The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-03-25

VASSSAA&4 OVRSsASuaCuV 10 OtS00lGOS
Other Measures.
The regular session Of the seven.
teenth legislative assembly only
provided for the submission TO the
people OF one constitutional amend.
ment. This bill was introduced in
the house by Cavanaugh Of Silver
Bow and provides that the people
may consolidate their county and
city governments. This measure
has been signed by the governor
and will become q part Of the con.
stitution II adopted by the people
at the general election in 1002.
Tax Measures
Among the tax measures passed
and approved by the governor is one
providing for a license tax of one
cent on every gallon of gasoline or
distillate sold in the state, q license
tax of five cents per ton on coal, min
tax on coal shipped into the state for
sale. Still! another license tax is pro-
vided on the net proceeds of metal
mines of one and one-half per cent
of the net proceeds. A companion
bill to this providing the method of
arriving at the net proceeds was pas
sed by the assembly.
New Department
In the matter Of creating new de-
partments the legislature created the
state purchasing department., with
state purchasing agent to be paid a
salary Of $1,000 yearly and with the
power and authority to employ such
assistants as he deems necessary with
the consent of the state board of ex-
aminers.
Several state boards have been
done away with by senate bill 2O5,
which creates the department of ag-
riculture, labor and industry and
provides for a commissioner of agri-
culture to be the directing head of
all departments abolished at a salary
of $1,000 a year This commissioner
will have absolute charge and con-
troll of the management of the Mon
tana state fair.
Highway Commission
A complete change has been made
in the state highway commission or
ganization. The plan of the state
senate at first was for a one-man
commission but the house did not
agree with this plan and insisted on
the three-man commission. one of
whom is to be the executive head of
the department. The senate agreed
to the house amendments to the bill
and it passed in this form. The chief
engineer will be employed by the exc
cutive head of the commission and
will be entirely under his direction.
Interest on Warrants
In the future the state warrants
will bear seven per cent interest
when registered instead of four per
cent as at present This measure had
difficulty in finding its way through
the assembly. 1t originated in the
senate and was killed in the house.
Later, however, it was derived and
sent on through and is now in the
governors hands.
The free school laws of the state
were revised by the house committee
on education and its bill passed both
houses. Few changes are made, how
ever, in the old law but some rough
places were Strengthened out.
Codes Are Repaired
Among the most important things
done during the session was the pas
sage of about so measures which
were introduced in the senate by
Booth which provide changes in the
present codes, repeating bad sections
and adding necessary language to
good sections. These bills were SUBJ
mitted to the legislature by Commits
sioner Choate, who has been work.
ing on the Montana codes for the
past year or more.
The irrigation laws OF Montana
have also been entirely revised by the
regular session. House bill 81 which
has passed both branches makes
changes in the present law which
were deemed advisable by irrigation
men of the state.
The game laws OF Montana we're
changed to some extent with substi.
tu-e for house bill 9 and the state
game warden warden system was en-
tirely changed with substitute house
bill 13. which creates state game
commission, gives it authority ia
employ game warden and an un-
| limited number OF deputies and pro-
vides that the commission shall fiji
the salaries to be paid the deputies.
Power is given the commission to de.
clare closed season on various kinds
of game and fish in such localities az
it sees fit. However. the commission
cannot revise the statutes relating to
closed season on game and fish The
commission is given power to dispose
of or add to the states property hav.
ing to do with the game and fish, in.
Guiding the fish hatcheries.
/ AoAA col-