Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-02-18
OUR PIERRE LETTER
Laws Already Passed. Others That
Will Soon be Passed Upon. The
Lincoln Banquet. Preparations
for the Final Work of the
Legislature.


The Lincoln banquet was an affair
that comes only once in hundred year,
and therefore tittingly celebrated by the
people of the state in the big auditorium
in the city OF Pierre. About 900 guests
We're present. Senator Crawford, Gov
ernor NeSsey, and Representative Issen-
huth were the home men who respond
ed to the call of the POSTMASTER. GOV.
Buchlel of Colorado, and President Schel
of Iowa college, made the principal adj.
dresses of the evening. The only disap.
pointing feature of the occasion was the
absence of many of the editors OF the
state, who were unable TO reach the ctty
on account of blockadeS,
The introduction of bills has passed
the worst stage and will presently let up
altogether, Monday, Feb. -, being the
last day for introducing all but commit
lee bills. The house has been most
prolific in This respect, having about 33t
to its credit The senate has in the
neighborhood Of go The house has pass
ed seventy of its own bills and cighteei
senate bills. The senate has passed
seventy of its own and sixteen from the
house This makes the net result up tt
date thirh four bills ready for the gov
ernor's signature. There are only six.
teen working days left and during this
time the bulk OF legislation will be done
Several bills of Importance have been
made into laws during the past week
Among those Of far reaching importance
are the headlight law, compelling rail
way companies to equip their passenger
engines with electric headlights. Thi.
measure will save many lives botf
among trainmen and passengers. Its
passage in the house was attended with
the first real scrap of the session, al
though the opposition to its passage
wa sunable to muster more than eight
teen votes on final vote. The schoo
section resolution has passed botf
houses and will be submitted to vot,
of the people at the next general elec
ton. So will the county option liquor
license law, which came in with an init
iative petition signed by 5000 voters
Senate bills No 52, 53 and "a are laws
giving additional powers to the railroad
commissioners in determining upoT
rates. sidings, etc. Another important
measure is the law requiring life in
surance companies TO use certain form
OF policies in writing insurance. Al
these have passed both houses.
But the heavy bills are yet to come
These are revised banking law, th'
public funds depository, the guarante
of private deposits, the tax commission
state uniformity Of text books, road law
game law and the oil law. The latte
has been taken up by Senator Scroggs il
the senate, who will push it along TO
! finish. 1t provides for the admission
into our state of gasoline from the Kan
sas and Oklahoma fields of Il lower gray
| ity test than our present law.
! The senate played its last game O
! Carolina bonds last week, when Curtiss
the b awny senator from Aberdeen
worsted the eloquent Dillon of Yanlkton
| The occasion called forth the finest sam
| pie of constitutional argument that ha
oeen heard in the legislature for man
years. Although beaten, the senate
from Yankton did not lose his intluenc
as leader and is quietly looking afte
several reform measures in the line c
reducing legislative expenses.
Whiting, of Woonsocket, has taken
upon himself TO sock it, 10 all apprC
priation bills and has earned the title {
watch dog of the treasury. He
ably assisted by Forbis from the Hill'
Behnke, Heba) Frysbie and Weide.