The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-12-29
LEGISLATURE
MEETS TUESDAY
TWELFTH SESSION TO CONVENE
AT PIERRE.
CONTEST OVER SPEAKERSHIP
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
WRITES OF COMING SESSION.

Pierre, December 26.-At noon, on
January 8, 1911, the twelfth biennial
session of the South Dakota state
legislature will meet in the new cap.
itol building. The house will consist
of 104 and the senate of 45 members.
Lieut.-Gov. Byrne will preside over the
senate, but there are several candi-
dates for the speakership of the house.
Hon. h C. Issenhuth of Redfeld, and
Hon. c. J. Morris of Sioux Falls, are
supported in their candidates. by the
progressive faction, and Hon. p. II.
Tscharner of Lennon, has the sup
port of the stalwarts. The progressives
are much in the majority, but it may
happen hat the stalwart candidate,
taking advantage of a deadlock in the
progressive camp, may land the plum.
From the Pierre standpoint, the con.
test for Judge Carland's seat on the
federal bench is very interesting.
Judge Loring E. Gaffey, recently re.
tired from the circuit bench, and Judge
Whiting, chief justice Of the state SUI
preme court, both Pierre men, are
candidates. Congressman Burke and
many Pierre people are supporting Mr..
Gaffey, and Judge Whiting is supposed
to have the support of Senator Craw-
ford, and is especially strong in his
old ninth circuit.
Improved road legislation has long
been agitated in South Dakota, but it
was not until the session of 1907 that
it took definite form. In that year
Hon. ]. w. Parmley Of Ipswich, and
Hon. David Robertson of Sphinx, intro
duced and supported in the house and
senate, respectively, a good roads
measure which experts declare to be
the best thing ever produced in its
line, 1t passed the senate and was
lost in the house by a narrow margin.
1t provided for the centering of the
control of the roads in the hands of
the county commissioners. A county
engineer, to have charge of the i'm
provements, was to be appointed by
the commissioners. Road taxes were
to be paid in cash, and expenditure
made by contract to the lowest bidder.
This measure was re~-introduced two
WOO rc 1otor hu Hon Tnhn yVhifiru ~
Woonsocket, modified in committee,
and again defeated in the house. Fol
lowing this agitation Gov. Wesley APP
pointed a good roads commission, on
sist'ng of Hon. J. w. Parmley of Fps
wich, Hon. f. G. Issenhuth of Red
field, and Hon. J. r. Dalton of Woon-
socket. The commission held a good
roads convention at Aberdeen in Oc-
tober, at which were delegates from
every county in the state. Much good
feeling was evinced, and the constant
good roads talk in the newspapers
seems to have educated the people of
South Dakota to that point where they
are ready to take advanced ground on
the good roads proposition. Hon. f.
G. Issenhuth of Sphinx, and Hon. c. j.
Morris Of Minnehaha, are expected to
introduce and champion some good
roads propositions during the legis-
lature.
The taxing and assessment systems
of South Dakota are in an unsatisfac-
tory condition, and because of this,
Gov. Vessey has appointed a voluntary
tax commission of which President
Warren of Yankton college, Dean Ster-
ling Of the University of South Da-
kota law school, and Hon. John B.
Hanten of Watertown, a gentleman
who has given considerable study to
scientific taxation, are members. 1t
Is understood that the commission will
make a report to the legislature con-
tanning ideas which, if adopted as
law, will place u taxing system On
a sound scientific basis.
EAicIlfcl plStC vi PopooCu iCSioio
ton of vital Importance to the people
of the state Is the Bigelow school law
code. 1t Is proposed and backed by
Supt. A. H. BigelOw Of the Lead city
schools, who will represent Lawrence
county in the legislature. It has been
carefully considered and favorably re-
ported by the South Dakota Teachers
association. Briefly, it provides for the
GENERALIZATION Of all authority over all
schools of the state in the state board
of regents. The present school dis
trict is done away with, and the county
organization ts the unit. with a county
school board and a county superin-
tendent appointed by the board, and
accountable to IT.. A sort Of super
visor of schools is created for aca
school house, with advisory powers.