the legislative
pay roll elbows the speaker made
close guess. There are &c members
in the house and 81 in the senate.
They are all drawing q salary of $40
per day. The lieuten ant governor gets
Sl2 q day, while the late Is in ses.
sion, as does the speaker of the house.
It costs the state s1,194 q day for
salaries of Legislators alone, or S7l,.
$40 for the full session of 60 days. In
addition there are 100 house employees
averaging S6 9 day each, and 81 in the
senate. The present session of the
legislature, therefore, will cost Mon.
tana taxpayers nearly sl3O,0OO in
salaries alone, and other expenses
will add largely to this amount.
The proposition to secure authority
for the investment of permanent state
land funds in farm mortgages is pre-
sented in q bill framed by Represent
ative jewell, which gives farm mort
cages precedence over all other forms
of security except school district bonds
for investment of the funds in ques-
tion. The bill provides that loans
may be made up to 40 per cent of the
appraised value of farms at the rate