The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-02-23
LEGISLATIVE NOTES

house last week. Reductions Will aver
age 10 per cent, 1t was said, ana en-
actment of the bills into law Will save
the state sum estimated at 100000
annually. One of the bills Will reduce
salaries of state elective officers, an
other relates to salaries of state depu-
| ties and employees of boards and COM
missions, third concerns pay OF EN-
ployes at state institutions and the
fourth redistricts the states judicial
districts, eliminating six district judges
and six stenographers.
House bill No. 0 by d. G. Kenyon,
of Blaine county, which will allow
schools to create endowment funds,
house bill No 10, by Walter Pope, OF
Missoula county, will hold public Off
GERS personally liable for failure 10
provide sinking funds for bond issues,
and house bill No. II, by !. M. Brand
| jord, of Missoula county, providing for
amortization of school bonds, were
signed by the president of the senate
and the speaker of the house Monday
and sent TO the governor
Favorable report on the administra-
ton measure to put three per cent
tax on crude oil produced in Montana
was made by the house committee on
oil and gas. The bill had been amend
ed to eliminate from taxation crude oil
used in the field in operation of ma
chinery for development and produc-
ton and the penalties for failure to
comply with the proposed law changed
slightly.
Included in the Is bills introduced in
the lower house Tuesday three were
by the ways and means committee,
which would cut the salary of the
chairman of the industrial accident
board from $1,000 to $4,000 yearly,
would abolish the office of county
auditor, and would make the clerk OF
the state consolidated boards ex-officlo
parole commissioner.
Senator Leuthold of Saltwater coun-
ty. was named by President Story or
the senate to act with representatives
John C. Cronk of Blaine, and William
III. Buttelman of Gallatin, to investl-
gate the advisability of buying the Val
iton and the Kohrs Bielenberg ranches,
near the state penitentiary In Deer
Lodge county, for the use of that IN
stitution.
Provision for new form of hunting
and fishing license is made in house
bill sponsored by Stoddard, of Deer
Lodge. The new license will be mark
ed departure from the form now In
use, and will be the means of providing
the fish and game commission with DO
logical data that is now unavailable.
House bill No TO- by Nelson of Mis-
soula, which proposed constitutional
amendment tha would radically
change the present system of taxation
In Montana, was killed by the house ID
committee of the whole Saturday, after
a hard fought battle on the part of its
supporters.
Appropriation of $4,000 for con-
struction of a tannery at the state
penitentiary at Deer Lodge will be pro-
yided for In d bill introduced by Rep
resentatives T. G. Denny, Lowndes,
Charles r. Swift and Mrs. Florence
Kerr Facey of Philips.
The bill to regulate dancing and
dance halls, which has been revamped
by the committee on public morals,
charities and reforms, has again made
its appearance. 1t would prohiDit
cheek-to-cheek dancing and similar
steps.
Efforts to secure definite postpone
ment of consideration of the metal
mines fax bill, which would put IL
cense tax of 1 per cent on gross pro-
duction of metal mines, failed in the
senate by vote of 65 to %.
To cut the number of judicial dis
tricts in the state from 20 to 18 and the
number of judges from 80 to "a, House
RiIl 233 has been introduced by Carlson
of Gallatin, Pope of Missoula ana
Scharnikow of Powell.
Minority report of the committee on
judiciary on Senator Siegfriedt's bill
senate bill No. 43, to exclude aliens
including japanese, from owning lana
in Montana, was adopted by the senate
by roll call "a to IL.
The house ways and means commit
fee introduced q bill to abolish the OIL
flee of county auditor. 1t would make
no provision for any other county Of
flee to do the work now performed by
the auditors.
A senate bill to give all receipts from
automobile license tax back to counties
instead of dividing 1t between counties
and the state highway commission, has
been recommended for passage.
The inheritance tax bill, recommend
ed by Gov. Dixon in his message to the
legislature, came out of committee and
up in committee of the whole of the
house Wednesday.
The house without dissenting vote
approved Brandjord's measure to es-
tablish the amortization plan for pay
ment of instaIlments on state lands
After a lively skirmish the measure
to permit women to serve on Juries
won in the committee of the whole of
the house.
e a.. oc+t noI