The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-03-20
.FordApproves
Some, Vetoes
|0ther Bills
Reports What Governor
Has Done to Measures
Passed by Legislature.
KILLING OF PUBLICITY
ACT BRINGS PROTEST
Nv Edward ]. HciIman

BY Edward ]. Hcilman
United Press Staff Correspondent
HELENA, March 18.-U.D-The
final act of Montana's 9th legislat-
i've session was on the state capitol
stage today as Governor Sam c.
Ford considered the last of the bills
approved by the house and senate
and transmitted to him for approval.
At weeks end, the governor had
only few bills remaining for his
signature or veto, among them a
measure to divide the state into five
fish and game commissioner dis
tricts.
Fate of this bill aroused consid-
cradle speculation in capitol cor
ridors, as the way the state was
districted, three present commits
sioners are from one. Presumably,
capitol gossip said, the governor
would have to ask for resignation
: of two of them in order to divide
membership of the commission
among the five districts as required
by law.
During the week, Gov. Ford We
toed several measures, including one
to appropriate $4,000 Of state high
way funds to advertising Montana's
scenic and tourist attractions. The
governor explained that he believed
It would be setting a dangerous
precedent to start diverting high
! way funds from their avowed pur-
$ pose-the construction and main
! tenance OF roads.
The veto Immediately brought
G from James H. Rowe, Butte, presi-
: dent of Montanans, Inc, state cham
Der OF commerce, the comment that
: the state shortly will run into a
q dangerous situation in that 1t will
:, not have sufficient money to carry
q on its road program Rowe said
5 spending $4,000 on advertising the
state would return many times that
amount in gasoline taxes paid by
IS tourists.
!. Also vetoed by the governor were
IS bills which would have put tax
d of 10 cents a hide on furs shipped
: out of the state; reorganized the
state board of medical examiners
d permitted use of cadavers in scien-
n tific and educational work; and sci
! up standards for grading apples.
d Also Ito feel the governors dis
l. pleasure were bills intended tt
at tighten regulations of drunken driv
- ers and to increase the night speed
limit of SIS miles an hour. The gov
- ernor said he believed the drunken
:, driving bill actually weakened pres
II ent statutes instead of stiffeninl
II them, and that to increase the nigh
II speed limit was dangerous. He ais
II vetoed a bill to provide for retire
ment of national guard officers an
II another to privide for compulSor
II education of deaf and blind chill
II dren.
II A long list of bills was approve
II by the governor during the weel
and added to Montanas statutes
Among these was a bill to cor
ii tinue, in limited form, WPA pro
ects, and one to guarantee the jobs
in both public and private emplo.
ment--of men drafted into II
armed services.
II Governor Ford also signed mea
ures to divide the state into fl
highway commissioner districts SO
to give all sections representatit
on the board; referred on pr
posed $6900O0 bond issue for Il
state college at Bozeman and pr
posed issue of $350,000 for Mort
ern Montana college at Havre.
He approved amendments to
lief laws, including provision
II three-year residence to become G
II gible for relief; bill creating
state park at Yellow Bay on FL;
II head lake; creation of a defense a
advisory commission; bill tral
ferring the crippled childrens {
partment from the welfare depa
ment to public health; bill putt
coal miners under the Workme
compensation act; permitting par
of insane persons, bill permitti
counties to levy one mill tax to.
fund registered warrants on tn
county poor funds.
One Of the hardest-fought bills
the 9th session--one to cut
mileage payments of all public c
ployes and officials to five cent
mile-also was signed by the &
ernor. AS signed, the bill exem
ed sheriffs and permitted them
N collect seven cents mile.
Governor Ford signed nearly
score of appropriation bills dur
the week, 10 of them for deflcl
cies in various state departing
one to appropriate $4,000 a y
for relief of sihcosis sufferers,
the general appropriation bills
H various state activities.