The Glasgow courier., 1943-02-18

HELENA - The Montana legisla-
ture moved into its heaviest week
other than the final rush before ad-
journment this week as transmission
day loomed and many bills were
still stalled in the house of their
origin.
Transmission day - Wednesday -
is the day when all senate bills
must have gone to the house and
all bills originating in the house
must be in the senate.
AS some of the more controversial
measures began to come up for
consideration last week and time
began to grow short, both houses
started to kill bills with rlerciless
abandon.
Won't Suspend Tax
Included were two pills introduced
in the house by Rep. Frank w. Hor-
rigan. r., Granite, chairman of the
powerful appropriations committee,
which would have suspended the
state income tax for the dur9 ton
of the war and for six months
thereafter.
The income tax bills died on un-
favorable committee reports with
out debate, Horrigan making no at
tempt to revive them. A bill was
still under consideration in the SEN
ate, however, to give taXpay erS
heavily burdened by federal levies
break by halving the state income
tax.
Already given a favorable commit
tee report, it was expected to have
a fair chance of passage despite the
opposition of Gov. Sam c. Ford, as
expressed in his biennial message, to /
any tampering with the states tax
structure at the present session.
No Legal Gambling
Another bill which died, undebated
and apparently unmourned, was
house bill to legalize gambling halls
in Montana under a stiff license fee.
Late in the week it was joined in
the limbo of forgotten legislation by
a bill to legalize slot machines un-
der county option.
Another bill was still clineing des-
perately to life, however, which
would legalize slot machines in tav-
erns under state licensing.
The senate, meanwhile, killed a
bill to replace Montana's antiquated
'galloping gallows" system If exc 1
cutions by lethal gas chamber,
with all executions tc take place at t
the state prison in Deer Lodge. 3
Although the house had previously o
lone to death the appropriation for L
he proposed gas chamber, propo- b
lents of the allegedly more humane P
;ystem of capital punishment did
lot give up without fight.
The bill precipitated considerable
iebate in the upper chamber and it
vas only on the plea of President
Protein w. E. Keeley, D, Powell,
hat centering all executions at the
prison would perennially cast fog
# depression" over his home town
# Deer Lodge that the bill was de-
eated. h,
Cuts Boards Funds n
Considerable controversy centered M
round the state water conservation 10
oard during the week. The senate n,
ebated at length and tentatively n
pproved a bill which would dras- ~
ically limit the powers of the board, or
nd the house appropriations COM 10
nittee introduced bill cutting it's
iennial appropriation by a cool mi
100000. This was done on the the To
ry wartime restrictions will limit 10
lie amount of work which the ~
oard can undertake. ~ ~
Numerous bills were in both houses ~
aving to do with the state liquor 49,
'ntrol board. One-which its pro- 80 81,
'nentS insisted was ION the level" 80 80
would have abolished the board '--
Id transferred its functions to the A.
ate railroad and public service tnu az
mmiSsion. 1t was killed. III
Sen. E. j. Stromnes, D., Cascade, Is nai