The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-04-18
HAMPERED

tuition, which provides:
Neither the state nor any county,
township or municipality shall loan
or give its credit or make donations
to or in aid of any individual asso-
citation or corporation, except for the
necessary support of the poor, nor
subscribe to or become the owner OF
the capital stock of any association
or corporation, nor pay or become
responsible for the debt or liability
of any individual, association or cor
poration; = = Nor shall the safe en-
gage in any work of internal i'm
provement."
BY this constitutional prohibition
the state of South Dakota is prevent
ed, from carrying on by the use of
the states credit and many
needed lines of internal improvement,
as good roads, possible railroads, ir-
rigation and water power projects
and the mining of coal. A similar
clause is found in the constitutions
of practically all western states. and
as Mr.. Nipple argues, at the time of
its adoption vas probably a neces-
sary eXpedient to prevent the waste
of the peoples money by e~Xtravagant
legislatures. 1t was incorporated in
these latter constitutions because of
the experience of Illinois, Michigan
and other central states in the 40's,
when their assemblies bound them
for great sums for turnpike, canal
South Dakota, with the initiative and
referendum, whereby any eXtravagent
appropriation would likely be brought
before the people for approval, this
danger no longer exists, and with its
removal, there is no longer valid
reason for the existence of this pro-
hibitory constitutional provision.
A few years ago a special constitu-
tional amendment enabled the state
to construct and operate a twine and
shirt factory at the Sioux Falls peni-
Tertiary. This is the only industrial
enterprise carried on by the state,
but there is a long list of internal
improvements which are vitality i'm
portant to the development OF S. Dako-
ia, many of which would have been en-
acted by the Legislature if not uncon-
stitutional Among these is state aid
for the construction of improved
highways.
Last session some important mem
bers including Speaker Morris, con
sidered the introduction of such a bill
until they thought of the constitution
al difficulty. BY such a law the state
could build model roads. where they
would be object lessons to all. For a
long period of years the railways re-
fused to invade the Missouri
country, leaving it for two decades
an ~undeveloped Indian reservation.
At that time some public spirited citi-
zens contemplated a state" railway
from the Missouri to the Hills, but
were prevented from taking any ac-
tive steps because of the constitu-
ton. There are vast tracts of easily
irrigated land in the state, the devel
opment of which will likely be de
layed for years because of the i'm
possibility of state assistance. The
several hundred miles of Missouri
river through the state cry Il for
improvement in order to enable the
of South Dakota to take ad-
vantage of a great natural resource.
Here again its hands are tied. On
the Missouri there are two water
the Development of which
would produce hundreds of thousands
of horsepower which could be trans
mitted throughout the state, but un-
der the present circumstances the
state can do nothing toward securing
~''ND NOHNhNi vi NtAcplhtIL vi lIt
same, leaving them to some day be
monopolized for private gain. The
people of South Dakota pay annually .
81 600 900 for fuel. A large per cent
this is for freight. Within the
state there are Ignite fields capable
Of furnishing heat for the entire
state at a very much lower price. BY
modern briquetting methods this Zig
mite can be made equal to the very
best anthracite and laid down any
where in the state for from 81 to s.
per ton. Railway officials have said
that their roads would dis
courage in every way possible the de-
of these fields because
they want the long haul from Penn
sylvania, Indiana and Illinois.
At the last session this matter of
state development of it's coal mines
was discussed by members, but the