The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-03-27

pensive contracting method. (This
bill was very similar to SD 81 of the
1851 session which received a unan-
imous "do pass" vote in the upper
chamber, only to die at the hands of
Rep. O'Connor in the house.) Aye
votes were for SB 1856, Nay votes,
against.
Sub. HOUSE BILL 4S-by Fulton,
O'Connor and Bricker-was the oil
lobby's major assault on the public
school oil lands. AS originally intro
duced this bill would have made a
shambles of practically all present
laws protecting the interests of the
schools in school land leasing agree
ments, including the elimination of
delay drilling penalties after two
years. 1t went through the house
with a few of the bad provisions
amended out. In the senate all OBJ
jectionable features save one were
deleted. This one feature removed
the 20-year limit on producing leases
in favor of oil companies holding
leases "as long as oil or gas is pro-
duced in paying quantities., after
the primary period of ten years. Sub.
lib 48 as passed by the legislature
and signed by Governor Aronson, re-
moves practically all regulatory au-
thority over state leases from the /!
State Land Board after the first ten l
years of the lease. Should Sub. HB
48 stand the test of constitutionality q
and the land board be left without I
supervisory authority leaseholders
will be able to exploit school leases
as they see fit. For example, pro-
duction after the ten-year primary d
period could be drastically restricted n
if it suited the leaseholder's purpose, II
and little or no royalty money would g
be Forthcoming to the School Per- Ia
manent Fund. This type of freeze" n
on a producing lease could be engi- g
neered by the leaseholder paying a.
only the rs cents annual rental per az
acre. Aye votes in both houses were tf
for passage of Sub. HB 48. Nay &C
votes were against. o'
SENATE RESOLUTION 2 = by Sc
James, Mahoney and Grandey-had II
t prevailed in the senate would p
lave requested the United States M
Congress not to make gift of off CO
hore, continental shelf oil resources pc
o three states, Texas, Louisiana and 70
'aliforina, as is currently being M
ushed in Washington. SIR 2 asked s
nat these reserves be retained by gr
ne federal government for the ma de
onal defense or other beneficial
urposes for all the people of the dr.
nited States. SR failed of pas ma
age 1888 with II Democrats and rel
vo Republicans voting for the reso- ha
Ition and "a Republicans against ap
We votes were for passage of SRI, the
ay votes against. tul
jec
HOUSE BILL 112-to bring the 10
ementary and secondary school
program in line with in vo-
easing costs and enrollments. Draft
| by Mrs. Reeds house committee on
lucation, in line with recommends an,
ons OF Montana Education Assocla- am
On, Montana School Boards Associ- be
ion and Montana Federation of to
HB 112 proposed raising sue
e foundation schedule by 10 to 80 ing
n cent. This represented an average law
crease of 10 per cent, for total san
s,058,941. This amount could be ma
We'd by local school boards with Dire
It special levy elections to meet the nit
cost of education. Because as
an out-moded foundation sched- for
e, many of Montana's school dis ant
cts had to hold special levy cleo rem
ms last year in order to keep their far
hools in operation. Ave
IB 112 hit the house floor with a ovt
animous "do pass" recommends
N by the education committee. Then +
p. O'Connor went to work and cad
cceeded in cutting the increased pos
schedule to about five ecu
r cent-or slightly over million tior
liars. 1t was at this point that Mrs. etc.
ed succeeded in getting HB 112 colo
ut back to committee, and it is on ord,
at important motion the roll call alto
taken Ac HIP 10 WAC fina111y an H.