The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-01-18
Bill Is Against
MVA For Montana
Continued from Page y

Basin through the co-ordinated plan
by the Bureau of Recla-
nation and the corps of Army En-
gineers-
Addressed to the President, Sec
rotary of Interior and Congress, the
proposed joint memorial was also
signed by Representatives Carl
Lehrkind. Jr., D.. Gallatin; Robert
J. Dunn. r.. Gallatin. L. W. Goff-
ena. R., Musselshell John Oliver,
r.. Carter, and c. j. Baldwin, r.,
Yellowstone.
THE Authority and bureau to be
carried by the proposed MVA are
inconsistent and Incompatible with
the rights of ownership and with
the regularly constituted forms of
government under which we oper-
ate the memorial states, adding
that there is a growing tendency in
the federal government TO encroach
upon the rights originally reserved
to the respective states, and to I'M
pose centralized government regu-
lations and authorities in place OF
local government.
Would License Slot Machines
2. A measure introduced by Rep.
Robert A. Patterson, D.. Hill. and
six others to place 500 license on
slot machines and to authorize cities
and counties to do likewise The bill
would not legalize any form of
gambling. Patterson stressed, but
would only place annual fees on
each of the some l.700 slot ma
chimes now being operated by fra
ternal organizations, clubs and 9th
er groups in the state.
There is no reason why Montana
should not benefit millions of dol
lars on these machines" Patterson
said pointing out that the federal
government is taxing some Sl67,
900 annually under their authoriza-
ton by the Hickey Law.
In addition to the state license
tax. the measure would provide for
optional county and city license
taxes not TO exceed the $500 state
tax. The state license revenue
would 60 into the general fund
the county taxes into the county
poor fund, and the city levies into
the city general fund, according tc
the measures provisions.
Sponsoring this measure with
Patterson are Representatives Hall
D.. Park, Settle, r., Wheatland
Gebhardt, r, YelloWstonei Ballard
] D.. Silver Bow; BleWett. r.. Silver
Bow. and Arson, R., Beaverhead
A measure to license slot ma.
chimes was killed in the 1913 SEES
sion, but sponsors of this bill are
confident of its passage, since i
does not legalize the operation O
any slot machines in the state othel
than those now being run unde
authorization OF the Hickey Law.
To Relieve Warm Springs Condition
3. A bill and companion measure
! by Rep. Jack c. Toole. D., Toole, tt
relieve overcroWded conditions a
] the Warm Springs state mental hos
pital by transferring aged and Sc
nile inmates to the state norma
college at Dillon. abandon the col
lege as an educational institution
and change its name to the Montan
Old Peoples Home.
In connection with this move
Rep. Tom Stout, d., Fergus, ha
proposed construction Of a complet
new state hospital and the use c
existing facilities as a home TO
the aged. Stout's bill calls for a
appropriation Of up to SITS, 900 70
the purchase of fertile agriculture
lands for site of the new state hos
pital Money for construction {
,, buildings would be realized fror
. existing state funds and from a spe
! cial bond issue which would b
: submitted to the voters Of the stat,
Toole's series of bills were de
signed as an immediate solution
some of the problems at the stat
hospital He said the Dillon collee
), had dormitories and equipment *
: some $50 people and that less tina
:. 30 students were now enrolled, leas
: ing most Of the facilities unused
!. At the same time, he said, abol
! $50 old feeble-minded patients al
contributing to the population COZ
!. gestion at Warm Springs and cou
! be moved to the Dillon institute
!. with relative ease. !.
! These two measures posed a goo
:, possibility Of Heated debate amor
: the legislators, particularly fro
= the education faction over Wheth
one Of the three smaller colleg
! in the states six-unit universe
: system should be discontinued.
: 4. A measure broadening the pc,
~ ers Of the veterans welfare comm.
=, sion SO that it may more effective
. administer the huge task of /
+, facilitating Montana's returni
'ls servicemen now and after the w;
- introduced by the House militia
affairs committee.
The proposed bill would anne
two sections of the present act a
II give the commission power to {