The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-05
Higgins Leads Vain Attempt
at Retrenchment in House
Employees.
CROSSED WIRES TURN
VICTORY TO DEFEAT
Appropriation Measures Are
Put Through With Hop,
Skip and Jump.

Helena, Jan. 4.--(Special.)- 1.-The fea-
ture Of today's performances of the
state legislature was the fight for
economy led by Higgins Of Missoula
when the committee on employees made
its report to the house this morning
The fight had been won and a sub
sutute motion made by Higgins had
been adopted by II vote Of As to 43 when
the mistake was made by Blake of re-
ferring the report back to the employ
ment committee. This was carried by
viva voca vote and the matter was
thus brought back to where it started.
r. During a short recess the leaders of
the Republican side got together and
realized that they had crossed their
wires. When the session reopened
Blake. OF Deer Lodge, moved that the
report as amended be brought out from
the employment committee This was
carried and u substitute report was
presented by Searles, Mineral, which
not only kept all of the employees as
given In the first report, but also add
ed several more stenographers as had
been requested by Higgins. by this time
tho Democrats had assembled their
forces and on practically n party di-
vision the substitute report of the COM
mittec as adopted ana retrenchment
in the matter of house employees was
thoroughly ana effectively killed.
Higgins Opens Fire.
Shortly after the convening Of the
house this morning, the report of the
employment committee as given In The
Missoulian yesterday morning was
read. II was moved and seconded that
the report be adopted when Represen-
tative Higgins. Missoula. opened fire.
He attacked tho report as providing
for officers which at the present time
were entirely useless Mr.. Higgins said
that he would give his consent to leav-
ing on the list an assistant bill clerk
and an assistant printing clerk, but
that he would strenuously object to the
hiring OF n proof reader when there was
no proof to read at present day
wntchman, when the members should
be perfectly able to do all the watch
Ing necessary during the day; a clerk
already three empioyrs In this office;
n stamp clerk, whose duties were sim
ply to attend to the giving out of
stamps to the members: n cloak room
attendant and an assistant when one
man should be sufficient for looking
after the cloak room and three assist
ant jantors which would increase the
number Of janitors to seven.
There Is need for some extra stenog-
raphers." said Mr.. Higgins and
am heartily in favor OF. adding several
to this list. 1t Is now necessary to use
u microscope In order to find anyone
to assist In this work. The other Of
fees are. however, to my mind abso-
lutely unnecessary and hope that the
substitut motion was the fact that
The only economy provided for in the
report of the employment committee
as finally adopted was the fact that
Miss Wilson appears on the roll now
as Il stenographer when In the original
report she was listed as assistant en-
rolling clerk Eleven new stenographers
have been added to the roll. Represen-
tative Higgins said that the Demo-
cratic action would cost the state So
SIG.
How They Voted.
Higgins motion to adopt the amend
ed committee report was lost As to
~. as follows:
Ayes-Anderson Oscar W. Andrew,
Arneson. Baldwin, Baxter, Relden.
Bernard, Blake. Booth. Brooks. Buell.,
Continued on Page Five.)