The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-03-20
SESSION HAS Been 4
A REMARKABLE one
Show Net Inc
crease of Half Million Over
Last Session.
OVER 200 BILLS PASSED
Resubmission Was Most Important.
Work, but Insurance Legislation
and CAROLS Bill Are Most
Vital to the State.

Pierre, S. D., March 10.-The legisla--
ture, which closed is sessions at A.
o'clock Saturday morning, but which
by courtesy must be understood to have
"cut it OUT at midnight Friday has.
lett a somewhat remarkable record as
measured by the previous legislatures:
Of South Dakota
Two hundred and ninety-seven bills
were introduced in the house, as COM
pared with 2S2 at the last previous ses-
sion n 233 senate bills, as against 224
two years ago. Two hundred and for
ty-four bills passed both houses and
become laws, as against 209 at the asst
session.
Only two amendments were submit
ted to u much patched constitution,
one for capital removal, the other pro-
viding for more liberal provisions for
loaning the school funds. chiefly in
raising the limit to one borrower from
81. 900 to 5000.
In the matter Of revenue, which has
been the great concern Of the session,
the Carroll bill passed raises the aggre-
gate assessment from $4,000, 900 to
800, 900, 900 and clothes the state board
with authority to correct fraudulent
and inadequate assessments. The
board Is also authorized to, in it's dis
erection, levy the additional 2 mills de-
fciency provided for by the constitu-
ton for both 1903 and 1904.
Important Insurance Lerislation.
Next to revenue, insurance matters
have been Of greatest interest and laws
providing for the valued policy and
against compacts between companies
have been enacted. There are also sew
eral other acts of minor Importance:
Prohibiting rebates Of any portion Of
the premium to applicants for life in
%surance; exempting fraternals from
taxation; extending time in which
companies may file their statements
from February to March, n extend
Ing h field Of operation of mutuals
to all classes of risks.
There has been some radical changes
In the educational law, chief of which
are the Kehm law for certification Of
teachers by state superintendent; Car
roll law, giving free high school privil-
eyes to rural pupils who have passed
the eighth grade, and Stoddard act for
country high schools. The school tax
levy was increased to Is mills and the
limit Of Indebtedness to s per cent Of
assessment.
Very wisely the legislature enacted
the revised codes as they came from
the commission, as it was manifestly
impossible within the short limit Of the
session to have traversed the entire
subject. But few defects AVE as yet
been discovered in the work and they
were cured by special amendatory en-
actments.
Appropriations Show Big Increase.
In appropriations the legislature
made it's most radical departure. The
total sum appropriated reaches to
81, 300, 900. The total at the. last ses-
sion was $1,40O, 900, making the in
crease q net half million.
New salaried positions are: One new
Judge, $4,000; five regents, IS, 900; five
charities, 81, 800; secretary historical So
ciety, s1,400; adjutant general and vet
erinarian, increased from 81, 200 to
81, 500. Every state institution except
the reform school gets new buildings.
The maintenance of the several in
situations is the chief source of extra
expense due to growth Of population.
An $685. 900 Session.
The total Of all appropriations for spe-
cial purposes, deficiencies and buildings
passed by the present session is as follows: