Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-03-07
SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE.

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birthday was legally observed here yes.
terday. Neither houss passed bill and
the senate only met and transacted a little
business in committee of the whole.
Senator Melville's bill for a uniform
school law was reported favorably. The
revenue bill was not reported and an at
tempt by Senator Harrison % strike out
the taxation of railroads by the gross
earnings system failed TO carry. The
special committee, consisting of Senators
Peterman, McFarlane and Wickham, to
report an industry for the penitentiary,
was appointed.
An unsuccessful attempt was made to
reconsider the memorial on the foreclos-
ure Of the Union and Central Pacific rail-
roads mortgages.
Hard work is being done on both sides
on the resu omission question. The mem
bers are being brought 60 terms by threats
OF defeat of their pet measures unless they
vote right to please those holding power.
IL is rumored that even the governors veto
is being brought TO bear on certain meas
ures to prevent resubmission.
The senate is now wrestling with two
pretty big bills One Is the revenue bill
and the other the educational bill. The
former gives new law for the assess
ment of property aud collection of taxes,
while the latter seeks to avoid the conflict
between the district and township system,
by making it possible for one to slide into
the other and to operate under the sume
provision Those who have examined IL |
give it q strong endorsement
Quite bit of opposition occurred in the !
house to the bills refunding the $92, SOD OF )
bonds for constructing the hospital for the |
insane and $4,000 agricultural bonds. |
Notwithstanding the great saving in inter !
est, number of members were so fearful
of expense in connection with making new |
bonds that they opposed the motion.
The grangers took especial delight in re. |
ducng to 80 the 500 exemption from tax
ntion on furniture, clothing, etc. Should
the senate concur in the amend ment there |
will be very few houses which escape the
assessors list. This movement is in the
interest Of the poor man.
In the early session Senators Preston
and Sheafe introd uced elections bills. Mr..
Sheafe's was the Australian system, pure
and simple, and Mr.. Prestons was for q
mod ification of that law. Both bills have
been dropped, and n substitute embodying
certain features of each, has been pre-
pared. As the session Is so near close ii
is doubtful whether the bill can receive
the proper consideration and be passed.
PIERRE, S. D., Feb. %. Both branches
of the legislature, since the solution Of the
senatorial problem, have got down to
measures are being considered, a few Of
which will become laws. Yesterday the
lower house spent n solid day passing on
bills. The most important are:
That the agricultural college shall hold
farmers institutes throughout the state
for instruction in modern and scientific
methods OF agriculture; that veterinary
surgeons shall be graduates, or practi-
TONERS Of five years standing and pass an
examination before the state board; that
railroad companies shall furnish cars upon
three days notice, and keep suitable facil-
tiles for handling freight and receive cars
from other roads in like manner; that
railroad companies shall be liable for
damage caused by fire arising from steam
engines; attaching the cost Of the change
OF venue of appeal to the losing party in
such cases; that the court stenographers
shall furnish transcripts at cents per
folio of 100 words; that printed session
laws shall be delivered fifty days after the
date OF contract; appropriating 81, l40 for
the selection OF t2O, 900 acres OF state en-
dowment lands.
The following bills were introduced BY
Mr. Mcleod allowing cities to enact a
poll tax; by Mr.. Pratt, for the establish
meDt of state library; by Mr.. Cuchlock,
for the collection OF taxes on civil actions;
by Mr. Gardner, providing that circuit
judges may hold terms OF court In other
districts than their own and for other dis.
tricts in their own cham bers; by Mr.. Bar
low, memorial to congress that royalty
to the owners of patents and copyrights
be issued and free manufacture allowed
also for national warehouses for the storage
of surplus grain; by Mr.. Gardner, au-
thorizing circuit judges TO hold special
terms of court on their own meeting. A
bill to reduce the rate of interest from IL
to 10 per cent. failed to pass, as also the
bill to change the circuit Judge on the
board of pardons to the presiding Judge OF
the supreme court.
In the senate the following bills were
passed Empowering mayors of cities of
the first class to appoint assessors Tor two
years; increasing the interest on tax GER
tifcates from ~ to Is per cent Both
houses adjourned to IL o'clock tomorrow
- rne governor mas signed the new fence
law and IL has become "A part OF the stat
ute. 1t provides that there shall be free
range for stock In all unorganized coun-
ties and all counties to be organized here.
after until such time as the people decide
otherwise. The law will prove a great
incentive to the development and oecu.
pancy of the newly acquired ft,0M,0a0-
acre tract west of the Missouri river in
this state to which Pierre is the gateway.
The people of this city are universally re.
joicing tonight, as are all people inter
ested in the future development OF this
country.
PIERRE, = D., Feb 26 The house
special committee appointed to inyesti-
gate the irrsgularity in the sale of state
lands has reported that there is no ground
for the charges.
The railroad committee reported in ia
vor of making the governor, secretary OF
state and commissioner of immigration
take the place Of the present board OF
railroad commissioners.
The appropriation committee made a re-