The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-03-04
Legislative Doings

The fish and game commission would
be allowed to make treaty" with the
Indians on reservations in Montana to
provide for reciprocal hunting and fish
ing privileges, according to provisions
of H. B. 1884, approved last night by the
house. Y The bill is aimed to effect an
agreement with the Flathead tribe,
which has made rule charging white
people 81 each for a permit to hunt and
fish on the reservation
A rearranged property tax classifica-
ton bill was presented to the house
last evening by the revenue and taxa
ton committee, and Chairman Metlen
recommended that members take it
home and study it for two years, then
come back with ideas on how to change
the basis of property taxation. He said
the problem is too big one for single
legislature to cope with and should be
| handled by a commission of experts.
The house killed the bill, H. B. 381.
Metlen said that some relief would be
given to property owners through the
recent reduction in the valuation OF
real estate by the state board of equal
ization, and the reduced value of state
livestock. which will cost the state gen.
eral fund $4,000 year and the uni
versity millage fund SGT 900 year. The
value of livestock in the state, chiefly
through shipments from drought areas,
has been reduced $4,000, 600, while the
board has cut real estate values $751;
100000.
Newspapermen were included in an
eight-hour workday law in an amend
ment to Fl. B. 362, which was recon-
mended for passage after consideration
by the house committee of the whole
| Wednesday afternoon. The amendment
was introduced by Rep. M ]. Mulhol-
land, OF Butte. The bill fixes an eight
hour day limit for employees in virtually
all lines Of work in Montana.
| The house yesterday refused to ask
congress to pass President Roosevelts
supreme court legislation. H. ]. M IL,
which carried that request was killed
early in the afternoon ON a report OF
the judiciary committee. Later Burns
Of Cascade moved for reconsideration
on the ground that labor legislation
would be aided by the scheme. On
roll call vote his motion lost "A to "a.
LOCALIZED gambling was approved last
night by the house committee on rev.
enue and taxation when H. B. 1T was
amended and recommended for pas
sage 1t provides for licensing Of games
of chance at various rates by the year
and the month, according to the kind
of game operated. House licenses for
the larger places in cities were made
$500 year, instead of $125 a quarter,
| by the committee, but additional Ii
censes for each game operated, which
range up to $500 per month, were left
in the bill. Slot machines were added,
those playing nickels to pay fee of
$40 month; those playing dimes to
pay $40 a month, and those playing
quarters to pay $50 month Half of
the revenue to be derived from the
bill will 80 to the state public school
general fund, and half to the state relief
fund. Cities are allowed to impose adj
ditional licenses upon gambling houses.
Revenue OF million dollars is pre-
dicted
| Purchase Of county-owned lot near
the state capitol building by the state
is provided for in r. B. 410, blythe
appropriations committee, which has
been approved for passage In the past
several attempts have been made to
buy the land for the state, but each
time the Legislature has frowned ON the
expense.
The special committee to investigate
the federal project which is being car
ried on at the state fairgrounds, to
determine whether it should be carried
on, reported Saturday night to the
house that it is not advisable to appro-
pirate $4,000 for a state fair although
the WPA has spent about $4,000 on
the grounds and is prepared to spend
some more. The committee report,
written by Goodwin of Silver Bow, said
that inasmuch as $4,000 for each OF
two previous fairs was spent without
any return to the state and since no
assurance could be given that the fair
would be better managed, the COM
mittee cannot in all loyalty recon-
mend that this body vote to throw
away another $4,000"
The house has approved and sent to
the senate bill creating state park
commission, with a superintendent and
caretakers for all the various state
parks. introduced by Elliott of Mis-
soula, the bill is aimed to develop what
he termed the states fastest growing
industry, the tourist trade. He said
that if the state had had such COM
mission in the past 1t could have Sc
cured the creation and development of
several state parks through work of
the CCC camps.
| A bill to increase the salary of the
assistant commissioner of state lands
from $1,000 a year to $4,000 was killed
IN the house Sunday, after having
barely been saved during session OF
the COMMITTEES of the whole Saturday
Sponsors of the bill said that the as
sistant commissioner has worked IL
wears for the state at the same wage
Biorneby of Tiathead said that he OPP
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