Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-02-17
s1.5o PER ANNux.
Pierre Correspondent.
Pierre, Feb, l3, 1911.

Pierre, Feb, l3, 1911.
SPECIAL TO THE LEADER The
joint Soldiers home investigating
committee handed in its report dur
lag the week, in which 1t commended
Commandant Geddis for his business
ability, and condemned his treatment
Of the inmates of the home. The re-
port specifically recommended the
creation Of younger governing board
and the senate members of the COM
mittee have introduced bill to that
effect. The report urged that inmates
Of the home be not permitted to vote
In the Hot Springs city elections,
that military discipline is not the
proper form Of government for the
home: and that the plan of using the
| old soldiers for the minor offices Is
bad.
Three primary reform measures
have been before the legislature. One,
r. G. Richards met an early death
before the house elections committees.
Mr.. Richards is circulating primary
petition and will referred it. (2) Bige-
lows combination of the general and
primary election on an ingeniously
sample ballot. This meets the favor
of most who see 1t, and will be re-
ported favorably by the house cleo
tions committee. (3)A primary reform
measure, prepared by an unknown"
and introduced by Noegard It in
cludes second choice, nomination of
federal appointive officers; and
state and county publicity program.
1t is sJill unreported.
Two proposed constitutional amend
ments were killed In the house We'd
nesday. Q) Sherman s granting suffrage
to all real property owning women;
and ~ permitting county officers TO
hold their positions as long as re-
elected.
A gathering Of delegates from COM
mission governed cities met At Pierre
during the week and considered
municipal legislation, especially
series of bills on that subject by Re-
preventative Sherman of Sioux Falls.
They approved of the famous H. b.
6S, loudly opposed on the ground that
it permitted minority of forty per-
cent to force municipal improvements;
and combined the rest of the Sherman
measures into one comprehensive
instrument.
The early reports that the senate
was fixed for temperance legislation
were unfounded, for that body passed
the Daylight saloon bill with emer-
sency, and nine o'clock closing, on
Thursday. Governor Vessey signed
1t the next day, and it is now q law.
1t is likely that II the bill had come
up for final passage before recess that
it would have been killed, but visits
home showed that the people really
wanted it.
No measure before the legislature
mas overcome the prejudice as the
Bigelow school code. The house edu-
cational committee, Gardner chair
man. has studied the code like . text,
and in the end made q unanimous fav-
orable report, amended to make the
county unit system optional, and to
go into effect on June first, 1913. Il
is possible that 1t will be enacted In
it's present form.
Hennult of Custer, has measure
defining the requirements for en-
trance, and for the management Of
the new Custer tuberculosis sanatar-
ium. 1t is placed under the state
board of charities and corrections,
who appoint the superintendent, who
In turn appoints an examining physi-
clan in each county. Any victim of
the disease who has fair chance Of
recovery may be admitted on the GER
tifcate OF this county physician, and
the payment Of eleven dollars per
week for treatment. Provided the
patient is unable to contribute this,
he may secure partial or whole assist
ance by proving before the county
judge his lack of resources.
No proposition has achieved the
notoriety of the Curtiss publishing Of
constitutional amendments and re-
ferred laws by the state, their pro-
rata to the counties, who shall mail
one copy to each voter. It passed the
senate without opposition, but In the
house was referred to the printing
committee which will report it with
out recommendations to the commit
tee of the whole. Senator Curtiss
claims that the enactment of his bill,
on the basis of the same number Of
amendments and referred laws as last
election, will save the state one hund-
red thousand dollars in 2 years. The
newspaper opposition holds that the
papers are the recognized avenues of
publicity; and that If too much was
paid for the printing at the last elec-
tion; that instead of cutting them
out of the work, the pay should be
placed on an equitable basis.
Advices from Washington state
that we are to have new represen-
tative, and following this, Represen-
tative Whiting Of Woonsocket, has
prepared a bill creating district No. 1
n II north of n limo oroioctod xuoot Fro,,o