Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-03-21

body, and has devoted a great deal
of attention to laws curling corpora
lions, and placing them under more
stringent legal control.
The work of the session will stand
out probably for years to come, as
the session which took more advanced
grounds than any other legislative
session ever held in the state in re-
gard to reform laws. Even the Popu-
list legislature did not approach it in
the advanced ground taken, and the
Populist legislators were looked upon
as revolutionary in their day.
First in this line is railway legisla-
ton, the bills passed in that line be-
ing to reduce railway passenger rates
to two and half cents mile under
order of the railway commission; au-
thorizing the commission to investi-
gate the conditions in the state with
the assistance of expert assistance,
and secure the actual value of the
roads in the state, on which to base
q new scale of freight and passenger
rates; preventing the paralleling of
railways within eight miles, unless
by consent Of the railway commits
sion; limiting the working hours Of
railway employees; requiring connect
ing tracks to be put in at junction
points of railroads; providing for
collection of double damages from
railways in case of loss of live stock
from accidents on the track, where
the to 80
court the same provisions for loss
from fires set by carelessness of rail-
way employees; providing for taxation
OF railway property other than mile
age, and the anti-pass law These
last two apply to telegraphs, tele-
phones, express and sleeping car com
panles as we'll as to railroads.
The anti-lobby law also has aimed
AZ much at the railways as at any 9TH
ar proposition, as they have been
looked upon as the most active in
that line of work.
State to Control Telephones.
The telephones have been placed
under control Of the railway commits
sion through one bill, and under con-
troll OF state telephone commission
by another measure. which provides
for a commission to be composed of
state officers and competent tele-
phone man, but as the senate has re-
fused to pass the bill providing for the
salary of the telephone man on the
commission, that law likely will not
be effective for the present
The political laws passed have been
the pri1sary election bill; bill to re-
qu1re candidates for Office to file cleo
ton expense accounts with the proper
>tficials, and a measure prohibiting
campaign contributions from corpora
tons.
In the lines Of legislation regarding
morals. the saloon question was at
The lead. the referendum being in
voked to bring about vote on county
local option, and laws being enacted
to prevent the establishment of sa-
loon within 800 feet of a church or
school; to prevent saloons within
pne-third OF mile of any university
DR. academy; allowing city councils
to establish saloon limits, and pre-
venting moro than one saloon to 300
inhabitants In town. Other bills in
shat line are to prevent Sunday thea
ters, or games and sports on Sunday
where an admission fee Is charged:
to prevent gambling, making the act
, mfsdemeanor, and making the own
or OF place where gambling is car
ried on legally liable for any losses
sustained.
Galveston Plan Adopted.
Among the general bills of impor.
lance are the one providing for con-
troll of cities by commission under
what is known as the Galveston plan:
the educational bill, which is a COM
plete revision Of the educational
laws, prepared by a commission ap-
pointed by Gov. Elrod for that pur-
pose; and the divorce bill, which is
expected to wipe out the divorce colo
MES which have been located in the
state ever since its organization.
Many other bills OF general local i'm.
portance have been enacted, over $50
new laws being added, many =. them
passed as emergency measures, and
in effect at the present time.
At the same time bills which were
considered important have been de-
feated, among them road law WHIP
ing out road labor and requiring all
road taxes to be paid in cash; the
county local option bill; the bill to
apply the provisions of the Carey act
in this state; the game bill prepared
by the anti-clgarette law, and the
equal suffrage amendment to tho
constitution.
Foil Divorce Law.
Contrary to expectations, the d.
vorce industry of Sioux Falls and
South Dakota has not received it's i'm
mediate deathblow as the result the
state legislatures enacting a law
raising the period of residence from
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