The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-13
M0NTANA'S INVISIBLE GOVERNMENT IS
RENDEREDFANGlE ESS BY HOUSE ACTION
IN ADOPTION White S{BRESNUn0N
Elimination of Al Other Classes of Property in Author-
zaton of Equitable Tax investigation and Putting
to Sleep of Steering Committee Puts
People in Control.
KILLS TRANSMISSION OF BILLS FROM
HOUSE TO HOUSE AFTER FIFTIETH DAY

Morrow. Page. Prosser. Rainey. Searles,
, Shaw. Ward. Well. Wheat. Total. %.
Against the amendment and for the
adoption OF the resolution which will
make 1t possible for the house COM
mittee to make a real investigation:
Anderson, Charles; Anderson. Oscar
W.; Arneson, Baldwin, Bent, Bernard,
| Booth, Buell.. Missoula; Buell., Gala
tin: Burnworth, Clark, Cotter, Cris-
mas. Davis, Deibei, Demel, Dodds.
Eaton Fishbaugh, Gullidge, IIarbert.
Harmon, Hathaway, Hawks, Henry.
Higgins. Holt, Hnffaker. Hurd. Hus-
ser. ingalls,. Johnston, Ravalli. Jones.
l<ehoe. Kelsey, kemmis. Ixanstrum.
larse. Lewis, Lusk. McClory, McDon-
aid. Mcmillan, McQuarrie. Mason, Mid
dleton, Morris, Murray. O'Rren,
Phelps. Quaintance, Rasmussen, Sand,
Scott. Sektnan, Spain, Stimpert, White.
Working. Speaker, o'Connor Total. 60.
Fire Works Start.
The ryrotechnical display was set
off when Representative White moved
that the house reconsider its action on
| the resolution he offered yesterday.
McMahon, Silver Bow, moved that the
| matter bo laid on the table. This
motion lost and Mr. White offered his
| resolution.
Representative Mcmahon then moved
that the resolution as offered be
amended to read "and all other classes
of property which would have made
| 1t practically the same rs that adopt
| ed yesterday. Debating this motion
| Representatives Higgins, MissouIa.
said
Higgins Remarks Pertinent.
| we all know that this same matter
was up in the senate and the amend
inent as offered by the gentleman from
Silver Bow was rejected by that body,
The attempt to undertake an inyesti-
| cation of as wide II scope would be
| ridiculous. The people OF the state of
| Montana are interested more in the
| big fellows. We do believe that the
| mining companies, the hydro electric
companies, the telegraph and tele-
phone companies and the other COM
| panies named in the resolution are
not paying taxes In proportion to the
other property interests OF the state
and believe the purpose of this res
olntion is to arrive at facts which will
be available to the members OF this
house In passing Judgment on tho
Variols measures that will b in
troduced here for the purpose of equal
izing taxes and the effect of the adop-
tfon of this motion will be to kill the
resolution"
Representative White then spoke
briefly In defense of his new resolu-
ton. calling attention to the impossi-
bility of gathering any facts of i'm
portance il the Investigation was to
cover such Il wide field and the short
time which would be at the disposal
OF the committee IN assembling the
required information.
Some enlightenment has evidently
come to the gentleman from Fergus
since yesterday" said Representative
Mcmahon. THE resolution as adopted
yesterday Is exactly in line with the
principles OF the grand old Democratic
party and will be subyerted by the
unholy alliance which he has evidently
formed with the gentleman from Mis-
soula We have no desire to eyade
just taxation or our share of the bur-
den OF paying the expense of govern
ment.i but we do object to paying any
thing but our just and proper share.
Yesterdays resolution was entirely
agreeable to all the people in the west
ern part Of the state and I trust the
amendment will be adopted"
| Representative Blake, Deer Lodge,
then spoke in favor of the amendment.
asking for fair treatment of the inter-
ests In the western part of the state
and suggesting that there seemed to
be disposition on the part of the
house to follow the lead OF the senate
and stating that in his opinion the
house had sufficient intelligence to
proceed on it's own initiative and In
its own way.
Higgins Comes Back.
In so far as an unholy alliance be-
tween myself and Mr.. White is con-
cerned." said Mr.. Higgins. Il think
this is an attempt on the part Of Mr..
White to extricate himself from the
suspicion of an unholy alliance with
the invisible government which we see
hobnobbing around the iobbies of ho-
tells and the corridors Of the capitol.
They have taken an advantage of Il
| new member more or less gullible.
They cannot fasten sectionalism OH
this resolution. The mining COM
panies, 1t is true, lie little to the
western end of the state but the other
companies affected are not sectional
| In any manner.