The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-20
NEW LAWS PASSED
CAUSE MUCH
WORK
COUNTY OFFICIALS PUT IN MUCH
OVERTIME FIGURING OUT
LATE LEGISLATION.

The county official who knows
where he is at these days
is hare to find. Most of them
have been trying hard to find
out since the close of the last legis-
lative assembly and the signing of
measures that were passed by Gov
ernor Stewart. Hour and hours Of
overtime have been consumed in
studying some of the new bills and
carrying them to the county attorney
for opinions, sometimes referring the
matter to the attorney general. About
the time one official believes himself
acts and just how they would affect
the administration of his office, some
fellow officer comes from across the
hall and Springs a new provision to
be reckoned with. Just when it seems
one new law has been thoroughly di-
gested there comes a notice that it
has been declared unconstitutional by
the attorney general n that another
measure will be in force and effect in
stead.
One of the yoluminous bills of re-
cent passage that has caused consid-
cradle work on the part of the local
board of county commissioners was the
highway measure which was brought
before the meeting of the state auto
mobilists at their meeting in Bozeman
last Tuesday. The commissioners had
been spending a lot Of time over it,
but when Attorney General Kelly ar
rived at the meeting he declared the
measure unconstitutional.
There was a big change made in the
law governing weights and measures
and the duties of the county clerk in
connection with the inspection. That
department had just been thoroughly
organized under the old law and now
different plans must be made. These
have Kept County Clerk Darlington
busy for some time but at last he has
the tangle Strengthened out.
Road Tax Now Cash.
Their there are innumerable mat
tiers affecting the offices of assessor
and county treasurer. Assessor Cur
RE sent his chief deputy, Pat Nc
Laughlin, to Helena to straighten out
one tangle resulting from new provi-
sions applying to assessment work.
Treasurer Mccarthy has not made a
trip to Helena but he has written sew
eral letters in connection with ques-
tionable provisions of new laws. One
of these points concerns the collec-
ton of road tax. The treasurer has
been Informed that under the provi-
sions of the now general highway act
there Will be no more road taxes
worked out. Every taxpayer eligible
to a this tax must, hereafter, dig uE
the cash. 1t was also supposed that
the county ~treasurers would register
motor vehicles and collect the fees
from machine owners under the neN
motor vehicle law. A letter from Sec
rotary of State Anderson says that
this is not a fact and that all of this
work will be done at the office of the
secretary of state.
The new school law presented, per-
haps, n of the most complete revers-
ais of form. County Superintendent
Reinhard's copy of this bill is already
worn to shreds from being thumbed
over so perSistently. She was called
upon to give more immediate atten-
ton to this bill because it's provi-
sions covered the school election that
took place Immediately after it's pas
sage.
But with the close of the week Mis-
soula county officials are beginning
to feel easier. They have worked hard
to straighten out the points over which
differences of opinion arose and are
now in better shape to answer the
many questions that are constantly be-
ing asked.