The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-02-28
Legislative Notes

As the twenty-fourth legislative
assembly goes into its last week with
nearly 400 bills to dispose Of, warn
ing was recently given the house by
Speaker Pilgeram and Assistant Min
ority Floor Leader Leavitt, the warn
ing that unless committees act
promptly and debate is limited on
trivial and minor controversial mat
ters, the house will find itself against
stonewall when the fiftieth day ar
rives.
Cautioning the membership to
move promptly from now on, Leavitt
left the warning as spokesman for
the minority group he would mot
permit the wholesale passage OF bills
on the fiftieth day unless | know
what they are about" He added that
he seriously doubted the ability OF
the house to accomplish it's objective
in the remaining days.
Though considerably denatured
from the form in which it made its
appearance in the lower chamber, H.
B. 279, legalizing gambling, the COM
bined effort of 4 select committee. IS
expected by levying state, county
and city taxes on gambling devices
to raise thousands of dollars yearly
for the general relief and old age
funds.
1t also includes q local option pro-
vision whereby the counties may re-
ject the licensing plan and provides
a ban on slot machines. Inspections
and enforcement of the licensing pro-
visions would be in the hands OF the
state board of equalization.
Continuing for brief time with
its third reading calendar, the house
has passed the controversial egg grad
ing law! the law defining major de-
pendents under the workmen's COM
pensation act; the act to dissolve
herd districts; another permitting
cities to fix flat rates for water
users; one permitting certain coun-
ties to retain attorneys for criminal
or civil prosecutions, and another re-
lating to the fees of the secretary OF
state.
The committee on labor reported
Da.A lasoiAoly = S.. - ,l 80 w IT.
111s ~. l1seNs 49, 1eDa -
"ouiu - ~. minimum .ass9 :,
1 -.;4.aa 49, .a1aru o,sss;f;ost;ons
u,ara f;~aa s1e - ci+;es ~ * o0o.
-
a'.1 80 - pfof,oA s'o1'
ie7r cibies'
1t also advanced II. =. NJ. 0, urging
congress to forbid the return to
America OF persons who returned to
Germany to vote in the Saar pleb-
iscite; H. J. NJ. 3, urging federal aid
for the schools, and Il. J. 4. Q, Tor
ratl1lcataon OF the d. Lawrence sea
way. Il. =. NJ. q LOT an 'nVestlgation
OF the acqulsi.lon OF 80 square miles
% iahu ~ FalA a.io uaiiAeiii cou'ities
Dy tne Iorest ana park SERVICE Also
was adopted.
Over four companion acts relative
to public utilities, the consuming
public and public service commission,
al Of them sponsored by 'owier OF
Billings, the house engaged IN one
OF its most bitter scraps OF the SEES
SION and IN the END killed three ana
advanced one 70 lniru reaoinR'
The surviving Dill provides that
consumers OF any utility may band
together to undertake prlvats IN
vestlgatlon and call hearing before
the commission on utility rates or
charges, and that II they win their
case me costs may De levled against
the utility ana amortlzed over i've
years, ana charged up by the utility
as operating expense. Inc Dill al
Yanced toward passage
With little fuss or feathers, the
senate applied the AK to a bill which
passed the house and by which CHR
OnrActOrS of Montana might be uer~