The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-01-09

& IL Is my purpose 10 cureIully set down
in this the closing number OF this maga-
! zine for the year 1901. a record OF the
more important facts and conditions
which have existed and prevailed in
| South Dakota during the season to the
| end that there may be an authCritive re-
| sumo of the year to which future genera
tions may look with assurance OF the
| truth. In the writer's efforts to gather
| and preserve the history OF the state he
| has constantly found IL difficult TO Sc
| cure reliable information of the finan-
| cial and economic condition and of the
| prosperity or depression of the people.
/ This lack in the past has induced me TO
/ inaueurate the plan of a carefully made
| annual review. which it is hoped will be
| come permanent feature Of the work
| of the historical society.
OmcisI Record.
The opening, noteworthy event Of the
1 year was the converting Of the state legis-
! lature and the induction into office of
! Gov. Charles n. Herreid and the other
| state officers chosen at the election Of
! November, 1900: These were George w.
/ Snow, Lieutenant Governor; o. G.. Berg,
4 Secretary of State; James l.. Reeves,
\ Auditor; John Schamber, Treasurer; Da-
| vid Eastman, Land Commissioner; Il. L.
| Collins, Superintendent of Public Instruc-
\ ton; Frank LeCocq. Railway Commits
4 sioner. The house of representatives in
! the legislature elected A. g. Somers,
/ speaker The legislature contained one
] hundred and seventeen Republicans and
/ seventeen fusionists, and on the I'D of
! January Hon. Robert j. Gamble of Yank-
/ ton was chosen United States senator.
/ over Hon. r. f. Pettigrew, by a strict
/ party vote.
Legislative Action.
/ The legislature continued in session for
/ the fun period of sixty days. and passed
! 1SS laws and n joint resolutions. Many
4 of these were merely perfunctory amend
4 ments 10 existing statutes. The moro inn
| portant cEactments are enumerated be-
/ low.
Dairy Commission.
The law creating food and dairy COM
! missioner IS probably of first interest in
| the development of one of the states most
l valuable resources. The business OF dal-
4 rying has expanded with most gratifying
results in recent years, and now ranks
/ among the most productive and safest
I of the industries of South Dakota, de-
/ handing the protection of the state from
/ the receptions and frauds with which the
\ business is beset. Gov. Herreld prompt
/ ~ appointed Carter p. Sherwood Of De
/ Smet commissioner. under the provisions
! of the BILL and he has already accom-
1 plished much for the protection and ad-
/ yancement of the industry.
Law Revision.
! The laws of the state having continued
! without revision or compilation since 1877,
1 the legislature provided for code COM
I mission, and made an appropriation for
its maintenance. The governor was for
F., tunate in securing the distinguished serv-
/ tees Of Judge Bartlett Trip, former min
| lister TO Austria and plenipotentiary on
| behalf of the United tSates in the settle
! E1cnt OF ahe Samoan dif1culties Judge
Gideon c. Moody, former United States
| senator and judge of the federal ccuft in
! the days of the territory, and of Mr..
/ James Brown. q prominent lawyer of Eu-
TelSa, to undertake the compilation, re-
/ vision and annexation of the laws of the
state.
Law school.
| The legislature also provided for the
establishment of the Jaw department of
the state universe \. a proposition which
is Indicative of the genuine advancement
| of South Dakota in the lire of higher de.
I velopment. The regents OF education have
| elected Hon. Thomas Sterling, a distin-
I gu!shed lawyer OF Redfield, dean OF the
law school. and he is devoting himself TO
the organization of the classes.
Department of History.
| The department of history was created
| by the legislature. and it's administration
1 placed in the hands of the state historical
society. This work. previously neglected,
Is now being energetically followed, and
I much of vital interest in the states his
tory has already been rescued and pre-
/ served.
Circulating Libraries.
An important act in the educational de-
velopment of the state provides for the
| building up OF a system OF public oirculat-
| ing Libraries in the school districts. The
/ people interested in these libraries are
| putting the law in force with much enthu-
/ sias;u.
| scayenger Tax Bill.
| An important law of the session is
| known as the scaverger tax kill, and is
/ intended TO dispose of the real estate
| upon which owners have defaulted in the
/ payment of taxes and which has been
| bought in at the tax sales by the counties.
! This real estate consists chiefly of town
/ lots plated in the old boom days of the
/ eighties, ard upon which the accumula-
tion of -axes is considerable. The law
4 provides for the entry of judgment in rem
/ in all of these cases, and the sale of the
| property by the courts The act has al
ready resulted in bringing large amount
/ of money into the public treasury. and
| returning to the tax lists much property
| which TO- years mas not contributed to the
revenues of the state.
Appropriations.
The appropriations made by the legis-
/ lature for all Of the demands Of the state
/ for the biennial period ending with June
| 30 1AO3 aggregate $L3g6 791 30. or $685.
| 1896 per year. These appropriations in
| clude provision for Lew educational and
| charitable buildings to the extent of S237,-
| 800 and provide for the maintenance of
the state government, end the educational
| and charitable and 1reformatory institu-
| tons. Ii is interesting and highly COM
/ mendable to South Dakota to compare
| these figures TO those Of other states, IS
Nebraska where two and half million
are annually spent for the same general
| purposes, while in Iowa, Minnesota and
/ Wisconsin the annual budget devoted &c
J these objects about five million In each
| state. In North Dakota the annual APP
| propriations Of the legislature approxi-
mate one million one hundred thousand
i dollars.
No More Deficiencies.
/ The legislature effectively provided
against future deficiencies in the state
| funds by making IL criminal for any per-