The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1915-01-15
RIGID ECONOMY
POLITICAL JOKE

must be observed by both houses of
the Fourteenth general assembly Of
Montana, which convened here Mon
day. Republican members of both
houses are insisting on it. With the
republicans in control of the senate
it is assured in that body, while al
ready the effects of the policy has
been felt in the house, where as the
result of the actions of the republican
floor leader and Representative Eliel,
republican of Beaverhead county, the
printing of daily journal has been
eliminated and the engrossing of all
bills is to be done on the typewriter
instead of by long hand.
The administration of the house is
dominated by the state administra-
ton, representatives of the large in
terests in Butte and state chairman
Thomas Arthur, w.lo is associated
with them in business matters. The
election of Mr.. Ramsey over DR.. A.
d. Macdonald of Flathead county in
the democratic caucus for speaker was
pronounced victory for Mr.. Arthur
and his associates. Everything that
it was possible to trade, in the way of
appointments, was exchanged for
votes for Mr.. Ramsey and when it
came to making up committees in the
house Mr.. Arthur was closeted with
the speaker and his approval had to be
given before they were announced.
| As a result those who supported
Mr.. Ramsey received all the plums.
There is considerable dissatisfaction
in the house on the part of some of the
democrats from the northern and wes-
tern end of the state. One of the an
ti-administration democrats from But
te, who expressed dissatisfaction with
the treatment he received, was pun
ished by elimination and did not re-
ceive a single committee assignment
from the speaker.
1t is believed Mr.. Ramsey has
hard proposition before him in order
to satisfy the various elements in the
party. There. is spirit of revolt
against the state administration but
ting into the matter and trying to run
the legislature in it's interest.
The governors message was read
by the executive in person Tuesday.
He was anxious to receive the glory
of the recommendations it contained
and became alarmed when it seemed
as if he would be unable to deliver it
until after the senate organized. But
it went into joint session in order to
enable him to read it. Most of the
recommendations were on matters
that have already been threshed out
in public speeches by representatives
of all parties and in the state press at
large.o Bills covering them had al
ready been prepared and will be in
troduced during the next few days.
The first bills introduced in the
house were for the pay of the men,
bers and their per diem. They passed
second reading today. Among the
other important meanures which have
come up are one repeating the new
county law, one for the examination
of BARRIERS, one whereby cities may
condemn real estate for park pur-
poses, one making an appropriation
for the Frisco fair, one for the semi
monthly pay day, one to prevent rail-
roads making brakemen ride on top
of trains on mountain descents, one
for the creation of new counties and
several minor changes and corrections
in the codes.
The long talks on economy are
looked upon as joke, in view of
the fact that the house up to the
first of the present week had
employed over 80 people. while
the senate had engaged a long
list. Until Attorney General
Kelley called attention to the
fact that the state constitution
provided that not more than Is
employees would be allowed in
the house and 21 in the senate,
the grand rush for positions kept
up. Now both houses are Won
dering where they are at and
have referred the attorney gen.
erals communication to the
proper committees for consider
alton. Just what is to be done
with the employees already hired
in excess of the number allowed
by the constitution is a perplex-
ing question among the poll