Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-12-21

IT, movement inaugurated by the
na.,hers of the state board of railroad
;, pi~rs,one for q general reduction
nj freight charges in South DaKota
Is making good progress, and wlthout
dorht will bear good n substantial
fruit, Every railroad having INES III
South Dakota was represented at Il
preliminary meeting which was nero
at the headquarters OF the fallroao
commissioners. While the meeLihS
had no definite results. sufficient tlnne
for securing data on the subject not
having elapsed, steps were taken ioi
further meetings, when the nlat'ef
will, in the course of the next SHY
GAYS, be brought to a conclusion anu
the schedule OF new rates, as
by the railroad commissioners, Will De
put into effect, The representatives u
the railroad companies present al the
meeting stated that they would pc uh-
able TO procure the necessary data ana
prepare their side OF the case Withlh d
period of six weeks, and accordingly
the hearing was continued me ran
road commissioners have liked DEC. 20
as the time for the next hearing OF
the matter. The railroads VIII not az
stated above. have their side of the
case anu itaNs lSl ~ 800
ton to the board at h IA time, but at
the hearing on the 2Sth the board VIII
receive complaints and suggestions
from hippers. iobbers and others in
reference to the proposed new sched-
ule OF reduced rates. The railroad
commissioners invite all shippers ana
others in the state, who have sugses
tions or complaints to make, to pre-
sent them in person at the adjourned
hearing, or send them in by mail prior
TO that time SO they ma receive con-
sideraticn at the hands of the rail-
| -oad commissioners.
The annual report of state Ireasur~
er Collins for the year ending July |.
last, has cen printed, and in the let
ter of transmittal he calls attention
to the total debt reduction which has
been made, cutting the bonds and rev.
enue warrants down from $4,000 to
sss2.0o0. During the fiscal year reve-
nue. warrants to the amoun of S4Oo,-
600 We're taken up, and new ones is
sued to the amount of s250.00o. The
cash will be on hand TO take these up
! when they become due in February
next While the report only shows
the taking up of $4,000 of the bonds,
reducing the bonded Indebtedness of
the state to S212.e60. Since that time
Treasurer Collins secured the surren-
der of all but s45, 600 of the outstand-
ing bonds, and has a promise of Sc
curing them cutting OUT entirely that
| part of the state debt. If the present
promises are kept h saving to the
state in the interest charge which would
have accrued had all the bonds III TO
| maturity will have been over $4,000.
Treasurer Collins estimates the total
| state Indebtedness at the close of his
term 81 5000. g0o. and holds that with
the increase in material progress In
the state the revenues will be ample
under normal conditions to meet all
demands. but with the possibility at all
times that The legislative ~appropria-
tons are likely to, under the pressure
which exists, go beyond the possibili-
ties of the revenues to meet them. and
leave the state in the position of a
borrower. or CARRYING z per cent war
rants which cannot be met for want Of
funds on hand.
State Land Commissioner Dokken
while in Pierre announced to the Office
force of that department that they
are to be retained in their present po-
sitions. The department he has been
| called upon TO manage is one of the
| big business institutions of the state,
which has the control of millions OF
dollars of cas and requires a corps of
trained men to handle it properly. Mr..
Dokken viii take hold of a big estab-
Iishment, and will leave a bigger onc
as every year adds to the duties and
AZ. l-11 = a. Il
partment. Up to the present the state
has been fortunate in the class of men
at the head of the department, and
Mr.. Dokken, with his business training
should be able to keep the department.
up to its high state of efficiency. and
bring new ideas to help along the
! work. He has shown his appreciation
of the task before him by his selection
of assistants, and will without doubt
give the work the same painstaking
care as has his predecessors.
Crawford has been on a tour of vista
ltion to state institutions. for the pur-
pose of ascertainfng the condition and
needs of each so hat he may intelli-
gently refer to them in his forthcom-
ing message to the state legislature.
Although work eon this document has
not yet begun. it is Known hat It will
be a valuable state paper. He has
accumulated much material that will
be both interesting and instructive to
the people of South Dakota The LAT.
change in the law firm of Crawford &
Taylor, whereby A. b. Fairbank be-
! comes a member. relieves Mr.. Craw-
ford from the necessity of giving per-
sonal attention to business affairs of
the firm. except in more important
matters. Julian Blount, for several
years s~tenographer for Mr.. Crawford
in his law business. will accompany
him to Pierre as private secretary.
e
] The state brand commission has
been called to meet on the 9th OF
this month to clear UP all business
which may be ready for them at that
date. There will o be another
meeting until next spring.
The Northwestern read has begun
work on an extension of their freight
depot at Pierre. doubling the size OF
the present building, giving it a total
length of six hundred feet. At the
present time the old building is pack
ed with freight In every corner. and
long strings of box cars are being
held on the sidings for way freight
which cannot be got into the building.
When the addition Is completed. II Is
hoped h a the freight can be handled
in better shape.