The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-03-15
WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE.
Few Meritorious Bills Passed, But q
Mighty Expensive Session.

rev MerltOrfOus Bills Passed, But q
Mighty Expensive Session.
A resume of the work done by the
session of the legislature just closed
is of interest for the things left UNI
done, for the bitter war engendered,
and for the unparalleled extrava-
gance of it.
The laws passed of merit were:
l For codifcation of the laws.
That was denounced by the republi-
cans in 1897 as usless extravaganza.
Since thecomplication of Grantham s
code there is much less need for it
now than then. Though it is safe to
say that such codification will be Of
advantage to the state if done prop
erly.
2 For the election of judges at the
time general elections are held.
Governor Lee made that recommen-
dation in his retiring message and
in his message to the legislature of
1899. It was not recommended by
Governor Herried.
3 Compelling the heads of state
institutions and all salaried officers
to tsrn monies collected by them in
to the treasury OF the state to be
paid out by voucher. That was re-
commended by Governor Lee in his
retiring message and in his message
to the legislature of 1899. 1t was
not recommended by Governor Her.
ried.
4 To prevent the incurrence of
deficiencies and providing that
funds appropriated for one purpose
shall not be diverted to another.
That was recommended by Governor
Lee in his message to the last two
legislatures and was not recon-
mended by Governor Herried.
5. The appointment Of commit
tee to investigate the state institu-
items was recommended by Governor
Lee in his last message and was not
recommended by Governor Herried.
6. The amendent to the liquor
law providing that drug stores may
not be run as bar rooms was recon-
mended by Governor Lee but was
not recommended by Governor Her.
ried.
z. Burkes "Scavenger tax bill"
was along the lines recommended
by Governor Lee in his message and
was not recommended by Governor
Herried.
These were the only bills Of even
reasonable merit passed during the
session.
The bad bills were:
1. The new blllot law has only
the merit of an effort to prevent
fusion. 1t does nothing to prevent
LITIGATION of the ballot.
2. The law making county COM
missioners elective by the entire
county eliminates the country vote
in counties where there are large
, towns, and places the levying of tax
es, the construction Of bridges and
roads in the hands of q few bosses
in the towns. jae
3. There should be law giving
the governor power to remove ap-
pointees for cause But the provi-
sion that he may remove other than
constitutional officers without as.
signing reason for the same is a
!, vicious measure, calculated to breed
abuses of the worst kind
4. The law providing for the re-
organization of the board Of charities
and corrections with an emergency
clause intended to nullify the refer
endum was a most vicious measure.
5. The creation of multitude Of
new Offices was useless expense
and the increase in salaries of the
governor and the judiciary to 90 in
to effect during the terms of Office of
the present officials. is grave de-
psrture from law and precedent.
Outside of the formal election OF
United States sen ator the above
list represents the work OF the most
expensive legislature session ever
held in South naknta What ID