The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-03-03
PRIMARY LINEUP
HOUcE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
HAS BILL FOR PARTY
ENROLMENT
RE-APP0RTIONMENT PLAN
Joint Committee of House and Senate
Work Out Agreeable Plan For
Reapportionment and
Submit Bill


Submit Bill
Pierre-The elections committee OF
the house has introduced a bill Oh. b
No. 1922 prescribing rules and regula-
tons for the legislation and enrol
ment of voters at primary elections
The bill provides for a Party Pri-
mary Enrolment Book" which the
county auditor is to send to the cleo
ton judges. The book is to be wide
enough that each party may have one
column and provision is also made
for an independent column. Under
the party name in each colum is the
oath which each elector voting must
sign.
The elector has merely to sign his
name in the column to which party
be belongs and is then given the
proper ballot by the judges. After the
primary the book is to become a rec
ord of the county auditing depart
ment, where it will remain on file IN
til after the following biennial cleo
ton.
This bill would seem to overcome
the acknowledged principal defect in
our present primary system-that OF
permitting the voters of n party
to interfere with and perhaps dictate
the selection of another party's ticket.
1t will be noticed that an elector is
not bound to remain with his ra.ty at
the election; he states in his oath
hat he intends to do Sc. The idea
is to make each voter go on record
as regards his poiitics-then he can
vote as he sees fit. 1t is inconceiv-
able hat a democrat or a republican
would go OF record as belonging to
another party merely for the purpose
of helping to select that other party's
ticket.
This bill should meet the public
demand for a remedy Of the existing
evils of the present primary system
and seems to have the general en-
dorsement of the voters.
Senate bill No. 22S. introduced by
the municipal corporations committee
and which has passed the senate, has
been eno ted favorably by the house
committee. some amendments, how
ever, are added. The amended bill
provides that in commission govern
ed cities having over $1,000 inhabit-
ants, the salaries OF the commission
ers may be raised f ON $500 to $500
per year and that of the mayor from
81, 500 to $4,000 per annum
The proposition of raising the salar-
les, however, must be submitted to the
people to be decided by them at the
election.
Another feature which is new is that
of having the commissioners elected
by a majority vote instead of the
plurality. Under the present condi-
tions, a plurality vote often amounts
to a minority vote.
This bill remedies this condition and
conforms more closely to the wishes
of the electors. A third feature OF
the bill is that of reducing the num-
Der of commissioners from five to
three, if the citizens SO desire and
express such wish at the polls.
WATERFOWL wants a car line from
the city to Lake Kempeska, and as
the city is not la ge enough to come
under the law Of two years ago, Senate
Bill No.. 25S, was introduced. providing
that the thirty year proposition apply
to cities Of 1000 and over.
This bill passed the senate and was
sent over to the house for consider
alton. When the bill was before the
of the house. representa-
tives from still smaller cities appear
ed and said that they too might want
car lines and thought that they should
under the same act.
The house committee has now de-
cided to report the bill applying the
thirty-year idea to all cities of 1000
or over.
House bill No. 39s is a committee
bill providing for the division of the
state into three congressional d:s-
tricts. One is to be west of the Mis-
souri,; n east of the Missouri and
south of the southern line OF Hughes.
Beadle and Brookings counties and
the third east of the Missouri and
of the southern line of the
above named counties. The bill has
the provision that until the state ha,
three congressman, the representa-
OF the state shall be elected at
large.
The senate today passed the wom-
an s suffrage bill, by a vote OF 90 to 10.
The galleries were filed when the vote
was taken, and after the success of the
measure, Henault was presented with
immense bouquet for successfully
'hampioning the cause in the upper
house.
The bill placing the regulation of
telephone companies under the juris-
fiction Of the railroad commission
passed the senate, and is now awaiting
he signature of the governor.
The governor today signed the an
liability act.
Iaad-Prakem3n Fritz of tho D..