The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-09
GAS TAX BILL SYIRS
FIGHTING BLOOD OF
bonner, TWlCHELL
Compromise Long After Mid.
night W. per Cent Dealers !,
Collection Payment
264 BILLS PASS; ONE VETOED
Legislature Appropriates $1o,-
1886; Three shafer
Measures Killed

Measures Killed .
North Dakota's twenty first lesis.
latlve assembly passed into histor,
early this morning after one OF thu
most sensational last-minute leais.
lative battles In the history Of thu
state.
Differences Of opinion between thu
mouse and minority of the senate
kept interest at fever heat until lona
after midnight.
The contest which delayed sine die
adjournment until the small hours OF
the morning was one to increase the
state gasoline tax from 2 cents to Z
cents, giving the additional revenue
to the counties for road purposes.
The house had amended the senate
bill to give oil dealers l per cent 81
the taxes collected in return for the
work OF making the collection. The
senate had provided a 3 per cent nav
ment for the work. AS finally passed
1t was IL per cent, but that arree-
ment was reached only after hours OF
wrangling aid after the bill had once
been defeated. Since it amends an
initiated law 1t required q two thirds
vote OF the senate membership to
pass. On roll call it lacked one vote
OF the required number, and was lost.
Later. however. 1t was reconsidered.
Bonser Leads Fight
Leading the fight against the bill
as amended by the house was A. =.
Bonzer Jr. Of Richland county. whose
clashes with L. L. Twichell. Inde.
pendent legislative power. have been
common knowledge. Bonner, with the
support OF q minority Of the Noupar-
tisans, fought to the bitter end. but
the compromise suggested by . con.
ference COMMITTEES finally was ap-
proved.
The bill went to . conference COM
mittee three times, and was sent "a tl,e
house onoe late In tho .figi1t ana r.
!ected without . conference commit
tee. The next senate roll call saw its
passage.
Crowds which filled the galleries
trooped from the house to tte senate
and back again as the battle ragged.
although the heavy firing was done
In the senate.
A checkup Of the results OF the ses-
sion, Is the smoke Of battle cleared
away. showed that it appropriated
approximately SO, 0,752 ,6o6, OF which
about So, PSI ,4O6 will be taken from tne
state general fund and 81 sol 200 from
special funds. A total Of 264 bills
was passed. with one vetoed by the
governor.
Important Bills Pass
IN addition to increasing the gaso-
line tax from to 3 cents. the a..
sembly had passed q la.7 intended e
encourage farmers to store grain on
tneir own farms as one means Of r.
ducing the volume of grain coming To
market at threshing time. Il ma
passed q law requiring all political
subdivisions to put their affairs on s
budget basis and limiting the amount
OF taxes they can levy. Bills intended
to facilitate organization OF ! nationaI
park IN the Bad Lands passed without
as did numerous other meas
urcs sponsored by the administration.
some OF the suggestions Of Gov
ernor George F. Shafer were rejected.
however. all Of those killed meet..r
their death at the hands OF the Nom
partisan senate majority.
Among them were proposals To
place the management Of the state
mill and elevator at Grand Forks ia
the hands OF a taree-man commits
sion. two Of whom would be Nonuar-
[lsans; providing for the appointment
d governmental survey commission
70 recommend changes in the organ.
lzauon ana business practices Of the
'tate ana al governmental subdiyi-
SONS; and q bill creating . commits.
non to study the banking situation
and recommend changes In the STATE
laws.
Guaranty Fund Passes
ThlS session saw the state abandon
ne guaranty fund system, adopted ia
1919 and by which It had SOUGHT "a
guarantee deposits in banks BY hav-
ng state banks pay Z percentage On
'heir deposits into = fund for that
purpose. Numerous bank failures
made the fund insolvent, and 1t will
'e closed out In 1881.
TWO constitutional amendments
Fere submitted to the people and
Viii b voted on at the election "A
June. 1880. One would increase -
erms OF supreme court judges from
;ix 70 ten years ana the other vos,l0
Increase the terms of district coa,rk
uoges from four to six years.
a nill TO subnait to the psople i