The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1943-02-11

HELENA - The 28th Montana
legislative assembly passed the half
way point in its d~eliberation this
week well caught up ON it business
With all proposed bills in ahead
of schedule, both houses settled
down to the business of debate and
voting. The house deadline for in
Productions passed Sunday al
though there was no meetlng-and
the senate deadline was WedneS-
day.
Among the most controversial
measures awaiting action were bills
to suspend the state income tax
half, legalize gambling halls and
slot machines, establish a state de-
partment of finance, set a minimum
of $40 a month on old age pen
sions and call a special election to
approve a proposed $4,000, 900 high
way bond issue.
Other bills pending would cut the
contribution of counties toward
old age pensions and other welfare
payments from 1873 percent to eth
err 10 or 815 percent, appropriate
$4,000 for construction of a Ii
brary and other buildings at Mon
State college and curb the activi-
ties of loan sharks"
Hitler" Repeal Pending
Both houses had passed last week
a bill to repeal the states Hitler
law, giving the governor sole power
to hire and fire state employees. BY
weeks end the bill was in joint
committee, where a disagreement
between the two houses over a minor
house amendment was to be ironed
out.
The Hitler law repeal had sailed
smoothly through the senate, but
became the subject of strong de-
bate in the house where its pro-
vision that the hiring power revert
to department heads was labeled
bureaucracy" by several members
of the democratic minority.
Killed, after considerable debate,
was a bill by Sen. Leon C. Ohm
stead, r.. Sweet Grass, which
would have provided for a closed"
primary election law in Montana.
If it had passed, voters would
had to declare their party af-
filiations at least As days before the
primary and then would only have
been able to vote the ticket of
that party.
Following death of Olmstead's bill
1ne was introduced in the serate
for a "wide-open" primary
allowing voters to help nominate
candidates Of either party.
Appropriations Are Cut =
The last of five major appropria- =
ion bills was introduced in the :.
louse Saturday by the committee Il
n appropriations. All of them re-
lected eagerness on the part of S
legislators to hold state eXpendi- .
ures to a minimum during the q
oming biennium. Sharp reductions
ere made in most instances from Il
he budget requests of the board d
{ examiners, but proposed approp-
were still considerably II
bove those of the past two years. 7
his was due in most instances to a
of higher costs of OPP II
"
After first approving it on voice
ote by the committee Of the whole, u
lie house killed a proposed men, 70
'ial to congress urging that a con- Oh
itutional amendment be submitted
the states for ratification to o
,prive japanese Americans from ne
their American citizenship. d
The resolution was strongly at -
cked by Rep. Leo C. Graybill, D., y
as "unpatriotic and I'M
.mocratic" and "a fundamental
tack ON American citizenship"
"A large majority of our Japanese
items are as loyal to the United
ates as you and I, and their cit
should not only be pro-
tied, but encouraged in these a
mes when they, as Americans, or,
We been betrayed by members of tic
cir race across the Pacific" Gray Mi
] declared. tiv
Kills Police Bill pre-
Rep. George w. O'Connor, R., the
speaker of the house, sue pei
eded almost single handedly, in pri