The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1911-03-02
Twelfth LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Weeks Doinss of Our Body of Law
Makers at the Capital City

Weeks Ooings of Our Body OF Law.
Makers at the Capital City
Pierre, Feb. 27.-Committee re-
ports are all in, members have
made up their minds on most of
the important issues, and the leg
islature is turning out laws like it
was paid by the piece. The ap-
preparations committees have
agreed on the general appropria-
tions bill carrying about 50, 20O,-
600. The budget for the support
of the administrative 0 ffc e s
amounts to $5S2, 600; for charitable
and penal institutions, 1915, 900,
and for education, $672, 100. These
sums are for the two years till the
next legislature and are exclusive
of special bills for improvements,
new buildings, etc. The general
bill two years ago amounted to
$1, 100000. The legislature has
been Very conservative in its ex-
penditures, and has been forced to
cut down some of the departments
to almost less than is necessary
for efficient administration.
Two proposed primary bills have
been put to rest during the week.
Bigelow's combination of the gen.
eral and primary elections aroused
very favorable comment on the
part of all, however the house felt
that it was too radical a change,
and turned it down. Both houses
killed the Richards primary Satur-
day. Mr.. Richards was at a hand
with an initiative petition signed
by eight thousand, and the secre-
tary of state sent it Immediately to
both houses, who will enact it with
out question. Mr.. Richards is
said to have purchased a sixty
horse power auto, and as soon as
the roads and weather will permit,
will begin a systematic campaign
of the state.
Apportionment is causing good
deal of discussion. The committee
apportionment bill, which seems
to have been drawn with the ut
most Fairness, is being attacked in
some places because it could not
give every community the repre-
sentation which it desired. 1t
passed the house without amend
ment late Saturday. The senate
has deferred action on it two differ
ent times, and many express the
fear that it will continue to do so
until after adjournment. There
are many members that would just
ae soor see this AS not, for it would
mean that a number of the eastern
couuties would maintain their pres
ent delegation for another session.
Both house and senate have
enacted the electric headlight bill.
There was no decided opposition
in either house. The members
felt that the vote of last fall was
no true expression of the peoples
will, and that it was a valuable life
saving device.
The house killed the Kerr Mil
lett immigration commissioner
bill. many farmers believing it to
be class legislation for the benefit
of the real estate men. Its friends
very warmly championed it as a
necessity, for if we do not adver-
tise ourselves, the neighboring
states which do maintain publicity
bureaus will get far ahead of us
in wealth and population.
The herd law, of which so much
has been heard in the past was ex-
tended across the state by the Wy
man bill which passed the senate
during the week. It requires that
the cattlemen guard his stock by
herding of fences, or pay damages
for crops destroyed.
The senate with one vote to
spare, voted to submit the suffrage
question 70 the voters at the next