The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-02-04
So|ons Study
Gambling
And Taxes
Those Problems and Many
Others Hold Attention
OF Montana Legislature.
WOULD CUT STATE
INCOME TAX In HALF
BY David LOehWing

Dy Ddflu AONAWih6
United Press Staff Correspondent
MISUNDERSTANDING taxes
and postwar reconstruction were
the principal issues before the 18th
Montana legislature this week.
The state senate, by margin of
four votes, killed a bill to repeal
the Hickey gambling law char
acterized by Sen. Leonard Plank,
D., Liberty, as the law which al
lows back gambling" in Mon
tana.
The senate action left in doubt
that body's attitude toward bill
proposed in the house which would
legalize gambling halls in the state
and another which void legalize
slot machines.
Some legislative onlookers be-
lieve the death of Sen. Plank's bill
to repeal the Hickey gambling law
was an omen that Montana may be-
come wide OPEN to the followers
of Lady Luck Others expressed the
opinion, however, that Rep. Frank
w. Horrigans gambling hall bill
will not be pushed, now that the
Hickey law has been retained.
The later theory seemed most
likely, since there would be little
point to putting through the Horri-
gan bill now. Gov. Sam c. Ford
would undoubtedly veto any such
measure
Whether or not the state income
tax should be maintained at its
present level was almost certain to
become one of the most critical is
sues before the legislature.
In his biennial message, Gov
Ford urged that the income tax be
maintained, contending that surplus
state funds should be held as res
ervoir against the expected high
cost of rehabilitation after the war
Nevertheless, a bill was intro
duced in the senate to cut the tax
in half during the next two years.
It's author, Sen. John L. Campbell,
R., Missoula, estimated it would
lower the states revenue by $780,
900 a year
And Rep. Horrigan, chairman of
the powerful house appropriations
committee, announced his intention
of introducing bill calling for a
complete moratorium on payment
of the state income tax for 1913
and 1914.
Both Horrigan and Campbell
pointed to the heavy burden of fed
eral income taxes as sufficient jus
LITIGATION for reducing state levies
to minimum.
There were indications the Dem
ocratic minority in both houses
would side with the governor If
the issue comes to showdown. The
party has gone on record as back
ing his plan to retain surplus funds
as backlog against the anticipat-
ed postwar depression, even urging
that surplus funds be impounded
for the duration.
Although the Democratic policy
makers made no statement as to
their attitude toward the income
tax, Rep. Paul Cannon, d., Silver
Bow, minority floor leader in the
house, made the statement on the
floor of the house he was pledged
personally to maintain the Status
quo as regards the states tax struc-
ture.
Following up his initial demand
for postwar planning, Gov Ford
sent a supplemental message to the
house recommending that an 'ade-
quate" appropriation be granted the
state veterans welfare commission
to enable it to start the work of
rehabilitating discharged veterans
of the present war.
The senats, by the close vote of
20 to 26, killed bill which would
have transferred Cascade county
from the second to the first con-
gressional district. Nine republican
senators, including W. E. Kelley,
majority floor leader, joined solid
democratic bloc in voting to kill
the bill. Another re-districting bill
was introduced in the senate, mean
while, which would transfer Big
Horn, Carbon, Saltwater and Park
counties into the first district