Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-01-12
no FREAK BILLS At PIERRE.
Legislators Showing Practical Turn
az Mind

Legislators Showing Practical Turn
Of Mind.
The legislators are bringing fewer
| hobbies for an airing than in any pre-.
yious session, at least fewer have de-
veloped in the preliminary canvass
The bills thus far shown are ordina,
rily of practical turn, and scarcely
hint of freak legislation has been
proposed.
At the last session a father whose
son had been killed in football game
was here to abolish the game by stat.
ute and was laughed out Of court. To
day such bill would be received seri.
ously and stand fair chance of pass.
ing. Nothing SO radical, however, will
probably be undertaken, but that some
action looking to the modification Of
football will be considered is likely
The suggestion most popular is to
provide with suitable penalties that
the player who Injuries another, either
Intentionally or accidentally, shall be
instantly suspended from the game
and shall not again play for ten days
This provision. it is believed, will re
move the Objectionable features from
football.
Representative Kribs of Brown
county has plan to make owners of
motor vehicles responsible for in.
juries. 1t is alleged that the "devil
carts" dash through the country, in
fiicting damage to persons and stock
and fly away before the injured can
identify the aggressor. To prevent
this lMr. Kribbs' bill provides that the
owner shall obtain a license from the
secretary of state and registered
number, which shall be painted in
legible characters on the rear end of
the vehicle, where even he who lies
cut down in the prime and flower OF
his life may read.
Mr.. Kribs will also promote an
amendment to the law relating to the
taking of the school census, which is
now entirely without safeguards. AS
the apportionment of school funds is
predicated upon the census, there is
reason to fear that some thrifty dis
tricts have been habitually stuffing the
returns. There is no penalty at pres
ent for such palpable fraud and the
Kribs bill will attach heavy penal.
ties.
Senator Hanley of Pennington says
settlers of his section are seriously in
jured by the rules of the interior de-
partment relating to the Black Hills
timber reserve. There is no exception
in the rules for purely agricultural
lands, nor relief for those settlers who
located upon the lands before the res
ervation was made. Custer City is
within the reservation and is there,
fore seriously crippled by the rigid
enforcement of the rules. Senator
Hanley desires that congress be me-
morialized upon the subject.
In a legislature containing 1875 Re.
publicans out of possible 1872, there
is not much hope for much political
excitement unless family row is en-
genTered. The party managers are
here hoping by discreet action to pre-
vent any internal strife, and if they
are successful in this the outlook for
fun is not encouraging.
A majority Of the senators have
served before. Lawson is NeSIOr or
the upper house, with four consecn-
tive terms to his credit, besides pre-
vious service in the house. Cooper OF
Lawrence is in his fifth term, but they
have not been successive.
In the house thirty-five members
have had previous service in the state
legislature, and Van Odsel Of Yankton
served several terms in the territorial
council.