The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-03
THE LEGISLATURE
MEASURE TO ABOLISH HIGHWAY
COMMISSION PASSED BY
THE HOUSE.

commission, which was created by
the 1913 legislative session. A mo-
ton to reconsider has been filed and
1t is quite certain that there will be
another tussle with the question. The
commissions hackers are bringing
pressure on some of the members
who have not taken a very determin-
ed stand and they hope to defeat the
bill on the second effort.
If the house adheres TO its attitude
the case looks gloomy for the high
way commission. as the senate. on "A
test vote, has shown a willingness 10
vote abolition. The senate commit
tee reported the abolition bill for
indefinite postponement. but the
author Of the measure carried his
case TO the floor and amended the re-
port, making the recommendation
that il do pass" The bill is pend
ing on the senate calendar and has
not been up for regular action.
Two years ago there was very lit
tie sentiment for the creation of the
highway commission, but emphasis
was placed on the claim that it would
not cost the state one cent On this
basis the opposition dropped out and
consented TO the creation Of the
board.
AT this session members OF the
commission have been on hand labor
ing for salaries and expense allow
ances. They aroused some opposition
right at the opening of the session
on the claim that they tried TO
pack" the highways committees in
both branches, evidently with the
view Of securing favorable commit
tee reports on their measures.
The house bill 10 allow county mu-
tual insurance companies TO write on
urban property called out a fight be-
tween the delegations from Brown
and Minnehaha counties, the Brown
county delegation standing solidly
against II as q bad policy for the mu-
tuals. The Minnehaha county dele
CATION asked that the law be allow
ed to go upon the books. resulting In
the whole issue going over.
The text book bill. which has
been in committee for some time, will
get out onto the floor of the house
probably today, and will be the
source OF considerable discussion.
The two features which are being
both condemned and supported in the
bill as drawn by the committee of the
state educational association, appear
to be those of district selection of
text books. the strongest opposition
to this being in counties with small
districts and a shifting population,
.rL~.-. - ID LzIl 4hn4 fhn rhfffinp
would mean a constant change OF
books and unnecessary expense. The
free provisions are being discussed,
but so long as that feature of the bill
is entirely optional with the districts
it Is not being so strongly criticised.
Just how far the feeling may go in
regard to amendments remains to be
developed on the floor. One main is
sue is as to whether the big book
companies would prefer to deal with
a centralized board, or with scattered
district boards. As one feature of
the act limits the cost of books to
the lowest price charged for like
books by the same company, any
where in the United States, 1t is held
that the element Of cost of purchase
cannot be increased in n district
over another, nor changed by pur
chase through a central board.
A constitutional issue was raiseC
in the house over a bill to appro
pirate money for equipment at thu
, state reform school," or training
school as il is known by the legisla
ture since 1907. when the name wa
f changed by provisions of chapter %.
/ of that session. While the issue wa.
/ raised by Bielski that the bill at
= tempted to carry both an emergenc.
> appropriation, and a deficiency ap
preparation In the same measure
March of Hughes also raised the is
sue that so long as the constitution
In section / of article XVI, gives tina
|, institution the name of reform
school," that there might be a consti
tutional question raised as TO the val
/ idity of an appropriation for the stat
! training school. On the issues raise
2 the bill went back to the judiciar
: committee for further considerable
. before il was finally acted upon.
r This brought up further coming o
T. the section of the constitution refer
Q red to, and raises another issue. tina
[ section defines the charitable an
g penal institutions of the states as
I "A p~enitentiary, insane hospital,
r school for the deaf and dumb,
a school for the blind and a reforI
school," This raises the issue as t
e the constitutionality of any othe
d charitable or penal institution with
: out a change in the provisions of thi
: section of the constitution and If sue
y should be the holding would place
( stumbling block in the way of loca
y ton of the proposed insane hospits
f in the northeastern part of the stat
f at WATERFOWL or another in the Blac
e Hills section Of the state to be know
/ at the western hospital, and which
r being considered as a matter to pre-
: sent to the present session.
g The bill to authorize the state fir
( marshals to enter and examine, an
f condemn buildings which are consit
I cred to be a fire menace to cities an
n towns met overwhelming defeat i
e the house a few days ago. A Xix
bill in the senate has been amende
n in the committee to meet the objeC
e tions which were raised to the bill
n the house, and as the senate is favor