The Wolf Point herald., 1923-03-01
RECORD VOTE ON
CRUCIAL MEASURE
GROSS MINES PRODUCTS TAX
BILL FAILS-SEN. LOWE
VOTES AGAINST 1T

Helena, Feb. 25.=When the leg
days will remain in which to enact
or eradicate laws upon the statute
books. When the fiftieth day rolled
around which precluded the trans
mission of bills from one house to
the other, 398 bills had been intro
duced in the house, while in the SEN
ate 208 had been submitted for ap-
proval. The senate, working at top
speed, cleared the board of remain
ing bills and sent over to the house
all legislation before the time limit
expired, while the house, after work
ing into the wee hours of the follow
ing morning, found that some rs
bills were at rest in the morgue.
Members of the senate, employees
and committeeman united in pushing
through the work and the calendar
was clear at 80 that evening. The
fiftieth day closed to the credit of
the senate.
A number of house bills sent to
the senate for concurrence and
amended by them have been sent
back to the senate with the notation
that the house had refused to con-
cur in the senate amendments. So 1T
would seem that the lower body is
determined not to concur in any
amendments by the senate, not to
the liking of the administration. Be
fore the session adjourns it will find
that both bodies will swing the ak on
a number of measures with dlscom-
fort to some and to the great edifi-
cation of others. From all indica-
tions the 18th legislature will go down
in the history of Monana as having
passed the fewest laws of any law
making body since the state was ad-
mitted to the union.
The past week witnessed great
fight on the adoption of the majority
report of the gross tax on metal
mines. This week will find battle
on the oil tax and also the inheritance
tax, all pet measures Of the COVER
nor.
Lowe Votes With Mines
BY roll call vote of 80 to 23 the
senate Friday adopted the majority
report of the taxation committee
that II. B. 81 do not pass. This bill
was to provide a gross tax on metal
mines and was pet measure of the
governor. Senators Harmon and
Griffin signed the minority report
while Senators Hazelbaker, Heren,
Peck, Lowe, Speer, Clark and Stew
art of Meagher signed the majority
report. After spirited debate led
by Walker of Silverbow, with the ad-
interests looked after
BY Harmon, floor leader of the upper
body, the following is the way they
7oted to adopt the minority report,
which indirectly carried the majority
report:
Those voting aye: Conser, Demel,
1owlin, CARRIER, Greenup, Griffin,
Iaaland, Harmon, Henderson, Jen-
zen, Kane, Kirton, McCone, Mains, /
dears, Oliver, Pauline, Pompery, II
ahoads, Rorvik, Stages, Taylor, Wat :
on,-23. Those voting no: Adams, :
Church, Clark, Coburn, Cooper, Cow 9
N, Dearborn, Duncan, Esp, Gibson, {
1reening, Haley, Hazelbaker, Healey {
.euthold, Lowe, 10y, McQuitty, Muf- {
Iy, Page, Paul, Peterson, Porter, 9
Speer, Stewart of Meagher
stewart of Deer Lodge, Walker a
'otal 80. Immediately after the vote '
vas announced Senator Muffly moved c
or a reconsideration of the vote so =
hat the measure could not again be e
rought up this session and on re- v
consideration is carried by the same v
ote that the minority report was n
illed, so that the pet measure of
he administration is dead so far as d
his session is concerned.
Three Per Cent on Oil [
H. B. 1876 imposing a three per
ent tax upon the gross production of
rude oil, passed the senate Satur-
ay afternoon by vote of 1922,
dopting the minority report that the il
i'll do pass. This will have the bill
laced on general file and thrown S
pen for general discussion. A num-
er of senators voted for the adop- tt
on of the minority report for the
eason that it should be discussed up O.
n the floor, as the rule of the senate
oes not permit of any discussion on tt
committee report. But president
tory permitted Senator Oliver to 5
ake lengthy talk in favor OF the
i'll and then ruled that no further s
scussion should take place. The a
resent law provides for a one per