, 1923-01-11
LEGISLATURE C0NVENES
ON TUESDAY LAST
WY0MING'S new governor ADDRESSES ASSEMBLY
AND ADVISES MANY CHANGES. ECONOMY
URGED and SEVERANCE TAX PROPOSED

The seventeenth biennial session
OF the Wyoming legislature convened
at Cheyenne last Tuesday noon.
Candidates selected at the Republic
an caucus the day previous were
elected with good margins Tuesday
afternoon. Simon Skovgard. Of
Basin. was the legislators choice for
president Of the senate ] ID. Mob
lit, of Cokeville. was elected speaker
of the house over his Democratic
rival. w. j. Dalton. Dalton was
placed in nomination by Doctor
Swisher Of Rawlins.
The governors message scheduled
to be delivered Wednesday, was post
poned until today Thursday owing
to The adjournment of the legislature
in honor of Representative C. w.
Ford of Hot Springs county. who
died just previous to the opening of
the present session.
Governor Ross appeared in person
before the legislature this afternoon
and delivered his first message to
the assembled law makers.
In the very opening of his address
Mornings Chief Executive won gen.
erous approval from the members OF
both parties when he said:
"Not as partisans do we meet but
as the delegated spokesman of the
people who sent us. They expect us
to meet the emergencies which arise
and to perform the tasks that are al
lotted to us with a view only of their
welfare. and in welcoming the men,
bers of this legislature. I do SO with
every confidence in the success OF
our common efforts. 1t is with a
deep sense OF gratitude that / take
This nnnnrfnntfv Tn nvnHoac vny hoort
felt appreciation of the many as
surances Of cooperation that I have
received from the members OF these
two distinguished bodies without
respect to party utilization, and I
want here to pledge my undivided
energies to the service OF all our
people," After reviewing thorough
ly the financial condition in the
state. past and present, the governor
called attention to the fact hal the
strtctest eccDo~y would have to he
practiced by the executive and legis-
lative departments. Economy. how
5yS-, So-s-ccT .ase =aid, nmst rot
be carried to such an extent as would
Interfere with the efficient nag
ment Of our state Institutions and
gave 1t as his opinion that there
were a number Of state boards that
should be consolidated - also .
change In the present method OF
mental farms. He believes that the
Farm Board should be abolished.
The governor favors a severance
license tax placed upon state prod
ucts removed from the state. The
state constitution. he said. prohibits
the collection Of more than a pittance
from mining and similar properties.
The constitution should therefore
have to be amended. he stated. in
order to provide q more equitable
basis OF taxation.
The message also treated the
present rate of interest. The pres
ent high rate Of interest. said the
governor. Is working n great hard
ship upon the people. He proposed
a radical change In the state laws,
saying:
Twelve per cent interest has the
same improvishing effect as hard
winters. dry summers. high lakes or
low prices OF products. A fair ad-
justment of this matter would be Z
per cent as a legal rate of interest.
and in no case higher than ? per
cent. This change would relieve to
a great extent many OF those whose
burdens seem hopeless"
Changes were also advocated in
present farm loan act an In
crease In the total amount to be
loaned and the apportioning OF the
money to the several counties ac-
cording TO their assessed farm land
valuation.
The new governor said that he was
In favor OF state Investment In irri-
and drainage bonds and tho
further encouragement OF investors
OF this and other states.
A great deal Of time was given In
the consideration of the labor situa-
ton. Wyoming. according to Gov
ornor Ross. needs better labor In ws
and should supervise more closely
tho labor conditions in the various
Industries. wyoming's Women and
children should be more fully pro-
tcctcd. he said. and the labor laws
now In existence should be amended
TO that effect. II was his opinion
there should be legislation enacted
protecting better the loss OF wages
from employers negligence In settling
labor accounts. ffo advised that
care should bc taken in revising the
prcs,n workingman'E Compensation
Law that II a6e strengthened instead
~ weakened. He described tho State
Highway Department M being in
good condition and submitted the
plan Of \ gasoline tax and the forma-
tion Of Highway Improvement dis
tricts throughout the state as a
msthod Of rsisinG more money for
hishwa developHent and maintcn-
ancc. !