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

granting OF divorce, aud compelling
county attorneys to defend undefend.
ed divorce actions; Donlan's bill Civ.
ing special power to the state board
of equalization; Kings measure to in
demntfy persons wrongfully convicted
Of crime; and Prescott's bill prohibit.
ing railroad commissioners from en-.
gaging In other business while mem.
bers OF the board and also authorizing
preparing 70 resume oper ations since
board to prosecute cases before the
interstate commerce commission.
After killing seven bills providing
for the payment of interest on public
funds, the banking committee recon-
mended for concurrence 8. B. 20,
O'shea which provides that interest
shall be paid at the rate OF 2} per
cent.
Senator Thomas Stout bade fare
we'll to the senate this morning. He
leaves tonight for Lewistown to at
tend to private matters, and Saturday
March l, he goes to Washington as
congressman. His resign alton as
state senator was rendered to Cover
nor Stewart, to become effective
March 2.
The senate passed Muffiy's bill crea.
ting . judicial district composed of
Mesgher and Broadwster counties,
and also s. B. 80, Brownlee, requiring
county assessors to do certain work
now performed by county clerks, and
b. B. 147, Carroll, making hunting
and fishing licenses expire April of
each year.
HELENA, Feb. 2l.-After debating
more than two hours, the house this
morning killed the Mains bill for the
removal of the state fair from Helena
to Great Falls by vote OF 48 to "a.
The majority report Of the committee
on fairs recommended that the Maine
bill be indefinitely postponed; the
minority recommended it passage.
On the final vote Kirschwing and
Durkan of Cascade voted against the
pass age of the bill. Kirschwing as.
serted that the bill was backed by
"big business" to whip the Lewis and
Clark delegation into line. Crippen
ch ar acterized it % the 'mailed fist"
bill.
The argument presented In favor of
Great Falls was that the fair would
better serve the agricultural interests
II it were in Great Falls. Those
against the bill asserted that reasons
for it's removal had not been made
apparent, that the people of the state
had not demanded it, and that, II the
fair were to be removed, other cities
should have chance to make q bid
for it. Amin stated he understood
that Billings stood ready to donate
320 acres of land and give 1926, 1000.
In committee of the whole of the
house with Murray in the chair, S. B.
81, providing that outside OF incor-
porsted cities voters may vote at
nearest polling place, was considered
and the enacting clause stricken out.
S. B. 30, relating to the preservation
of G. A. r. records, was approved;
but S. B. 8S. limiting the expense of
examiners to els per day was defeated.
The senate this morning passed
nineteen bills on third reading, con-
sidered eight in committee of the
whole, and adopted . number of COM
mittee reports.
Senator Mckenzie introduced q joint
memorial asking congress to permit
the state to purchase 1000 acres of
land surrounding Fort Assinniboine
for the use OF the proposed state agri-
cultural and manual training school
instead of one section. The bill pend
ing in congress is to give the state
the buildings and to sell it q section
of land at 81 SO an acre, If it will es-
tablish q school as indicated.