The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-02-15
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GAIN APPROVAL
Committee of Livestock Men Met
With Senator Shehan and An
nounced Support of Bills
to Improve Industry

Several measures pending in the
legislature of this state, introduced
| by Senator Sheehan of this county
and his friends in the assembly,
gained the unqualified approval of
a committee of livestock men who
conferred with the senator here
Monday, he having come home to
spend the weekend and attend to
business matters.
One bill of importance, the sena-
tor informed the committee, he had
re-introduced last Friday after it
had been withdrawn, pending legal
| determination Of its merits. This
is the bill, which if passed, would
| add a slight amount to the taxes
of livestock men to go to the sup
| port of the state livestock assoeia-
tion. Soon after this bill was in
troduced by Senator Sheehan a le-
gal question was brought up, some
one of legal turn of mind point
| ing out that it was class legislation
and unconstitutional for the reason
| that it would tax for purpose
other than state government. Rather
than see the bill voted down in the
legislature or voeted by the COVER
nor on this score, Senator Sheehan
withdrew it from consideration, to
await such time as legal advice
could be secured. On gaining the
information that the bill, if passed,
would tax only livestock men di-
it,ta h..
and for that reason would probably
be constitutional, Senator Sheehan
re-introduced the proposal and hopes
for early passage. He explained
that the livestock men, under the
terms of the bill, would be merely
assessing themselves for the up
keep of the association, taking the
load from the shoulders of a few
and placing it upon the industry
in general in this state, resulting
in very low assessments for all con-
cerned, based upon the number of
head owned, and it is so fair to all
concerned that it is not expected
more than a few will enter objection,
if indeed any so demur. He said
that the affairs of the livestock in
dustry in this state have reached
stage where more than individual
effort is required, when for in
stance such questions IS forest re-
serve rights are concerned, or to
protect the industry from activities
of cattle rustlers.
Another economy measure affect
ing livestock men is the proposal to
vest the power within the state tax
commission to set taxation valua-
tions on livestock. The only merit
in this law lies in the fact that it
would take such power out of the
hands of the state board of as
SCISSORS, made up of assessors from
every county in the state, and save
the cost incurred by the assessors
in making trip to Carson City
every January. In the aggregate
this expense is a large one to the
state and counties, whereas opin-
ion exists that the tax commission
can perform the function equally
as well as the larger body of men.
Other bills introduced for the
purpose of clarifying business ac-
tivities of the livestock industry
linclude the proposal to establish a
central registration bureau for all
ownership brands and also a central
state bureau for the recording of
all livestock mortgages. The ad-
vantages of these two agencies are
obvious.
Another is "the marshaling of
assets" bill, which would permit the
release of a portion of the livestock
covered by mortgages without in
validating such mortgages and ne
cessitating the drawing up and re-
cording of an amended instrument.
The estray law and a bill cover
ing the killing of livestock by rail-
roads, and providing that suitable
openings be maintained along rail
road ights-of-way so that stock
may be driven across the tracks
without the necessity of driving
stock for long distances, completes
the list.
The gasoline tax bill, which has
caused more discussion than most
other legislative proposals, Senator
Sheehan said he expected would
come up Tuesday, amended so that
the tax funds would go to the state
general fund. This was to be done
% that a cut in the state tax rate
of from four to six cents might be
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