The river press., 1913-03-12
LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS.

LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS.
Thirteenth Assembly Completes Ses.
sion Of Sixty Days.
HELENA. March 6.-After several
communications had been read in the
house this morning, that body recess
ed, subject to the call of the speaker,
to enable the democra attic majority to
caucus on compensati legislation,
regulation of water appropriation for
power purposes, and the general ap.
preparation bills, together with the
order in which these should be con-
sidered. The caucus lasted two hours
but broke up in disagreement. Mem.
bers assert they will dlibuster. II nec-
essary, to hold back appropriation
bills until the compensat and water
power bills are acted upon.
The joint committee, appointed to
investigate alleged vote trading, re-
ported this afternoon and scored the
author OF the resolution, Collins of
Blaine, for making such charges. The
committee reported it was unable to
get scintilla OF evidence Of trading,
though members who testified before
it admitted they had heard rumors
that there had been trades.
The Fishbaugh legal fence bill
which lowered between life and death
for time in the senate Monday, but
was saved by Senator Larson, who
succeeded in having it re-referred to
the committee on livestock and graz
ing, went through the senate In com.
mittee of the whole and also on third
reading, practically as it came from
the house, thereby making three wires
the legal fence in Montana.
In the committee of the whole yester-
day the senate recommended or con.
Cured in the following bills, and
later passed them on third reading:
n. B. los, act creating state tax
commission.
S. B. 1S1, compensation measure
introduced by conference committee.
The house killed several bills by ad-
verse committee reports including 8.
B. 148, for bond issue of $50, 900 for
an executive N snsion for the governor.
The committee on aft airs of cities re-
ported fsvorably on S. B. 159, relat-
inglto the commission form OF gov.
ernment.
Annin's bill providing for submis-
sion of q mines taxation amendment
to the constitution was killed in house
committee of the whole by striking out
the enacting clause. The vote was
33 to %.
HELENA, March THE last night
of the Thirteenth assembly brought
with it the climax to the all-session
fight for the enactment of a compensa-
tion act. The house carried out the
threat made by Cults of Silver Bow
that the general appropriation bills
would not be considered in the house
until action was taken on some COM
pensation act. The two general ap.
propriatio bills went on the table
shortly after nine O'Clock and remain.
ed there for more than an hour until
the steering committee yielded to the
demands of the house and slapped H.
B. 427, by Cults, abolishing all defen-
ses in personal injury actions, on the
black boz ard. 1t shot through the
house by . vote of so to 20 to speedy
death in the senate by vote of 10 to 8.
Then the appropriation bills were
considered, and mass OF undigested,
hastily considered legislation cram
med through both houses. The fight
over compensation was the only en-
livening feature of the night, aside
from the customary facetiousness that
prevails after midnight on closing
days of the assembly.
The last act of the legislature was
to pass the general appropriation bills
to meet the expenses of the state gov
ernment for the next two years. The
failure of a compens alton act to get
through, it has been announced by
advocates of such law, will result in
its submission to the voters under the
initiative law at the next general
election. There are now in the hands
of the governor about 100 bills, the
most of which were passed during the
closing hours of the session. The water
power bill passed the house some days
ago and in the sen ate was referred to
the committee on townships and coun.
ties, where it still reposes.
Among the bills sent to Govern or
Stew art during the last day of the ses.
sion were the following:
Sub. H. B. 74-Creating Office OF
state dairy commissioners.
n. b. g.. bv LemmOn-TO create