Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-01-31
GETTING DOWN 10
TACKS"
NEW LAWS AND "OID" DAYS

knt III
form OF corrective measures directes
at some particular group or politica
subdivision. A Bill is usually pre-
pared and then a Joker" Is inserted
which narrows its effectiveness dowr
to the particular section agains'
whom ii was directed. The best in
stance we've read of lately insofar as
our state Legislature Is concern
ed Is the measure introduced in the
House to change the method of reg
istering voters. The joker in this
Biz is that it would apply only to
those counties having a registered
vote OF $4,000 or more. This would
include only Silver Bow county. AL
though the committee recommended
the Bill be killed, the House refused
to accept the report, and kept II
alive. Representative Stimatz, from
Silver Bow, fighting for the measure,
declared it was intended to keep
them from voting dead people in
Butte" Jerry OiConnell, fiery
youthful railroad commissioner, ell
ected last November, when conduct
ing his vigorous campaign, declared
from almost every platform where he
spoke that he could submit plenty Of
proof to show that hundreds Of per-
son long deceased had been voted
in his county-Silver Bow. And
that's n way to win elections.
Anyone who visits in Montana's
capitol city these days cannot help
hain0 inonrncco1 with thu soefanfi,rA
ness of the attorney-general's recent
edict that went out to every part Of
the state i~nstructing sheriffs and all
peace officers to clamp down on
gambling, rigidly and Immediately.
We all we'll recall that officers in
practically every section of the state
fastened to cooperate with the attor-
ney-general in his effort to put a stop
to the illegal practice. The move
was prompted largely through re-
ports that farmers were squandering
their wheat allotment and other gov
eminent checks in the back rooms"
at tables Of chance. Money that
should go to buy food for hungry
babies and clothing for ill-clad moth
eTs was falling into the hands OF
card sharks and spinners Of roulette
wheels. 1t was a ~commendable
move, and was said to have reached
every community in the state-for a
little while!
We don't know how long it lasted
in Helena, but we do know that
gambling tables were moving along
with their customary c~omplacency,
we'll patronized and undisturbed, In
the different "haunts" by the time
the present session Of the Legislature
opened. In one ~favorite recluse
hundreds Of dollars were stacked on
the table in front Of two operators
and a capacity group Of players. A
few legislators, evidently intent On
obtaining "first-hand information"
for the consideration of any anti
gambling bill which might come be-
fore them, were included in the list
of enthusiastic and persistent pat
rons. For some of them, too, this
"first-hand information was costing
We can hardly be surprised
to find much disregard or strict law
adherence in the more remote Sec
tons Of the state, when right under
the very eyes of the state enforcing
officers with whom the plan of
CLOSED shops" originated, gambling
Is permitted to be carried on openly
and undisturbed. And we, like many
thought encouragement Nag
ell meant business!
1t really begins to look like some
Of this session OF our state legisla-
ture on highway travel. Not one,
but several Bills have already been
into the hopper, all of which
have been definitely drawn to re-
1uce the heavy toll of lives on Mon
lana roads. With more than two
hundred casualties of the nations
5000 charged to u own state in
1884, public opinion has been
thoroughly awakened to the serious
of travel. Legislators are re-
spending to that opinion and every
indication is that some constructive
will finally be approved.
The first, and perhaps the most
popular, of careful driving Bills Is
providing for a highway patrol.
This la the measure recommended
by Governor Cooney in his message
to the joint body when it assembled.
Strictly an enforcing measure, it Will
be supervised by an officer In
who, through experience as a
peace officer, mature and we'll
trained, will direct the organization
Of the patrol throughout the state.
He will be chosen without regard to
party affiliations and can be remov-
ed from office only for cause. Good.
Included In the law are provisions
which would compel drivers of cars
10 respect laws Of the road. They
would be required to observe SEN
sible care of their cars, such a. hay
ing brakes tested at regular inter
walls, headlights properly adjusted
and in working order, and licenses
properly displayed. Then specific
regulations are made, includ-
ing a speed limit on straightaways OF
so miles an hour, forbidding the
of cars on curves Or hills,
and the, observance Of all traffic
either in country or city. No
requirement Is made which would
10 an injustice IN any driver, but II