Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-01-21
SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE
REVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK OF THE
STATE LEGISLATORS FOR THE WEEK So ltt

On account of number of mem
bers having gone home Sunday, both
houses of the general assembly held
short sessions Monday about the only
business transacted being new bills.
The main senate action was upon
general negotiable instrument bill,
fixing general forms for business
transactions. The house members
took several shots at the liquor inter-
ests by bills prohibiting public treat
ing and prohibiting brewers or dis
tillers from owning or operating sa-
looms within the state.
Hunters will be interested in bill
which shortens the hunting season by
making the opening Sept. and re-
quires each hunter to secure license
They all want the inebriates, or at
least it appears SO, since Gov. Vessey
recommended an asylum for their
care. Highmore was first, and Dell
Rapids comes next with Miller COM
ing down the stretch and others trail
ing along behind. The indications
are now that the proposition will
mean a hot time between the various
towns interested before 1t is finished.
The railroads appear to be good
ground for legislative material and
Senator Thoreson of Minnehaha start
ed six more on their way Tuesday, he
wanting them to report wrecks and
causes; 10 report the number of ele-
vators on their lines; to provide toilet
roms in their stations; to provide
better safety appliances and requiring
the railway commission to prosecute
personal damage suits. Several other
bills have been introduced and the
indications are railroads will have
plenty of attention.
The principal house bills were to
create six new counties on the
Cheyenne River and Standing Rock
reservations, giving the name of Mel
lette to one of them. Another bill
was to commit dope fiends" to the in
sane asylum at Yankton.
The electoral commission is yet at a
deadlock A proposition on the part
Of Elector Shredder to send an out
side party has been refused on the
part Of the other opposing members,
and another adjournment has been
taken until tomorrow.
The equal suffrage contingent starts
early with its amendment, but this
time only asks for limited franchise
for women, granting that right upon
those who own property upon which
they pay taxes. This, they think, will
have the way to complete franchise
later
Another proposed amendment to the
constitution is to allow an increase in
state tax levies to 4 mills annually
tax provisions.
The Brady bill not only attempts
TO restrict but absolutely prohibits
the manufacture, sale or Offering for
sale Of cigarettes or paper.
A new element is to be sprung in
the inebriate asylum proposition by
prohibiting the use of the state-owned
buildings at old Fort Sisseton for that
purpose. Thorson of Minnehaha in
the senate took few more falls out
of railways in bills requiring track
scales and joint stations at crossing
points. Another brick was hurled at
the owners or stockholders of brew
cries, prohibiting them taking any
part in the retail trade
The first bill to receive final action
in either house came up in the house
Wednesday afternoon. First of these
was the Morris bill which requires
precinct officers and county auditors
to make immediate election returns
outside the official returns.
In committee Of the whole Thurs
day, with Mcpherson of Lawrence
in the chair, oratory flowed free and
untrammeled by rules that afternoon
when the Dillon bill to return the
money secured from North Carolina
on bonds donated to the state be re-
turned Senator Dillon, who spoke
nearly two hours, charged that the
whole transaction was tinctured with
fraud, and that the state could do but
one of two things, either return the
cash, or go into a general collection
business of bad debts of other states.
Senator Dillon further charged that
the whole scheme had its inception in
Wall street by which the acceptance
of the bonds was made possible, and