The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1908-03-12
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w. e Upton, member of the stat,
board of charities and corrections,
and CORE! ponding secretary of the
National Conferences of Charities AID
Corrections. which holds its next Sos
sion in May in Richmond, Va, has
secured some interesting facts rela-
tive to the social conditions in South
Dakota which he viii, present AT that
time. The showing is remarkable
one for a young state with 100000
population. From the records Of ;he
institutions OF the state it is ascertain
ed that from Jan. 1, 1908, there were
1876 men and 2 women doing time In
the state prison at Sioux Falls, "a of
whom are serving life sentences.
large majority of the convicts, how
ever, are short time prisoners. 1t Is
shown that i'm the various county jails
of this state there are 1928 men ana
not a single woman serving short time
sentences, and that there are II men
and / woman being held i'm the Jails
awaiting trial. There are 56 boys and
II girls being educated in the state
training school at Plankinton. One Of
the most significant facts known is
that OF the entire population only 40
men and 105 women are being cared
for in the poorhouses and aimshouses|
I'm the state. and that mere bakers
dozen are receiving public aid in their
homes. These figures do not include
the inmates i'm the soldiers home. In
the insane hospital at Yankton there
are 452 men and 255 women. This
makes one insane person for about
every 700 OF the population on the
average. The usual average is about
one in every $50 or 500. This Is an
exceptionally good showing in the in
sane class. A few years ago the state
established a school for feeble mind
ed at Redfield. and the inmates have
been gradually increasing i'm number.
At the present time there are 70 boys
and Sc girls receiving treatment i'm the
school. The school for blind is located
at Gary, and that institution has 26
boys and IS girls enrolled there who
are blind. This includes, however, Is
pupils from North. Dakota. The state
has sent it's blind children to the South
Dakota institution from the beginning,
paying S22 per month for each child.
These children are now being trans
10 al DliUu III NOitH
Dakota. the legislature OF which state
has Just provided a home for them.
The matter OF preparing new
schedule of reduced freight rates for
that portion of South Dakota lying
west of the Missouri river was consid-
cred to some extent at the regular
monthly meeting OF the state board of
railroad commissioners, held in Sioux
Falls. The commissioners finally de-
cided that the board should hold a
special meeting at Fort Pierre on
March IL for the express purpose OF
considering the matter. The execu-
tive committee of the State Fedora
ton of Business Mems clubs will meet
with the board at that time and SUBJ
nit data in support of the demand for
an adjustment and reduction of freight
rates west Of the Missouri river. The
commissioners will hold another spe-
cial meeting at Huron March 13 for
the consideration Of rates on milk and
cream. One hundred and seventy-five
business men OF Flandreau, together
with Bert j. Francis, president, and
Jesse A. Smith, secretary of the COM
mercial club OF Flandreau. filed with
the board a petition asking that the
Chicago. Milwaukee and st. Paul Rail
way company be required to improve
its train service on it's southern Min
nesota and Sioux City and Dakota di-
visions. In accordance with a petition
filed asking that the Great Northern
and Chicago and Northwestern Rail-
road cJmpanies be required to con-
struct a connecting track at Huron. the
commissioners decided to make a de-
mand upon the two railroad companies
for the construction of the desired
connecting track. They will be given
twenty days from date OF service to
file an answer to the demand, and il II
is refused the railroad commissioners
will call hearing and take testimony
in the case.
With the repeal OF the caucus law al
the last legislative session. the county
commissioner law is left somewhat i'm
the air. The old law provided for the
selection Of county commissioners by
the whole county, for nomination in
the general convention. The caucus
law provided for the nominations be-
officers were to be selected but the
commissioners to be elected by the
vote Of the whole county repeating the
. former provision for their selection.
The repeal of the caucus law, the pro-
visions of which We're supposed to be
covered by the primary law, did not
reinstate the old law, nor did the pri-
mary make any provisions for the
nomination of county commissioners.
As a result. the nominations VIII no
doubt be made by the voters of the
whole county, instead OF by districts,
as the supreme court has held them
to be county officers, and the secretary
of state will so instruct the county
officers in sending out his election in
structions.