The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-27
LEGISLATORS CLEAR
CALENDARS IN BOTH
HOUSES YESTERDAY
Final Effort Win Be Made 70.
day to Have Hamilton. Fred.
rickson Bin Passed

Members Of the North Dakota
legislature breathed easier today.
The first real rush Of the present
general assembly session is over.
In long sittings yesterday the
house and senate cleared their cal
endars as required by the constitu-
ton. Until the close of the session
on March 8 each branch OF the as
sc-lbly will work only on legislation
already approved by the other branch.
Sharp fights In each house marked
Tuesdays session, and the house held
its first night meeting. made neces-
sary by q heavy calendar and the
rush to get under the constitutional
deadline.
Longer sessions are in order from
this time forward. however. In order
to permit each branch to dispose OF
the work before 1t.
The senate will meet at ! 80 today,
and the prospect remained that a
final effort will be made to pass the
Hamilton Fredrickso bill authoriz-
ing the governor to appoint q man
ager for the state mill and elevator.
1t failed to pass Tuesday by one vote,
two Nonpartisans voting against It.
Whether either of these will move for
a reconsideration remained ques-
ton. A motion to reconsider must
come from one who voted with the
prevailing side.
May Cite Matthaei
Whether or not an effort is made
to revive the bill, however, there also
was possibility that D. H. Hamil-
ton, leader of the nominal Nonpar-
tiSan majority, might cite w. E.
Matthaei. Wells county, before the
bar Of the senate" as the result of
speech made by Matthaei yesterday.
Matthaei attacked the mill man
agement bill introduced by Hamilton.
His speech vas bitter, and Hamilton
said yesterday that he felt 1t was
unduly personal and abusive. There
was no question that Hamilton was
stung to the quick by Matthaei's re-
marks. His was the only speech.
Matthaei, however, voted for the
bill on the ground of party regularity
and the theory that 1t didn't make
any difference whether the bill passed
or not Nonpartisans who deserted
the fold to vote with the indie
pendentS were Bill Martin Of Morton
county and r. w. Patten Of Noun
trail.
Gas Tax Increased
Other senate actions yesterday were
passage OF bill increasing the gaso-
line tax from to 3 cents and giving
the additional revenue to the coun-
ties; passage Of a bill establishing q
state highway police force: and de-
feat Of the bill to impose a tax on
grain, proceeds Of which would be
used to help the cooperative market
ing movement.
The bill appropriatinC $4,000 for
q combined gymnasium and audi
torium at the state agricultural COL
lege had q hectic career, as did the
grain tax bill.
Seeing that the appropriation bill
had failed, Senator w. s. Whitman,
Grand Forks. voted NO" explaining
that he did so in order to move for
a reconsideration. Later two senators
voted AYE" and Whitman also
changed his vote. The roll call
showed the bill one short of a ma jor-
ity, however, and it was lost. A veri-
fication of the roll call failed to
change the result.
Later Senator Ole Ettestad, Nc
Henry county. moved to reconsider
the bill and it was passed, 81 to 49,
J sestad'S motion was made merely
to give sc.--.:o senators absent on the
first vote an opportunity to cast their
ballots. He voted against the bill
both times Under the rules only q
senator who voted against the bill
could move reconsideration.
Beaten. Then Passed
The McHenry county. man also
played q stellar role In the final pas
sage of what had been intended to
be the grain tax bill.
This measure was beaten without
discussion when it came to vote.
Later Ettestad moved q reconsidera-
ton, and when it was obtained Of
Tered an amendment which left in
the bill only the clause repeating the
present state grain tax Of three
eighths of q cent bushel.
This motion brought on the argu-
n1ent which had been expected pre-
Nviously. o. H. Olson. Eddy county,
said he was surprised at the defeat
OF the bill. since it was really q COM
panton bill to the measure to encour-
age storage Of grain on farms. passed
earlier in the session. II such q bill
had been passed Is years ago, he said,
the farmers would not now be on
their knees begging for finances to
operate cooperative enterprises. Oh
SON cited the Canadian wheat mar
keting pool as an example Of what
cooperatives could do with proper
governmental encouragement, and
compared what he alleged was the