The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-02-28
House Delays
Action to Await
Legality Opinion
CONTINUED from PAGE one)


OF the little village Of Greene in
steele county. Under the present
law 26 children living in the village
will be transported six miles to a
consolidated school in the center of
the district unless the legislature
passes remedial legislationA
W. A. Thatcher, Bottineau county,
said he did not object to the idea of
the bill but suggested that pro-
vision be made to limit the size of
town which could take advantage of
the act.
Erickson 'Surprised''
. .. +. Erickson, Kidder county, said
ne was surprised ut the plea made
Tor the town children in view of the
fact that consolidated schools were
created In country districts and
farmers made to send their chill
drcn long distances at reduced rates
Tor transportation. The transporta-
tion bill, passage Of which was Bit
terly fought in the house, substan-
TALLY reduced the amounts farmers
may receive for transporting their
children to consolidated school
houses: It provided a standard
schedule Of transportation fees for
application throughout the state.
H.. +. SWEET, Kidder county, said
the bill under consideration showed
the other side of the school trans
portation question and the unwilling
ness OF the townpeople to force their
children to undergo the same hard
SHIPS imposed on country children.
a. ". Fowler, Cass county, said
that tie people Of the village were
not trying to escape their share of
tne taxes, that all they want is the
privilege of continuing their village
school.
J. H. McCay, Sioux county charged
that the bill represented an attempt
by the townspeople to get all the
taxes paid by the railroad for its
school district but Fowler denied
that such was the case and declared
the bill contained nothing which
could possibly be so interpreted.
opponents charged that in cases
where the towns control enough
votes to consolidate the schools of
district and establish the school
IN the town they are perfectly will
ing to force the country children to
travel long distances, but where the
country people exercise the balance
OF power and locate the school for
the convenience of the country chill
dren,. the towns do not want to
SOnipiy with the law.
The bill failed to pass, receiving
four votes less than a majority, but
an attempt to carry the "clinchcr"
motion failed and it may be revived.
Debate on Compensation Maximums
Passage of the bill reducing the
maximum benefits for death or
permanent total disability payable
Dy the state w0rkMcn's compensation
bureau, brought on brief squabble.
Thatcher said he could not see where
the bill will do any good and that
the biggest disability claim allowed
~ the state was $19,771 and the
largest for a death benefit $4,000,
that going to widow with seven
children.
L. L. Twichcll, majority floor
leader, avcrrcd that several claims
have been allowed which will total
over $4,000 and that under the law
the awards easily could total $4,000
or more under certain conditions.
He read statistics which. he said,
had been prepared by a member Of
and also referred to statistics, cited
Friday, comparing the North Dakota
workmen's compensation benefit
schedule with the schedules in force
in other states.
Thatcher said the total payments
in some cases will reach $50, 1000 but
that in no case recorded by the
bureau since it was started was the
cost to the state more than $4,000
since the money is set aside when
the award is made and is paid in
installments. The fund set aside
draws interest compounded annual
~, he said, and much of the money
paid to the beneficiary is received
as interest which he would not have
received had the money been given
him in a lump sum.
The average death and total dis
ability award in 81 cases in Ohio last
year was $17,187 whereas the IL
Dakota bureau since its organization
averaged $744 less than that amount.
Erickson, Kidder county, pointed
out that statistics presented by
Twichell were compiled by one men,
Der OF the bureau and that the men,
Der in question "has stated that if
the bill passes he will not be men,
Der of the bureau very much longer
but will have a better job. We
should take this into consideration"
The bill carried, 62 to Al, and the
clinchcr motion was carried. The
vote was not on party lines, al
though in the main the independents
supported it while the Nonpartisans
opposed it.
Chair Purchases Defeated
An attempt to put $4,000 into the
capitol building appropriation to
chambers was defeated over the
NJ In n~norstinm nf W:10so,,n
Watt, chairman of the appropriations
committee. Twichcll led the fight
against the proposal, pointing out
that the chairs now in use are as
good as most members have in their
homes and that they should not get
inflated ideas when they come to
the legislature. A compromise event
ually was effected BY adding $500
for the repair of the present chairs.
An amendment to the same bill
providing $4,000 for the operation of
the state owned trolley line also met
stiff opposition but was carried. IS
to IS.
The house voted to repeal the law
providing for the trolley but the
senate defeated the house bill. After
the house had passed an appropria-
ton for the trolley the senate re-
it would pass the repeal bill. The
house thcrcupon reconsidered it's
action in passing the appropriation
bill. Then the senate killed the re-
peal bill all over again but the time
for putting in new appropriation bills
had expired.
Watt explained that the appropria-
ton would have to be made in the
capitol maintenance bill if it were
to he made at all.
/ Gordon Cox, Burleigh county,
pointed out that the house had gone
on record as opposed to the trolley
line and that the way to get rid Of
il was to refuse to appropriatc mon.