The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-02-11

BILL FAVORED
Montana Legislature Looks With
Favor Upon Passing Law
to Favor State and
County Fairs.
MUCH DISCUSSED MEASURE
Bill Would Legalize in Modified Form,
Betting on Horse Racing at State
and County Fairs, and 1t Is AL
legged Would Aid These In
stitutiOns Financially.

Senate bill 156, authorizing the pac-
ing of wagers on races at state and
county fairs by use of pari-mutuel ma
chimes, this afternoon received favor
able recommendation by the house
committee of the whole, after the
fiercest battle which has been staged
upon the floor Party lines We're cast
aside and members of county delega-
tions aligned against each other in the
fight, which started with the appear
ance of the bill and continued for sew
eral hours, ending only when a motion
to segregate the measure from the
committee report had been blocked
lowing call of the house demanded
by the supporters of the bill.
After an attempt to kill the bill by
striking out the only section of the
measure, as provided in an amendment
offered by Provense of Carbon, and to
limit use Of machines to the state fair,
as proposed by Crumbaker of Chou
teau, the real fight started over an
amendment by Rogers of Beaverhead.
forbidding use of the machines by
minors and providing that minors
must not loiter within 200 feet of the
machines if they were placed in the
open.
Rouleau of Silver Bow and Rickard
of Roosevelt, both of whom took a
prominent part in the defense of the
bill. opposed the amendment, which
was finally lost by vote of 43 to 40.
Advertisement Forbidden.
pied the chair, cast the deciding vote
in favor of an amendment by Conser
of Fallon, forbidding the advertising
of the machines by the fair manage
ments. The votes on the question
when a division was called for, stood
A to "A, the amendment prevailing
when Dillavou cast his vote in the af-
frmative.
A second amendment by Conser to
add another section to the bill making
it a referendum measure and submit
ting the question to the voters at the
next general election, lost by vote of
4S to 40. Perrine of Glacier. attempt
ed to change his negative vote to an
affirmative one and make the vote a
tie, but was ruled out of order.
The greatest fight was staged when
McQuarrie of Missoula moved that the
committee recommend concurrence in
the bill as amended by Rodgers. Until
the final vote the battle waxed fast
and furious. the debaters at times even
STOPPING to personalities in an effort
to carry their point.
Leaders in Battle.
Aligned against the bill in the debate
were Rogers of Beaverhead, Austin Of
SWeetgrass, Conser of Fallon, Boorman
of Cascade, Kenyon Of Blaine and Nc
Donald of Flathead, while those who
took the floor in its defense We're Roul-
eau, Richard, Cooney of Cascade. Nc
Donald of Silver Bow, Brooks of Park
Reid of WibauX, Sickler of Rosebud
and Dowlin of Yellowstone.
Supporters of the measure based
their arguments upon the fact that it
was impossible for the state fair to
operate as a self supporting body
without providing additional revenue
and attractions. Rouleau produced
figures showing that in 1913 and 1914
when horse racing flourished at the
fair the receipts We're S53 900 and $64.-
600 above expenses while each year af-
ter racing was stopped had shown a
deficiency until an appropriation of $780,
coo is asked of the legislature to make
up the deficit of last year.
Opponents of the bill attacked it on
the grounds that it legalized gambling
and urged that no attention be paid
the revenue derived by the fair from
the racing. Boorman urged discontin.
uance of the fair rather than it's sun
port by means of revenue from the ma.
chimes and Rodgers in closing read ar
extract from the message of Governor
Stewart when similar bill was vetoed
by the last chief executive of the state