Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-08-18
STATE CAPITAL NOTES

| state tuberculosis hospital at Custer.
1t was for the salary and expenses OF
the superintendent of the institution,
who is doing the preparatory work
toward the erection of the building.
Governor Vessey has granted paroles
for Alfred Martin, sentenced from
| Pennington county on charge Of as
sault with intent to kill; L. w. Borst,
sent from Edmunds county, on a
charge of grand larceny; and James
Banson, sent from Meade county on
charge OF robbery.
The auto. industry is fourishing in
South Dakota all right. The regis
tration for the month of July going
up to 575, or more than nineteen a
day for every day in the month. The
total number of machines registered
up to the close of the month was $500
nearly half of which have been regist-
cred this year.
While complete figures have not
been secured, it is certain the increase
in state valuation this year over last
will be over $16,OO0,000, bringing the
total assessable value Of the state up
to $339,000OOO The increases shown
in the returns on town lots and goods
and merchandise have helped to run
up the total beyond expectations.
| Articles of incorporation were Al
ed today for the First State bank
of SODIUM, Perkins county, with
a capital of $4,000 Incorpor-
ators, G. D. Hines, Maltby, Jess Dali
ton, E. F. Jones. Serum. Articles
were filed for the Little Bend Tele-
phone company at Okoboio, with q
capital of $4,000. Incorporators H.
P. Knox, Little Bend; w. H. Green,
W. e. Jenkins, Okobojo.
Insurance Commissioner Basford
has been making some figures on the
total amounts paid out by the people
of this state for insurance Of all
classes in 1909. His figures show that
for all classes, covering fire, life and
accident, the people of the state last
year paid $4,s0O,OOO. The state is
looked upon as good insurance terri
tory and number Of new companies
are making application to get in.
W. F. Bancroft, state game warden,
says that the game laws are being
pretty we'll observed. He admits that
there are cases where the law Is being
violated, but he has the law breakers
pegged and he hopes in time to land
them all. He is making personal
visit to the various counties and &C
quainting himself with the conditions.
and the work which the deputy or
county wardens are doing.
The Governor has appointed the fol-
lowing delegates to the thirteenth an
nual mining congress, to meet at Los
Angeles, September rs to October s:
]. A. Boland, Keystone; G. G. Chris
Hansen, Rapid City; Warren H. Owen.
Rockford; T. R. Baldwin, Deadwood;
r. S. Jamison, Deadwood; William
O'Brien, Lead; Nick Treweek. Lead;
Fred Hale, Lead; Bruce G. Yates.
Lead; Jas. A. Clark, Rapid City.
The secretary Of state has receiv-
ed samples of the referendum ballot
which will be presented to the voters
at the November election. 1t con-
talns six different laws, and is on a
strip OF paper six feet long and ten
inches wide. 1t is printed in nom
pareil type, and to read it would take
over a half hour of the time of rap
i'd reader, who would give it but hur-
ried going over. The constitutional
amendment ballot will be over TWEEN
ty inches long, in addition to this and
would require about twenty minutes
more for consideration. The law Of
the state gives each voter five minutes
in which to prepare his ballot, and in
this he will be expected to pass upon
the six feet Of laws, and two feet
of amendments, and arrange his gen
eral ballot, which will keep him going
some.
Fourteen counties in South Dakota,
comprising Codington, Clark. Sphinx
Brookings, Beadle, Hughes, Minneha-
ha, McCook, Hanson Dawson, Union,
Clay and Yankton have had 1913 land
sales within year, the total compris-
ing 222.456 acres. The average price
assessed valuation for 1910 is s10.19
an acre Upon the basis OF the assess
ed valuation, the average true valuation
of all lands in these counties for the
present year is s49.7G. By the same
process of computation the average
true valuation in 1906 was S33.05 an
acre, the increase in four years being
s16.65 an acre or a gain of SO per
cent. For the purpose Of this computa-
ton counties are chosen which are
fairly representative of the balance OF
the state east of the river. The in
crease in the price Of lands west Of
the river for the same period would
be much more than is here shown.
Governor Wesley has taken up with
President Taft, the matter Of the
land Withdrawals in the Lennon dis
trict to secure ruling on just what
| the results of the withdrawal will be.
The general opinion is that it means
that none Of the homesteaders in the
| more than hundred townships COW
cred can offer proof until after the
land has been classified If this Is
the INSTRUCTION it means a hardship
on many of the settlers who were ar
r,or oip thar h11cinocc on the