Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-02-02
LEGISLATIVE NE WIS.
What our Representatives are Doing at
Prerre. rs Reported by q Chron-
icle Correspondent.

Prerre, rs Reported BY Chrou.
icle Correspondent.
PIERRE, s. D., Jan. 30.--The legislature
last week adjourned over from Friday
till Tuesday and the amount Of work
done has therefore been comparatively
slight. The coming week is expected to
develove much interest. The bill which
passed the senate by an almost unan
imous vote calling for constitutional
convention is meeting with much oppo-
sition in the house, and is practically
certain TO be defeated there. A
two-thirds vote is required to pass 1t,
and already more than a third OF the
members have declared emphaticalIy
against it. The ground Of their opposi
ton lies in the expense. A constitu-
tonal convention would cost fully $50,-
900 10 hold. and the election would cost
$4,000 more This is pretty expen.
siye matter in hard times. The principal
argument in favor of the convention
lies In the belief of many Of the mem,
bers that the present limit Of debt and
taxation is too low, but it is pointed out
that those defects, ii there are such, can
be removed by simple amendment,
and that the value Of the repeal can
through the amendment process be Sc
cured ia two years, while the benefit Of
the new constitution would not be
realized under four.
Senator Wilson, the leader Of the
Black Hills members. is deeply interest.
ed in the question of irrigation. He
has made a study Of the California law
on the question, and proposes to intro.
duce a bill con tanning the best provisions
Of those laws. The eastern part Of the
state must utilize artesian wells for irri
cation. The Black Hills are more for
tunate. There are surface streams in
large abundance flowing at such an
altitude that irrigation is an easy matter.
The Senator tells that the Cheyenne
river, with the Fall River ard other
streams flowing through the southern
Hills, can be easily utilized for irrigation
purposes, and that already great ditch
has been dag in Fall River county four
teen miles in length, to convey this
water to the land. He states that prac-
tical experiments have already demon
strated the desirability Of artificial
watering in the Black Hills. and that
with suitable laws there would be no
great difficulty in making the prairie
country and the foot hills exceedingly
prosperous agriculturally, He favors the
formation Of irrigation districts which
shall be allowed to bond for the practical
construction of bitches from streams, or
sinking wells as is done in California,
and which shall operate very much as
joint stock companies.
Mr.. Patton has introduced bill 10 pro
viding that where the county treasurer
is unable TO collect personal taxes by
distress and sale, he shall fle aud list
on the first Of September with the coun-
ty anditor. and the commissioners shall
employ tax collector to collect them,
and bill ll3 providing f'r the paymest
of lye stock destroyed by the railroad
companies. This bill makes 1t incum-
bent on the railroads to make cattle
guards sufficient TO Keep cattle from
their tracks and that any cattle killed
on their tracks shall be paid for by the
road. His bill, exempting from taxa
ton. has passed the house, and bis bill
l03, providing that the complainant be-
fore justice court shall put up bond to
cover cost, has been fayorably reported
Senator Wilson has taken an active
part in most Of the debates of the SEN
ate. particularly upon the resubmission
question. He spoke and voted squarely
for the bill and had much to do with its
success. He stated in his speech that
while he was a strong temperance man
and was opposed to the open saloon, he
believed that the people had right to
vote on this question, and would help
them to do so.
Mr.. Wilson's bin for the relief of Ed
ward Campbell has not yet come out of
the committee, but will unquestionably
pass He has introduced bill III, pro.
viding that the plaintiff in civil actions
must furnish securities for cost before
beginning suit, but this has not yet been
reported. Mr.. Dickover. of Fall River,
has introduced similar bill in the
house.