The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-01-09

uoubtIul w15aGm to go on selling
them. In my judgment the best Of
these lands should be taken from the
market and / heartily agree with the
recommendation Of the conmis sioner
that tie minimum price be rasBed TO
$50 per acre. It. appears frthl' his re.
port that the AVERAGE Z. HDper acre
of these lands sold from 1897 TO 1891
was $1356; from 1895 to 1898. &f2.-G;
from 1893 to 1902. $IE.&G, fr2ni lsn2
to 1906, $2Gs5 These foTfes show
the wisdom Of withholdsslg from the
market the most desirable of these
lands and Of raising the minimum
price.
Sale of Dead Timber.
It also appears from this report that
there is considerable dead and fallen
timber upon the state lands situated
within the Black Hills forest reserve
and that several hundred dollars have
been received by the state during the
past two years for such timber. 4 The
commissioner recommends that law
be passed at this session authorizing
that officer to sell all matured timber
belonging to the state within its re-
serve under such safeguards as may
be deemed best. / request that you
give this recommendation careful con-
sideration. He also calls attention to
the fact that the lands of the state in
Lawrence, Pennington and Custer
counties are exposed to loss through
contests by mineral claimants and
that state lands within the Black Hills
forest reserve are exposed to loss
through the claim of squatters to
homesteads.
The utmost vigilance must be used
to protect the state against wrongful
claims of this character and ample
means provided 10 enable the attorney
general to take whatever action Is
necessary In the premises.
Secretary of state.
This officer in his report for the
binenniaI period closing June 80,
1906, calls attention to the fact that
in the enactment of the Revised Code
of Civil Procedure by the legislature
of 1903. a part of Section 108, all CT
Sections 100 to 116, inclusive, Of Chap
ter ., all of Chapter 10, all of Sections
153 to 204, inclusive, AMI part of Sec
tion 205 of Chapter II, were mad
vertently omitted from the law as
passed This omission should be
remedled by an enactment with the
least possible delay.
H. appears from the report Of the
secretary Cf state and state auditor
that the expense to the state for
printing anl binding amounts each
year to not less than $25,000 While
under the law the contract for the
larger part of this work is let to the
lowest bidder, the evidence is convinc-
ing that through combination among
the binders the purpose of the law is
evaded and in many instances the
prices paid have been exhorbitantly
high The class of work done has
been very poor. For what 1t pays out
for printing and binding in one year,
the state could install a good printing
and binding outfit of it's own. BY
owning it's own plant and by placing
this work under the charge of a state
printer and binder, the state could
save thousands of dollars in the future
and secure q better grade Of work
than 1t is now getting. Your attention
Is called to this matter as a subject
for effective legislation.
Revision of the School Law.
1t appears from the report Of the
superintendent of public instruction
that steps have been taken to present
for consideration and enactment a
thorough revision OF the school law of
the state, a matter of the greatest i'm
portance to all, which is referred to
you for the highest consideration.
The recommendation is made that
the office Of the clerk of the supreme
that the clerk pay all fees over and
above his salary into the state treas
ury.
Appropriations for State Officers.
In making appropriations for the ex-
penses incurred by the state officers
during the next two years, you should
take into consideration the fact that
it has been determined by the people
by means of platform declarations of
every political party in the state and
by the results of the recent general
election that the officers in the service
of the state shall not use free trans
portation or accept courtesies in the
form of franks, passes, or free tickets
In any manner. This legislature is in
honor and decency absolutely bound to
enact strict and effective law abolish
ing the pass evil, and will undoubtedly
do its duty at an early date. Pro-
vision must be made by appropriation
for the payment Of the transportation
of the states officers necessarily In
Cured while transacting the business
of the state. The circuit judges Of
the state are compelled In the neces-
sary performance of their official du-
ties to be absent from their homes a
considerable portion Of the time. 1t
is not the intention Of the constitu-
tion to compel these men out of the
small salary which they receive, to
pay their hotel bills and railway fare.
Heretofore state officials have en-
joyed the use of free transportation
and while using il when travelling on