The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-08-23
HIGHWAY PATROL

CONTINUED from page u
patrol were introduced
during the last session of the leg
islature. the one favored by Gov
amor Cooney being declared the
law. This bill placed the admins
tration of the law in the hands of
the state highway commission
which is appointed by the COVER
nor"
Labor Protests Approval
Before the governor signed the
patrol bill, Silver Bow Trades and
Labor Council protested against
the bill to the governor, asking
him to veto the bill. The governor
agreed to meet a committee from
Silver Bow Trades and Labor
Council on Thursday, March IA. at
three o'clock p. m. The committee
was in the governors office at the
appointed time but had to wait
fifteen minutes before the COVER
nor arrived. The meeting between
the governor and the Council is
said to have been a hectic one.
The governor informed the COM
mittee that he was going to sign
the patrol bill. However, the gov
ernor had already signed the bill
before he met the committee, al
though he had agreed to meet the
committee and discuss the bill
with them. The labor committee
was in session with the governor
on March IA from 3:15 o'clock p.
m. until 3:55 o'clock p. m. and at
$3.50 o'clock pm. while the COM
mittee was in session with the gov
ernor, the governors secretary
filed with the secretary of state
the state highway patrol law sign
ed and approved by Governor
Coney. You can judge for your
self what kind of a deal this is"
Bad Features of Law
"The patrol law has many bad
features about it. No money was
appropriated to pay the patrol.
The revenue to operate the patrol
must come from the receipts of
the drivers licenses and from fines
collected from violations of the
patrol law; therefore, in order to
have the patrol maintained ar
rests must be made and fines col
lected whether the party arrested
is guilty or not guilty. Should
mora fhoy aro,,orb 6no. h oo1Ioo
ted to cover all operating expen-
ses, the patrol commission can
hire more patrolmen, and thereby
build up a greater political ma
chine"
"The justice of the peace who
sentences anyone for violating
the patrol law must also levy
court costs, and if he fines the
guilty one less than five dollars
the court costs are one dollar; if
the fine is five dollars or more
the court costs are to be the same
as in other cases, running from
two and half dollars to five dol
lars. The justice of the peace
keeps to himself tie court costs
as his pay, except those justices
of the peace who receive regular
salaries. Just imagine a justice OF
the peace FIRING a person less than
five dollars which will bring him
a fee of one dollar, when by plac-
ing the fine at five dollars or more
he can collect for himself from
two and half to five dollars fol-
his fee."
Deficiency Appropriation
eff the fines do not bring il
enough revenue, the next session
Of the legislature will have to pass
a deficiency appropriation bill tt
take care of the deficit"
"The patrol law passed by the
Legislature is but the opening
wedge for the state constabulary
which labor has always opposed
and reactionaries always advoca.
ted"
The recent convention of thG
Montana State Federation of La,
Dor instructed the officers of the
Federation to attempt to secure
sufficient signatures of voters tt
demand that the Highway Patro
law be submitted to a vote of the
electors at the naxt state election
Signatures of five per cent of the
voters in twenty-five counties arr
required to demand a referendum
while the signatures of fifteen pel
cent of the voters in twenty-nint
couties can make the law inoDera
tive until it is approved by thu
vote of the people.
Petitions for a referendum OF
the Patrol Law have been printeC
and copies are being sent to al
union secretaries and friends o.
Organized Labor. All unions ar,
urged to appoint a committee tt
solicit signatures to the petitions
Only voters registered in COUNTIES
in which the petitions are circulat
ed are eligible to sign the petition
The Holiday Association is un
dertaking to circulate petition
and secure the required number O.
signatures in Sheridan, Daniel
and Roosevelt counties where labo,
has little or no union organization
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