The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-02-06
Ghe Legislature
Proceedings Of the Lawmakers
at the South Dakota Capital
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.

Plerre, >. H., Jan. ZI.-Ine leSlSla'
lure reconvened today after a weeks
recess. The session today was devoted
to routine matters.
Pierre, S. D., Jan. 29.-The reassem-
bled solons were weary after the vaca-
ton, and the first day passed tamely
enough, the senate adjourning imme-
diately after prayers, and the house
grinding out n small routine griSt. A
few interesting bills, however, APP
peared.
The most important, possibly, is
Goddard's bill, reducing the board o.
charities to three members, to whom
an adequate salary shall be paid. Tnl.l
measure was before the last session
and was drawn by the late Attorney
General John L.. Pyle for the investi-
eating committee which the last legis-
Iature commissioned to go through tho
charitable and penal institutions, and
the bill was reported by that commit
tee, but SO late in the session that 1t
failed to get through. The state has
six institutions; two insane asyIums, a
blind school, a deaf mute school, a re-
torn school and a p~enitentiary, all I'M
der the direct control of the board OF
charities, who serve for a per diem OIL
So. The consequence is that business
men serve upon the board at a real
sacrifice, and give as little time to the
management Of the institutions as will
serve simply to audit the accounts. 1t
Is argued that a small board Of COM
petent men should give up all Of their
time to the supervision of these places
and the arrangement proposed in the
Goddard bill seems feasible pop
ular.
Goddard has a companion bill to the
foregoing which provides a system OF
lnVantnrVInp nn6 ooa0y5rtSrr F-~ 49,
state property at the various public
institutions. We have no law on the
subject, n the result is a good deal
Of carelessness In keeping a check on
small implements n furniture. The
new bill provides a remedy.
Speaker Brown introduced the ex-
pected board of health bill, which re-
organizes the present system does
away with the weak features Of it, pro-
vides that all fees shall go into the pub
lie treasury n compensate the mem
bers by appropriations. All physicians
admitted to practice must show good
character and undergo a thorough ex-
animation. The fee for registration Is
fixed at SIS.
Longstaff has a bill providing a per
diem Of IS per day for sheriffs while
holding live stock or perishable per
sonal property under attachment or
execution. Their is no statutory fee
provided at present and the fact leads
to constant litigation between sheriffs
and litigants.
Longstaff, too, introduced another bill
permitting cities m other municipal
corporations to issue judgment bonds
and compromise bonds without submit
ting the matter to q plebicite. AS the
law exists all such questions must be
referred to the people for approval and
some of the towns interested in bonds
Of doubtful legality lave found the de-
lay incident to such submission has on
several occasions caused hopeful and
advantageous settlements to miscarry.
Price of Yankton has presented the
regular memorial to congress for the
election Of United States senators by
popular vote. 1t will carry as it al
ways in the past has done.
Mr.. Hayes a brought in the bills
which he has had under consideration
rom the beginning Of the session pro-
viding for the restoration of burned
records and for the inspection of sheep
driven into the state. The plan of the
former, it will be recalled, is to have
a copy Of the document destroyed, au-
thenticated by the circuit court, after
constructive notice of a hearing for the
purpose by publication, and that the
copy thus authenticated shall be duly
recorded and received as prima facia,
evidence in all courts of the state. There
IS a real necessity for the law in sew
aral counties which have lost their rec
r by the destruction of the himsy,
primitive court houses of pioneer days,
We already have a fairly satisfactory
Jaw for the inspection of sheep shipped
into the state by railway, but no pro-
lection against diseased animals driven
n. The latter is the method by which
large numbers are received from Mon
n and Wyoming.