The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-02-20

In which the total contract price was a
little less than $4,000. This was the
ing the referended and Initiated laws
and constitutional amendments sub
mitted to the voters.
AS the committee failed to get u very
specific estimate from the contractor,
j. E.. Nipple, as to 10Y much the job
should nave been reasonably worth
the pamphlet was handed over to Mr..
Thomas for an expert estimate. Allow
ing for all items Of labor and material
HI figures that the cost of the job to
the contractor should have been 3d.
934.0S. Allowing a profit OF o~ne-th1rd
above cost. he estimated that the cost
to the state should have been s5.245.45.
Mr.. Nipple admitted in his testimony
that the job had been a lucrative one
to the contractor and explained that
Intelligent bidding. He testified that
the work could have been don by him
for about half price If ne had known
exactly what was to be required. and
gave an estimated that he had received
probably $4,000 above a reasonable
profit on the job.
If there were those who thought the
printing investigation was going to be
a joke-and there seemed to be some
preliminary sentiment to that effect
Cle chances are tildI luSy dIc HOW
looking at the situation in a changed
mood. The investigating committee
has been saving wood" nearly every
day and an array Of facts and figures
has been secured which the legislature
is not likely to ignore. Members who
were at first inclined to treat the agita-
ton as a mere local fight are COM
mencing to realize that the state has
been decidedly careless. at least, in af-
fairs concerned with the expenditure
Of many thousands of dollars each
year.
The prospects are that the investi-
eating committee will recommend.
among other things, the need of a COM
petent supervisor of public printing
either appointed by the governor or
elected by the legislature. 1t will be
pointed out that the members of the
printing commission, as a rule. have
no, expert knowledge of this subject
and that many of the abuses of the
past are due to the system which hi
been in force. There has been no past
attempt. apparently, to accurately de-
fine the duties Of the expert printer
who has been employed In this state.
This official testified that he had not
attempted to exercise any of the duties
or responsibilities of a supervisor, but
that his work had related merely to
checking up the completed jobs to see
If they correspondent to the contracts
and the statements filed.
-
HOUSE TAKES SERIOUSLY
ITS FANCY DANCE BILL
Pierre, S. D., Feb. lin spite of
the terrible "manhandling" given the
bunny hug bill in the senate, the fact
remains that h measure has passed
both branches and probably will be-
come a statutory regulation. The au-
tho of the bill, Representative Patter-
son, expects that the house will uphold
him in a refusal to concur In the SEN
ate amendments, which will throw the
ference committee. Mr.. Patterson
thinks the conference COMMITTEES will
report the bill for final adoption in
about it's original form and that this
report will be adopted In both
branches.
The bill as amended by the senate
and passed with 80 affirmative votes,
probably will hold first rank in the
list of legislative enactments IN this
state. Under It's original form the re-
st%rictions Of the bill. In very brief
grizzly bear, the turkey trot and other
suggestive and IMMORAL Dances"
Among the amendments attached in
the senate are the following:
THAT the term Dances as herein
to ghost dances, sun dances or st.
| Vitus Dances
mo privileges herein granted shall
apply to n member Of the house OF
representatives"
Only one amendment was voted
down. and that provided for all per-
sons to dane singly at all public
dances hereafter held In the state.
Some members of the house are very
much on edge" over h situation
was intended Is a slur at the other
branch. For that eason a fight may
be made to concur in the senate action
n pass the questions up to the gov
ernor. 1t is assumed that he would
veto the act in its present freak form.
JOKER IN BANKERS BILL
ONLY SALIENT FEATURE
Pierre, 8. D., Feb. members Of
the South Dakota senate nav shown
a willingness to stand for almost any
thing in the line of legislation, but they
to overdraw a bank accoun Several
of them admitted that their interest
in the subject was personal, as well
as general.
Senator Russell. of Brown county.
who is a banker, had presented a
measure recommended by the Ameri-
can Bankers association, which had
for its stated purpose the prevention
of fraudulent checks and drafts. When
the bill came on the floor for analysis
Il ~ Il pSIillSoE "a Oul
that the terms of the measure speci-
fically held anyone to be guilty of a
felony who issue a check in excess of
the amount on deposit in a bank.
In the first section of the bill it was
very conservatively stated that the
%felonious action consisted in drawing
such excess checks or drafts with in
tent to defraud." In a later clause,
however, the bill provided that 'the
making of such check or draft will be
held as prima facie evidence of intent
to defraud."
BY amendment the senate struck out
the provision as to "prima facie evil
dence of intent to defraud," and
changed the classification of the Of
tense from a felony to a misdemeanor.
After these changes had been made
the author of the bill declared that its
salient features had been destroyed
and moved for its indefinite postpone
ment. The motion prevailed.
COMPROMISE OFFERED FOR
INSURANCE PUBLICATIONS