Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-03-12
,ol covers the excess Of the present


matters, was the proposition to insure
bank deposits. This was a platform
plank and consequently the Legislature
reluctantly considered it. The bill
adopted was a modification of the
proposition introduced by I5senhuth o
Sphinx and provides that not less thar
100 banks, having $1,000,0 900 in capt
tai, may voluntary associate for the
Insurance Of their deposits. An admis
sion fee, graduated from 500 upward
is to be paid and a policy fee or pre-
MUM of 2 mills on the dollar of av.
erage deposits. In case of losses ex
ceding the funds On hand each bank
In the association may be assessed tc
not exceed 4 mills upon it's average
deposits.
II his annual report the public ex
aminer made many suggestions for i'm
provements in the banking law. The
banking committee of the senate re
ported a bill embodying PRACTICAL.
all of his suggestions and it wa
passed.
Railroad Legislation.
About forty bills were introduced
into the legislature pertaining to the
regulation of railroads and the fol
lowing were enacted into law. Pri
marily most of these bills were very
arbitrary in form, requiring the rail
road companies to do certain things
under penalties, but with the excep
ton of the 2-cent rate bill all were
modified to empower the railroad com
mission, in it's discretion, to do the
things it desired. These bills we're.
The 2-cent rate bill; requiring trans
fer tracks between connecting lines
requiring reports of ali wrecks anC
casualties to the railroad commits
sloners; providing for building via
ducts over street crossings; providing
penalty for failure to repay over
charge on freight within sixty days;
providing for determining the renta
value of warehouse sites; requiring
railroads to install safety appliances
at railroad crossings and draw
bridges; requiring switch lights to be
kept burning all night at each station;
requiring toilet rooms to be provided
at all stations: requiring the fencing
of the right Of way; requiring water
ing trougns to be provided at all stock
yards; authorizing the railroad com
miFsionors to prosecute actions before
the interstate commerce commission;
prohibiting gambling and the drinking
of intoxicantS upon trains.
Insurance.
Last year there was a good deal Oh
criticism upon the methods pursued
by some insurance companies in sell
ing bargain counter insurance" and
Governor Tessey came to Pierre de
termined upon securing legislation
that would regulate these matters.
Senator Byrne took charge of the ad.
ministration insurance measures ano
secured the passage of bills prescrib
ing standard forms of fire insurance
policies: standard form of life poll
cies and standard form of stock In.
surance policies and also recognizing
the state insurance department and
giving to it ample power to protect
the public against wild cat insur.
ance of any kind.
Other insurance bills require state
mutual companies to keep on hand a
% per cent reinsurance reserve; Limit
the liability of insurers in mutual com
panies tc the amount of unpaid poll
cies: regulate fidelity bond insurance;
prohibit accident insurance companies
from giving presents of merchandise
with their policies and prescribe the
duties of secretaries of county mutual
companies.
Economy in State Affairs.
There has been much proper crit.
icism of unnecessary waste in public
printing aud in the expense of legis.
lative sessions. Printers have done
the work cheap enough, but public of
ficers have made up their reports
without any system or regulation and,
generally speaking, it has been con
sidered that the officer who could
print the most stuff was the best fel
low. Chairman Cable of the house ap-
preparations committee took vigorous
hold Of this subject and secured the
passage of a number Of bills. known
rs the Cable bills, which seek to limit
the expenditure for public printing
and for general economy in state af
fairs. These bills provide that no of
ficer or board shall create a deficiency
for any purpose whatever without the
written consent of the governor: an
other requires strict termination of ev.
cry voucher upon which money Is
paid: a third requires the auditor, in
his biennial report, to publish the
items in every voucher upon which a
warrant is issued and still another
fixes a definite limit upon the number
of pages of printed matter which may
be contained in each report.
Senator Dillon took up the matter
of Legislative expenses and In three
bills provides for making the printed
permanent journal of each house the
official Journal and cuts out the big
written journal which has always been
an expensive item; provides what
shall constitute the officers and en-
ployes of each house and cuts out a
food of useless clerks and fuMtion-