The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-03-08
WORK WE'LL IN HAND
ALL PLATFORM PLEDGES RE.
DEEMED RY LEGISLATURE.

OEEMeO eY LEGISLATURES
Perfunctory Enactments and Appro
priations Remain to Be Completed,
but the Latter Are Causing consid.
cradle Trouble to the Committee.
Pierre, March 4.-The legislature
entered upon the last week of it's ex-
istence with the work we'll in hand,
the platform pledges all redeemed
and except for certain perfunctory en-
actments the appropriations is about
all that remains to be completed. The
appropriations, however, are no small
matter and not easily adjusted. 1t is
given out from the committees which
are now meeting in joint sessions that
the total approximate revenues after
squeezing the lemon to the utmost
are $2,200,000 while the demands ap-
proximate $2,G5O,O00, and the chief eff.
fort is to pare down the appropria.
tions to within the probable cash. 1t
Is agreed that Vermillion shall have
the new law building at $50,000 Brook
ings a dormitory at $4,000, Aberdeen
main building at 100000, Spearfish
a main building at $4,000, the school
of mines about $4,000 and the Yank-
ton asylum $4,000. Small repairs will
be made at the other establishments.
The general appropriations bill is
not yet reported, but the joint COM
mittees will endeavor to agree upon
it's items before introduction and 1t
is likely whatever is recommended
will be passed. All of the state de-
partments are growing and their me-
cessities correspondingly increased.
The estimates for the maintenance of
the land department, for instance, are
twice those of former years.
Increase Of Supreme Court.
The bill for the increase Of the
supreme court to five members came
from the senate judiciary committee
on Tuesday. The western portion OF
the state, to the east line of Penning-
ton and Butte counties, is the First
district. The Second district is COM
prised in the two tiers of counties
across the south portion west to the
First district boundary. The two tiers
beginning with Minnehaha and Moody
make up the Third; the Fourth ia
much the largest, comprising Grant:
Roberts, Marshall, Day, Brown, Nc.
Pherson, Campbell, Walworth, Ed
munds, Faulk, Hand, Hyde, Hughes
Sully, Potter, Brookings, Clark, Cod
ington, Deuel., Hamlin, Kingsbury and
Sphinx. The purpose of the districting
is to distribute the judges to the diff
ferent sections and much attention
has been given to gerrymandeT
which will include one or more Of the
strong bars in each circuit. Dead
wood and Rapid City are in the First
Yankton, Vermillion, Elk Point and
Canton In the Second: Sioux Falls
and Mitchell in the Third; Pierre and
Aberdeen in the Fourth and Brook.
ings, Huron, Redfeld and Watertown
in the Fifth. There is a good deal Of
hostility to the bill in the house on
the ground of economy and the dis
like for multiplying Offices and it's
fate is not certain.
The plan Of establishing a state
printing plant at once has been aban-
doned and an effort will be made to
submit constitutional amendment
providing for special levy of three
eights of mill for the purpose, as
was done In the case of the peniten.
tiary twine plant. A new printing bill
has been introduced by the senate
printing committee providing that the
governor, secretary of state and treas
urer shall be printing committee
and new schedule of maximum
rates established. The bill provides
for competitive bids as at present.
Telephone Commissioners.
A bill has passed the senate also
making the governor, treasurer and
auditor state board of telephone
commissioners with powers to regu-
late telephones and telephone serv-
ice and to fix maximum rates for serv-
Ice. They are not permitted extra
compensation, but are allowed a Sec
retary at $1,000. The telephone leg
lSldllOu udS uTdWu very large lODDy
here and no other subject is attracting
more attention. The rapid develop
ment of the industry and the con-
struction of new lines by independent
companies, the difficulty of. finding
satisfactory connections with the long
distance lines and the development of
rural lines all tend to produce an un-
settled, complicated and unsatisfac-
tory condition which it is hoped to re-
duce under the direction of a COM
mission with large powers
The bill fixing the tenure of office
Of the heads of institutions at four
years and in degree establishing a
civil service in the same, which was
once killed in the house, has again
come up in the senate bill which has
been favorably reported to the house
and is likely to pass this time.
The perennial fight between the
cattlemen, who want to let their cattle
drift at will, and the small stockmen,
who wish to keep their cattle under
contro., Id the farmers, who want to
grow crops, Is up again and in the
senate the cattlemen have won out