The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-02-25
Bergren, Bielski, Birch. Bredvik,


Hersey, Howe, Huntley. Johnson Of
Kingdom, Knebel, knight of Hamlin,
Labrie, Lundquist. Magness, March,
Martin. Malm, Mathiesen, Moe, Nc
Grath, Nelson, Norby. Olson of Brook.
ings, Olson Of Grant, Peterson, Paul
son, Quickstad, Rebrud, Roberts, Rob-
erts, Ruhlman, Sanborn. Schulz of
Brookings, Solem, Stedronsky, Teigen,
Titland, Tscharner, Thompson of Han
son, Thompson of Minnehaha, Walt.
ner, Wahl, Withee, Widlon, Mr..
Speaker.
Nays Bartels, Bessler. Bilger,
Blake. Crawford, Clark, Green, Hanson.
Houck, Hursh, Jacobs, Johnson of
Meade, Jurgenson, Knight of Dewey,
Mcfarland. Meuhlbeier, Paterson,
Rinehart, Ruckman, Schultz OF Kings
bury, Stein. Steckler, Steele, Stoner.
Strand, Streeter. Swanson. Tidblom,
Thompson of Lawrence, Trip, Wei.
Ter, Woods.
House is Watchfui.
The house of representatives was
eve so watchful of the state funds
as this year and the member who is
trying to put through a bill for in
for any public official feels that he
has a rather solid wall of opposition to
overcome. A lone exception was the
action of the house in passing by a
bare majority Ruhlman's bill allow
ing the insurance commissioner an
increase from $500 to $4,000 with a
deputy and an insurance examiner at
salaries of $500 a year each. Even
this fell far below the requirements
of the original bill, the committee hav.
ing cut the insurance commissioners
salary from the proposed $4,000 a
year to 81, 200, taken out the provision
for deficiency and removed the emer.
gency clause. 1t was contended that
these were appointive Offices, requir,
ing experts and the state could not
employ the right kind OF man without
paying better salaries.
Suspicion of a possible purpose to
create a new board caused the senate
to reject house bill 147 by Cole max.
ing the governor and attorney general
eX-ofiicio members of the humane so.
ciety board. The bill was debated by
a vote of 10 to %.
Lawyers in the house generally op.
posed Labrie's bill providing for three.
fourths jury verdicts in all civil eases.
Mcfarland sought to kill it by amend.
ing to require only a majority Of jur
ors to bring in a verdict and said he
hoped both the amendment and the bill
would be voted down. Labrie declared
this was no experiment and nothing
terrible would happen if the bill
passed. California had had such a law
since 1872 and IL was in effect in a
number Of other states. Justice would
be expedited he said by removing the
possibility of so many d~isagreements.
He accepted an amendment providing
for five-siXths verdicts and as sc
amended the bill passed, Sc to 81.
Speaker Well Liked.
Speaker Christopherson is acknowl
edged to be n of the best presiding
officers the house eve had. lie is par
ticularly proficient in expediting the
business of the house, as much as is
possible with fairness to all who de
sire to be heard on any measure. UI
to the present time he has been very
liberal in permitting unlimited debate
but has announced that the press OF
business will make it necessary to
strictly apply rule 10 from now on
limiting speeches to 10 minutes and
providing that no member shall speak
more than twice on the same subject
The farmers are considerably
worked up over the bill to require the
vote on county commissioners to be
by the whole county instead of by DIS
tricts. The law provides for nomina
tons by districts, but that the vote for
such officers shall be by the whole
county instead of in the district alone
This contention is on the ground that
such officers are in fact county officers
and transacting business for the whole
county, and the people of the whole
county are interested in their selec
'iOh' III oiuc vi the ISSUE De
ing that with such a law the counties
containing the larger towns of the
state would be controlled absolutely
blythe towns, and no farmer member
could get upon the board il he was
not Lined up with the town crowd
The indications are not favorable tc
the bill getting very far on a vote OF
the house.
Senate bill Ga by Peckham allowine
mothers pensions to divorced women
was passed 80 to 6 in the senate.
The senate also passed the follow
ing:
Hayes-$576 appropriation to pay
money advanced by Deadwood Com
mercial club.
Lundly-Uniform marriage certih
cate law.
Appropriating 1900 for money spen,
IN photographic survey.
The senate passed house bills:
Withee-Allowing school districts to
purchase land for agricultural pur
poses. Weller-Procedure in consoli
dating school districts. Moe-Provid
ing for a%bolishing municipal courts.
The house passed:
ro1 -. 1919