The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-03-02
LEGISLATIVE NOTES

NliliSisHl Ol the state D0aru OF euu-
cation and the state board of examin-
ers for the sale of Millions of dollars
worth of educational bonds voted by
the people two years ago, when the
sale of such bonds in blocks of half a
million as the money was needed for
the construction of new buildings
would nave operated to save the tax
payers OF the state great many thous-
ands OF dollars, was made In q report
submitted to the senate Thursday by
the special committee appointed to in
vestigate state institutions, the COM
mittee being composed of Dearborn of
Musselshell, Rhoads of Teton and Dun
can Of Madison.
Recommendation concerning n e
raising of revenue for the operation of
the livestock sanitary board and the
| livestock commission, whereby the
| 0verburdened general fund may be
relieved of some of the strain, are
made in report submitted to the
senate by the special Investigating
committee composed of Senator Speer
Of Cascade, Pomeroy Of Lincoln and
Stewart of Meagher 1t was suggested
that certain measure of relief may
be found by increasing the special live
stock levies if feasible and correspond
ingly decreasing the general fund APP
preparations.
Picking up its speed again Monday
the senate cleared it's board of all
upper house measures, passing all ex-
cept eight, six of which were killed in
the committee of the whole and two
killed on third reading. There were
several other bills which died in stand
ing committees. The 50th day ended
at 6:30 o'clock, leaving the senate in
tip-top shape for the consideration of
the house bills, long list of which
had been deferred until the senate
could dispose of its own bills and get
them over to the house before the
dead line" was marked
The measure introduced by Edward
Scharnikow of Powell, Joseph Oker of
Lewis and Clark, and G. e. Carlson of
Gallatin, which would have cut salar-
les of all state officials, including leg
islators and not including justices of
the supreme court, was the target for
a bombardment of amendment. After
many of the salaries had been raised
from its provisions to virtually the
present figures the enacting clause was
stricken from the measure.
House bill No. $50 by Pope of Mis-
soula and Boorman of Cascade, which
repeats the law permitting Montana
physicians to write prescriptions for
intoxicating liquors to be used for
medicinal purposes, was passed on
third reading in the lower body of the
assembly. The bill would put back
into the statutes portions of the law
voted by the people in 1916 and which
were repealed by the prescription law
passed two years ago.
Measures sent to the graveyard were
II. B. 297, imposing flat income tax
of 2 per cent; II. B. 344, placing a 2
per cent levy on the gross receipts of
hydro-electric power companies; I'll. B.
ITO, levying per cent upon the gross
receipts of telephone and telegraph
companies from intrastate business,
and Fl. B. 273, designed to eliminate
the deductions heretofore allowed for
Improvements and depreciation OF
mines and smelters
After surviving numerous obstacles
In its journey through senate and
house, Senator Peterson's bill for the
creation Of highway commission to
be composed of the state engineer and
three members to be appointed by the |
governor, known on the records as sub
stitute senate bill 105, was killed in
the house when Maury of Silver Bow
attempted to dynamite it out of the
hands of the house highways com
mittee.
House bill No. SO, by Tierney OF
Sanders county, was killed after care
full consideration. The Tierney bill
would cut out of the present law sec
ton 1909, which divides property In
the state into seven classes, and sec
ton 1000, which gives the percentages
to be used in taxation, the percentage
for farm lands being 80. Had this bill
been passed the taxes on farm lands
would have been more than tripled.
Through the offer of Senator L. j.
Walker Of Butte, Silver Bow county
has annexed Jefferson county for jul
dicial purposes, and S. B. 1873, reds
tricting the judicial districts of Mon
tana, after being amended to that eff
feet was recommended for passage in
the senate committee of the whole and
was finally passed.
Senator Peterson's bill to abolish the
state highway commission in its pres
ent form and create a new one which
would virtually consist of an engineer
and two assistants, was killed in the
house.
Senator Leuthold of Saltwater coun-
ty succeeded in putting bill through
the senate which transfers % sections
of land In Carbon county to Saltwater
county.
S. B. 45, by Paul, requiring state
l. .<... I f. q L !