The New era-leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1911-1912, 1911-03-24


an injury. The new law provides that
a man sentenced for life, must have
served eighteen years, in prison, be-
cause 1t is not possible for a man to
earn twelve years good time, within
a period OF sentence Of less than 80
years, SO that a life man has to serve
Is years before he can be paroled;
and Is years is a long time in the
p~enitentiary. The average life period
limit of the prisoner sentenced for
life is 80 years.
The new legislation relating to the
deaf and blind, is beneficial in that
it allows wider latitude in the admis-
sion of defective people into the state
institutions, provided for their educa-
ton and also gives more latitude in
the matter Of compulsory education
Of the deaf and blind.
The law passed regulating the as
sessment of telephone and telegraph
company property in this state, has
been framed so that local communi-
ties will secur more of the amount
paid in taxes, by those companies.
The general railroad law which
was passed. embraces legislation for
the regulation of railroads, telegraph
and telephone systems and places the
regulation all in the hands of the state
commissions, elected for that purpose
and as well, broadens the powers Of
the commissioners.
The legislature codified the school
laws and the public lands laws of the
state and made provisions for leasing
the school lands. This law carries
out the instructions Of the voters OF
the state at the last election, which
were given in the amendment to those
laws which were carried in the eiec-
ton of last fall.
The law which permits circuit
the insane hospital is another result
of the work of last session.
The law which was passed provid-
ing for a more strict examination
by the banking department of the
state, of banks and trust companies
and providing for the examination into
the condition OF savings associations,
will also be found to be beneficial
legislation. The trust company law
makes more stringent and strict the
regulations surrounding the institu-
tions of that class, which have been
lately organized in this state.
Another law which is of very great
Importance in that which authorizes
the establishment of demonstration
farms by any county. Its Importance
lies in the fact that it permits prac-
teal demonstration Of what the soil
will do, in those sections Of the state
where drought has prevailed.
Improvements were made in the
laws regulating the handling of food
and dairy products in this state. New
laws for the protection of game in the
state were also passed, that which re-
stricts the killing of deer and ante
lope and limiting the number of deer
to be killed to one male deer, during
the season, being especially common
datory.
| was opposed to the house bill
which provided for the creating Of a
contingent fund for paying the ex-
penses of the judges of the supreme
court and am sorry that it was pass
ed. l took the position that the work
of the supreme court of the state is
at Pierre and that it is no necessary
for that court to travel.
The constitution of the state fixed
the salary of the judges of that court
at $4,000 per year and while / will ad-
NIT that salary is small, l could see no
justification for a law providing for
the payment OF their travelling ex-
penses. 1t is for the people Of the
state to say, whether the constitution
shall be amended to provide for more
compensation for the supreme court
judges.
Another law which cities of the first
class in South Dakota will. appreciate
is that which enables such cities, in
their discretion to levy a tax of one
mill for advertising purposes.
And nov as to good roads leglsla-
ton. While none of the Minnehaha
county delegation voted for the pass
age of the good roads bill, it was not
because they were opposed to road I'M
provement, but was because they did
not believe the people of this county,
wanted the bill to become a law in
the form in which it was presented,
and they felt that it may be amended
and introduced in a more acceptable
form, at the next session. The law
provides that in any county where
the provisions of the law are desired
in immediate. force, a petition signed
by 10 per cent of the voters may
be secured and the law will become
at once effective. If such petitions
are not secured the law does not go
into effect until after it has been
voted upon, at the next general cleo
ton. If at that election, it is not
ordered effective, it becomes null and
void in the county where it is defeat
ed. while in the county which desires
it. it becomes effective.
The new legislative a"pportionment
law reduces the number of members
in the house Of representatives from
104 to 103.
Nearly every county In the south
east part of the state loses one repre-
sentative, under the operation or this
law. Beadle county and Charies Mix