Plentywood herald., 1934-01-11

HIGH COST OF LEGISLATION

ern who predicted the special ses
sion of the state legislature wouls
complete its work in one. two. O
three weeks. Place your none
now that the session will run th'
full legal limit of so days. Yos
can also make memorandum tina
what little the legislature has ac
oomplished Is going to cost tbs
taxpayers of Montana upwards O
$685. 600. And all they've done
could easily have been consummat
ed in two weeks at the most, Il
| there had been any real concerted
/ effort TO have gotten the work
through.
Representative Moss liquor rev
enue bill. introduced in the early
/ days Of the session, mdlled around
! In committees and subjected to i'm
Vulnerable delays, finally went back
TO the House with Senate amend
ments which were accepted on the
floor of THE House, and the measure
will probably go to the Governor
III its present form, Quitting the
appropriation for the Sc stores from
100000 to 100000, and provid-
Ing for substantial cuts In salaries
of managers and their assistants
All OF the revenue from the sale
OF liquor in 1893 will go into the
relief fund
With new automobile registra-
ton law already in effect, and
county treasumrs instructed to take
applications for 1894 licenses, the
legislature has held House Bill
number | In its pigeon holes and
committees for six weeks trying TO
agree on whether TO charge $500,
81 SO. and $1,000 for three weight
classes OF cars or place them In
two classes at five and ten dollars
or whether the law needs changims
al all In the meantime, county
treasurer, Paul Kurtz. like SIS 9TH
er treasurers over the state, lis
marking time, very wisely taking
the position that there need be no
rush about automobile owners an.
plying for license tags. The first
bill introduced, the auto license
bill, bids fair TO be one of the last
TO be disposed OF. And all of 1t
amounted to was correcting the er
ror Of an engrossing clerk In the
regular session. A splendid ex-
ample of efficiency A remarkable
tribute to representative govern
menti
Burley Bowler In the Daniels
County Leader last week. discuss
ing the special session, very aptly
states that. instead of enacting
the special legislation, the legislat |
ors appointed themselves investi-
gators of anything and everything |
even going SO far as to appoint a |
special committee to investigate the |
federal relief comlmittee in Butte !
an agency financed and conducted
by the federal government and
which does not cost the state .
single penny Strangely enntgh
when the committee reported. tine
legislature adopted the minority
report, which highly commended
the Bufte relief office.
That Is just one sample con-
tnues the Leader. ssof time killing
and useless expenditure of tha
Montana Taxpayers money
Since that time the legislators
nave gone on an investigating
spree, investigating anything and |,
eveTynh1ns, including every de-
partment OF the state govarnmenr
not excluding the governors of'
lice Ii the investigations neaulted
Id any benefit there might be some
excuse, but not one OF the inuufsi-
tions have resulted i'm anything
Ouf useless expenditure of money,
There rs even talk among some OF
The House members OF inyestigat
ing the Senate. And some Stats
Senators are sure that sanity
commission should be appointed to
investigate the House membership.
As an example of the efficiency
1f the legislature itself. 1t was
found that score or more OF
'tfn0graphers and clerks were on
he Legislative payroll, and not ev- |
sn the employment committee
ouh account for their being there.
80 another investigating comanat- |
ee was appointed to look into the |
matter. The committee reported
Ind recommended that regardless {
n how the excess clerks and stem
got ON the payroll they
should all be paid. b
Bills are passed, recalled a. few
minutes Later, passed again, and In
sOme instances recalled again. Sem Fl
sAOr Tom Kane, one OF the better {
balanced members, remarked THAT /.
Ie never In all his life saw a group | |
VI either men or women that could
sffange its mind as often as the
,resent legislature. II
Most OF the members of the I
House realize that they have made (
such a mess OF the session that {
hey will not be returned ait the /
'ent election SO they are going to
continue this one just as long as
The $1,000 per day for (
.adh member is much BETTER than '
ederal relief to them, and that,
F'ihh the mileage graft is going to d
i've them nest egg s
And the show goes ON. Be 1t v