The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1911-01-20

Eetuns hls insurance measure, cali
ing for the repeal of the law on the
h senate He contends the republi-
can members must vote for it. to be
consistent rs the party platform
pledges them to that course.
Yesterdays Proceedings
The house yesterday passed Sem
ate joint resolution No. /, calling
for a Legislative investigation of Old
Soldiers Home at Hot Springs. A
committee of five. three from the
house and two from the senate.
will be appointed for this urpos
The measure will likely go to the
governor today.
Another big batch OF bills was in
troduced in the house yesterday.
The one which created the most talk
was the measure offered by Helger-
son, calling for the abolition of the
office of the state engineer. Grams
tons bill doing away with the Tel
ephone Inspector also started con-
siderable discussion.
Fewer bills were introduced in the
senate than on the previous day and
two We're brought up for third read
ing and final pasag senate bill
No. 1 introduced by Cone of Mime
haha, providing for the collection of
special assessment taxes by county
auditors. was passed as was also
Senate bill No. 6 by Norbeck, approp-
Rating SIS, 600 for the general ex-
pense of the attorney generals of
fee. These bills We're reported to
the house.
Following are the bills introduced
yesterday:
~Pierre-The number Of resolutions
introduced in both the house and
the senate, calling for constitution
al amendments. has very natural
ly given rise to the question of .
general revision of the instrument.
That our constitution is today a mis-
fit, seems to be the %eoncensus of opin-
ion In fact an overwhelming ma
jority Of the members Of both horses
agree with Governor Wesley that il
is defective and hat our entire sys-
tenn of administration is in need Of
many changes.
But many Legislators. when called
upon for an expression on the subject,
while admitting that the CONSTITUTE n
should be revised, add that the matter
should be taken up with the utmost
caution. They fear the tendency of
the times is toward radical leg sla-
ton and cite the constitution of Ok
lahoma as an example of what shou d
be avoided. On the other hand. those
heartily endorsing the movement,
state that no radical clauses CO Id
get through a body of competent men
and that v if they did, would not
be endorsed by the masses al b polls.
Whatever the view taken. it is very
probable that an amendment will be
made and the question put before the
people. Should such a curse be
adopted, il is predetermined when a
constitutional convention would he
called, but it is very likely ii would
not be before next year.
Representative Bruce of Yankton
proposed a constitutional amendment
which would revolut' oniZe compile civ
our present legislative system. His
resolution calls for four year terms
for members OF the legislatu e, one
half the number to be elected every
two years. The sessions of the legis-
Iature would be limited to thirty DAYS
and held annually. An additional feat-
ure is that a two-thirds vote would be
required to pass a bill in either as
sembly.
Another proposed constitutional
amendment is that offered by G emmill,
creating a board of control. The new
body would consist of three members
and the authority of the board would
extend TO all state institutions. This
would mean the abolition of the board
of Charities and corrections and the
Soldiers Home board.
The first meeting of the appoIticn-
ment committee brought atou nc
definite conclusions, though there are
a few facts to be gathered from the
discussion
II would appear that that section
west Of the river will gain in rep E.
s~entation in the next Legislature,
though the total representation viii
likely remain the same. The senate
at present has its constitutional ! INIT
of forty-fve members. The house Ii
permitted to have 135, but ii is ben
orally believed the present membership
of 104 is enough
The section west of the river viii
doubtless make a gain Of at least
two senator's, and three or four rep
-esentatives. Perkins, Harding and
Butte counties are at present repre-
: sented by one member in the house
LIP. J. Tscharner, of Lennon. On &C
: count of the big increase in population
il lis probable that each one of these
t counties will be given a representative
Ziebach, Dewey and Corson counties
while rather thinly populated at pres
ent. are gaining and they may be
granted a representative in the mex
' house.
If the representation in either body
is not raised, the question arises, wha'
! sections east of the river are goine
To lose TO make up the gains OF tht
) section west? This is to be decided
The present ratio is approximate!
, one representative for every 5000 o
the population and n senator 10
every $4,000 people.
Representative Anderson's proposet
primary places the town and the coun
: ty boards in charge of primaries ant
e elections. All supplies are to be sen