The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-03-05
Legislative Doings

\ 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. The bill is aimed to effect an
agreement with the Flathead tribe,
which has made a rule charging white
people 81 each for a permit to hunt and
fish on the reservation.
A rearranged property tax slassifica-
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 a one for a single
legislature to cope with and should be
handled by q commission Of experts.
The house killed the bill, II. b. 3S1.
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 gem
eral fund $4,000 a year and the uni-
versity millage fund $67, 900 a year. The
value of livestock in the state, chiefly
through shipments from drought areas,
has been reduced SIS, 1000, while the
board has cut real estate values $751;
100000
Newspapermen were included in an
eight-hour wcrkday law in an amend
ment to H. 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. J. 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. J. N. 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.
Legalized gambling was approved last
night by the house committee on e
enue and taxation when H. B. 1T was
amended and recommended for pas
sage. It 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 a year, instead of S125 a quarter,
by the committee, but additional Ii
lenses 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 a fee of
SO a month; those playing dimes to
pay SO a month, and those playing
quarters to pay $50 a month. Half of
the revenue to be derived from the
bill will 60 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 e million dollars is pre-
dicted.
Purchase Of a county-owned lot near
the state capitol building by the state
is provided for in H. B. 40, by the
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
aon, 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
W NtSbo ak "do SpSlit "ttAiOuk
any return to the state and since no
assurance could be given that the fair
would be better managed, the COM
mittec 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 a bill creating a 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, thu tourist trade. He said
that If the state had had such a COM
mission in the past it could have Sc
cured the creation and development Of
several state parks through work of
the cCC camps.