Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-01-17
Sensible Proposals

Regardless of what one may think OF Governor
Frank H. Cooney personally, and this newspaper is
numbered among those which have taken exception to
many of his practices in past months, 1t must be
frankly and fairly admitted that the chief executive
has presented to our state legislature one of the most
constructive programs in his biennial message that
has been laid before a legislative body in Montana in
several years.
II was a message which showed careful study, diff
ferent perhaps than one might expect from the mpetu-
Gus executive. a message which cannot help but pro
woke constructive thought as the legislature embarks
on its task Of chartering a course for the people OF
Montana through the next two years.
Heading the Governors program is what has
seemed to be his hobby the past year or more-that OIL
water conservation. While he frankly admits the
slowness experienced in getting projects approved ana
under way, he lays before the legislature an urgent
need for construction of smaller projects, the cost OF
the largest to be $4,000 to be built by Individual
farmers. and believes the state should appropriate al
least a halfmillion dollars for use in cooperating win
the federal government in making construction OF
these dams possible. In connection would also De the
continuance Of the state conservation board.
The Governor places the need for an established
and authoritative highway patrol right at the head Of
bis ,ist OF proposed new legislation. And we'll might
i, he With more than two hundred deaths in 1854
directly attributed to accidents on our highways
double the number of the year previous-it is hlgh
time thought was given to some means that VIII save
human lives. Besides a highway patrol, the chle1 ex-
ecutive asks for some system Of periodic inspection OF
automobiles which will also make for greater safeC
in highway travel The owner" he stated, VINO
takes proper care of his car is entitled 10 piotectioh
from the careless owner"
The Herald most heartily endorses the highway
patrol recommendation of the Governor. We are con-
a..-4 ~;4l oar,1or op;pinnc ca iiractlv focused on the
heavy fatality toll of last year, some kind of a work
able plan will come out of the session which will be
feasible and work for added safety on our highways.
OF course one of the paramount issues so far as
Cooney is concerned is seeking approval Of statecon-
trolled liquor stores. He explains in his message to
the legislature that net profits to the state from the
sale Of liquor has been s65O,OO0, and confidently pre-
diets a cool million net profit for 1885. The Governor,
himself a pronounced dry told the legislators that,
80 long as the liquor business is to be carried on |
am convinced that the state store system is the best
plan yet evolved" He does ask however that the
permit" system be Immediately abolished. There is
no question but the latter has been grossly abused.
Dozens of persons are known to have purchased liberal
quantities of liuuor on one permit. There is nothing
to prevent it. Naturally, it would seem foolish to con-
tinue such a plan. Insofar as the control OF the distr1'
button itself is concerned, there is still room for con-
siderable debate. 1t is quite generally understood that
efforts will be made to get through a bill repeating
the present plan to permit the return Of the old time
saloon. Demands for the change comes from the more
populous centers. The chances for success of any such
revision is most remote. Popular opinion VIII be too
pronounced against it,
We are not convinced that the state owned stores
provide the best possible means of legalized liquor
One thing is most obvious. 1t has provided a means OF
building up one of the most effective political ma
chimes the state has ever experienced. Governor
Cooney has taken full advantage of the opportunity
and. whether you like it or not, you may rest assured
that right now he is the commander-inchief and ii
cracking the whip most effectively. If some scheme
could be devised to take the sale Of liquor out Of pol
tics and still retain the present plan Of distribution
1t would surely take preference over any other system
But, even with it's open political domination, We ar
inclined to think it would be preferred to the return o
the open saloon, which became nothing more than
dive" a place of congregation for underworld thug
and promotion Of gangs of outlaws.
1t was a clever move on the part of the chief e,
ecutive, in the face of some difficulty experienced wit
an independent and courageous attorney-general tn
past year, to recommend that the annual salary pal
to that officer be increased from $4,000 to $4,000. TIL
Governor also asked that the annual stipend for SUI
RENE court justices be fixed at $500 in order to avoi
any further complications such as his Democrat
chief, justice friend was faced with recently when HI
election was contested on the ground that he had bee
guilty of corrupt practice"
The Governor hit a note of sympathetic appeal
every home owner when he recommended that til
legislature submit to the people a constitutional ar
endment providing for exemption from taxes to the e
tent OF $4,000 on real estate occupied by the owner.
For the state prison the chief executive recor
mended a school established on a modest scale
start, but which would provide instruction for thos
confined behind prison walls. The inmates would
taught by skilled educators, such as work in the publ
schools.
And for prisoners who have exemplary records
Deer Lodge, the Governor most heartily endorses
plan which would provide compensation for work
stateowned property in various sections OF the stat
He holds that, under such a plan. men could emer,
from prison with a new sense Of freedom and
dependence If he could walk out with something in b
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