The Western news., 1947-03-06
legislative News
Of Past Week

Helena, Mar. 5-U.R-The Bill
reorganizing, redistricting and re-
financing Montana's elementary and
secondary school systems today was
back where it started.
Proponents of the measure indi-
Gated they would try again in two
years.
The I33-page measure-an at
tempt to rewrite three complete
school laws-died in Montana's Sen
ate Wednesday when M. j. Mulhol-
land, D.. Butte prevailed with his
motion to indefinitely postpone fur
ther consideration The roll call
was 36-15.
Among contributing factors to the
Bill's death must be listed a lack
Of money, in addition to amend
ments
If the reorganization Bill had
passed, state aid would have amoun-
ted to S4,OOO,0O0 annually. The ap-
preparation necessitated by the
death of the reorganization Bill
would grant $l500000 a year to the
states schools. The difference-$2,-
100000 annually-could not have
been raised with taxation measures
remaining before the 3Oth assembly
when they killed the school Bill
According to Sen. G. M. Moss,
chairman Of the Senate Education
committee, the measure had lost
great deal Of its directness." be-
cause it was amended here TO satisfy
one group, there to satisfy another
The Whitefish republican, who.
emphasized he was neither for nor
against the Bill. said his objections
were to the implications of the
measure" He said a large school
was not necessarily an efficient
school, nor was il Of necessity a
better school than a small one
One amendment which did as
much as any to kill the Bill was
tackled on by Sen. Arthur Hage-
man. The Jordan republican wrote
into the measure a provision
authorizing county commissioners to
levy additional taxes if state ap-
propriations were insufficient.
Sen. Paul Rice, D., Bynum, op-
posed the amendment on the
grounds that with its approval the
Bill would cease to be an equaliza-
ton measure. "All that il does is
return the load TO the county" Rice
said.
Two compensation increase Bills
were advanced during the eighth
legislative week.
One. by Rep E. 3. Foot. R., Kalis-
pel, was amended by the senate
to increase unemployment compen-
sation payments TO $l8 a week. It
received favorable senate committee
of the whole action Friday
The other, senate Bill by SEM
j A Liggett, r., Roundup, would
increase to Sl750 the weekly com
pensation paid injured workmen. It
received a House recommendation
for passage despite the fact that the
lower chamber earlier had killed a
similar proposal.
The House Highways committee
Bill setting up drivers license
testing program Financed by a $780,
600 annual appropriation received
senate committee of the whole ap-
proval, Friday
The Upper Chamber also gave
final passage to a House Bill raising
from 312 to six mills the university
millage levy for 10 years beginning
in l949.
Vote on the Referendum Measure,
by Rep. w F. Page, R., Missoula,
was 400
Late in the week, both House
and Senate dealt themselves hands
in the current Washington, D. c.,
controversy over the Hungry Horse
Dam project Introduced in both
House and Senate were resolutions
asking the National Congress to ap-
propriate funds for completion of
the project, including the transmits
sion line from Kerr Dam to Hungry
Horse.
The memorial was introduced in
response to a request from Rep. Mike
Mansfield, D., Mont, who Monday
wired United Press he was asking
the state legislature to let congress
know Montanans were behind the
project