The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1907-01-12

and fair to each institution. and eunmis
that 1t will be better for each ana All OF
| them to have their several courses VI
study and lines of work SO clearly ae IN .t
that each will perform It's functions In the
most acceptable manner TO the state VIII,
out overlapping the work of another, ana
that they be held strictly to the channeis,
and the expenditure Of public Iunas Ia
| their aid be kept strictly within the limits,
prescribed by law. Great care, OF course,
should be used in fixing these limits SO
as not to impair the usefulness or eacn,
| but they should be made clear and specifc
and when made, should be sTictiy ao
| hered to-
| second There Is a feeling of uncertain
| ty and insecurity among many who are
! connected with these instir@ons. when
grows out of fear that, regardless OF
merit and faithful service, their tenure OF
position is in constant danger from poiti.
cal intrigue and partisan politics; ana mat
merit and faithfulness must yield 10 Ia
voritisnn, and the political pull Ihere
account. The time has come when II
should be made clear and emphatic that
the fixed and permanent policy or inc
state is to place the management OF these
Institutions entirely above all questions
of political expediency and favoritism, A
rule of civil service should be applied to
the ADMINISTRATION OF the public lnstitu,
by taxation upon all the people and their
patrons and benefciaries come from all
political parties. The purpose of the state
TO deal with them along non partisan lines
should be declared so emphaticaly that no
faithful and efficient president, superln-
tendent, professor, or employe need nave
any fear Of losing his place through in
trigue, favoritiSm, factionalism or chang
ing political fortunes. He should be made
to feel that lie can rest implicitly upon the
assurance that the only test of his right
to continue in the service of the state Is
his faithful and efficient performance Of
duty and his worthiness.
L find that the state already has on us
| hands a RrCplkfDgS Madison and R9Dld
City, buildings which are in worn out
and dilap-dated condition and are fast be-
were lily constructed and lily planned, and
the time is near when they will have to be
torn down.
School and Public Lands.
The opening paragraph in the very IN
teresting report of the commissioner or
school and public lands for the biennial
period ending June 20, 1906 IS as follows:
ION the 3oth day Of June, 1906, there were
only seven cents of the permanent school
fund uninvested and lying idle in the state
sist!ng OF 49, ,489 50, loaned in the several
counties of the state, and sl54 ,O37. SO In de-
ferred payments on school lands sold,
making a grand total of s4,s075s 7.0S, which
is drawing interest. OF this amount $685.
40319 in loans, and $3.50, 1916 in deferred
payments, is drawing per cent interest
and the balance, s2'269'OS6.S8 is drawing
per cent. interest"
The keeping OF this large fund safely in
vested requires great watchfulness and ac-
| tiv.ty.
While the unsold school lands are stead
lily advancing in value It is very doubtful
wisdom to go on selling them. In my
; judgment, the best of these lands should
be taken from the market, and l heartily
| agree with the recommendation of the
, commissioner that the minimum price be
raised to $40 per acre. 1t appears from
his report that the average price per acre
of these lands sold from 1891 to 1894 was
Sl3 Sc: from 1895 TO 1878, s12.76; from 1899 10
1902, s15.S6; from 1913 to 1906, S26.S5. These
figures show the wisdom of withholding
| from the market the most desirable of
these lands and Of raising the minimum
. | price.
Clerk of the Supreme Court.
; This is the only office in all the state
which Is without regulation. Section u of
; article s of the constitution provides that
; the duties and emoluments of this officer
shall be prescribed by law and by the
rules OF the supreme court not inconsistent
; with law. Section CPS of the political code
; provides that, He shall receive such fees
; as are now, or may hereafter be fixed by
law" But no law has ever been enacted
; fixing his fees.
. There is an impression abroad that his
revenues exceed the salary Of any other
state officer, but whether that is true or
not, am unable to say Members of the
supreme court and the governor are paid
salary of 5000 per year, circuit judges,
$3.50 per year, the attorney general, fill
, ing an office of great responsibility and
| crowded with work. $1,000 per year; the
other state officers, 81 800 per year. All
these are prohibited by the constitution
/ from receiving perquisites or any indirect
| increase in salary.
No good reason can be given for this l
earnestly recommend that this office be
put upon a salary basis. His duties are
merely clerical and there is no reason why
his salary should exceed that of the attor-
ney general of the state.
Appropriations for State Officers.
In making appropriations for the ex-
penses incurred by the state officers dur
ing 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 Off
GERS in the service Of the state shall not
use free transportation or accept courte-
sizes in the form of franks, passes. or free
tickets IN any manner This legislature is In
: honor and decency absolutely bound to en-
act strict and effective law abolish!ng the
! pass evil, and Will undoubtedly do its duty
at an early date. Provision must be made
by appropriation for the payment of the
transportation Of the states officers nee
. essarily incurred while transacting the
business of the state. The circuit judges
of the state are compelled in the necessary
performances Of their official duties to be
, absent from their homes a considerable
} portion Of the time. II is not the intention
Of the constitution to compel these men
out of the small salary which they receive,
; 70 pay their hotel bills and railway fare.
nc diiOWdHCt VI SUCH LeCeSSary tSpeNSeS
incurred while in the service of the state
Is not either directly or Indirectly an in
crease in their salary, but merely enables
them 10 have the benefit of that salary for
the support of their families without be-
ing required TO pay out large part of 1t
for expenses.
Section . of article q of the constitution
, fixes the salaries of each of the state off,
GERS and ends with these words:
'"They shall receive no fees or perquis-
ties whatever for the performance of any
? duties connected with their offices 1t
. shall not be competent for the legislature
to increase the salaries of the officers
named m this article, except as herein
. | nrovided