The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-03-11

DueS less new or experimental leg
1slation was PISSED by the Seventeenth
: session than has been the case in
: years. in the opinion of legislative
: observers. Aside from new subjects
such as oil, that demanded new Leg
: lsIat1on, most of the time of the as
sembly was devoted to remedial leg
1slation and Improvement of exist
ing statutes. A total of 354 bills
and memorials We're passed byYthe
assembly and transmitted to the gov
ernor.
| While grist Of bills was intro
duced proposing constitutional amend
ments, only one bill received the
necessary tWo-thirds vote of each
house and was transmitted to the
governor. He has approved it. This
Is II. B. % by Cayanaugh, submit
ting to the electors at the next cleo
tion an amendment authorizing the
legislature by general or special
law to provide FORM and plan Of
government for counties or for cities
and counties under such form or plan
as the assembly prescribes
Among other accomplishments OF
the legislature as revealed in the
bills passed may he enumerated re-
organization of authority in state de-
partments Capitalization of author
lty in state and counties, more checks
on expenditure OF public moneys,
big agricultural. livestock, and irri-
cation district program, codificat ton
| OF the laws and simplitication Of the
| civil and criminal practice. oil legis-
lation for + sulation of the states
newest industry, revision of the fish
and game avs. amendment of the
banking laws, ana many measures
! dealing with miscellaneous subjects.
Reorganization Of state depart
ments includes transfer of the legis-
lative reference buleau TO the state
law library; reorganization of the
stat highway commission by abolish
| ing the commission of II men and
substituting one sa;aried commits
| sioner and two advisory commissions
ers on a per diem basis; reorganiza-
| ton of the state game and fish com
| mission: consolidation OF nine de-
| partment boards or bureaus. into a
new department OF agriculture. labor
and industry; reorganization of the
livestock commission and giving to
the sanitary department the inspec-
/ ton OF dairieS.
Measures providing for greater
Capitalization OF authority include
| Ar b., NfS of "a
| purchasing agent This officer Will
| have sole and exclusives cnarge, sub
! iect to the state board of examiners,
of the buying for all state depart
ments and state institutions. A great
| reduction in the overhead cost of the
state is expected. Another measure
! gives the state board of examiners
pensation of all clerks, assistants and
stenographers in state offices. \ SIM
liar meaure applies to county boards
of commissioners.
Among other measures designed to
! place more check on the expendi-
lures of public moneys is bill that
makes the treasurer the treasurer of
every state boar.. department, bu-
reau or institution. and requiring de-
posits of all receipts by them With
the treasurer twice ii month. Anoth-
er is the revision OF the budget law
covering state expenditures. and the
passage Of a measure providing 4
budget system in all counties. Still
another bill limits the size of bond
! issues for county schools. according
| to the classification of the county,
| and regulates the distribution OF the
| moneys. One of the -lost important
! checks on expenditures is that bill
requiring a petition OF 90 per cent
of the qualified electors who are tan
payers to authorize the voting upon
| the issuance of any school. town ar
county bonds.
The agricultural. livestock and IL
risation district program is perhaps
the biggest program put through the
assembly. 1t includes bills on the fol-
nine boards or departments into de-
partment of agriculture: reorsaniza-
| tion of livestock commission: auth-
orizins incorporation OF agricultural
cooperative corporations; collective
buying and selling by agricultural
corporations or districts: authorizing
special levies in counties for exter-
mination Of insect pests and dis
eases; authorizing special county
bounty levies; permitting quarantine
within state by governor for insect
pests; fixing standards on hay and
apple boxes; amending hail insur-
ance law to provide for different
rates on q zoning system; bills re-
hitting penalties for delinquent tax
es. redemption of property, foreclos-
ure of property and like measures
calculated to aid the producer who
has not prospered' In the past few