Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-02-11
HOUSE PASSES BILL
TO CHANGE PLANS OF
BUYING Text BOOKS
Speaker Takes Floor and Puts
Measure Through Without
Vote to Spare.

Pierre, $. T.. FEB. Stalking the
floor Friday afternoon when the
text book DILL was up for passage in
the house. Speaker Christopherson
made a strong plea for the measure and
succeeded in pulling 1t through ny Il
bare majority. Although there has
oeen much lobby talk about the pos
sible interest of the book companies in
the bill, nc charge to that effect was
made during discussion, which lasted
nearly two hours.
Opponents of the bill attacked spe-
citic sections rather than the bill as
n whole. The main objection made
was against the change from the pres
ent county system of uniformity TO the
smaller unit of q district system.
The free text book provision met
with no objections, except he claim
that the present law. permitting adop-
t1on OF a free text book system, is as
good as that proposed in the bill.
The bin was advocated on the floor
by 10. w. Anderson. who Introduced 1T,
Speaker Chrlstopherson, Jacobs, Me-
farland. Howe. Sleddonsky and Groce.
1t was opposed by Baldwin, Gilby.
Johnson of SPHINX, Walker, Rinehart,
Benson and Bielsli.
Gilby moved to amend by striking
out section II, requiring school district
treasurers to purchase books of am
mes about TO move away, Mcfarland
n Christopllerson charged That this
was an attempt to Kill the
bill by robbins it of its most popular
feature. and the amendment was lost.
ON roll call, the bill was passed, So TO
81, not having a vote to spare. Friends
OF the bill declare it will pass the SEN
ate by a larger majority.
Long on Courtesy"
The first lineup of the house tina. may
be taken rs an indication of the atti-
tude on the liquor question occurred on
McFtarland'S motion to adopt the nil
nolity export on the bill prohibiting the
sale OF liquor within five miles OF tle
state soldiers home at Hot Springs.
The bill would have the effect Of max
ing Hot Springs div" and was OPP
posed by bigger, of Fall River county,
end others. The house voted down the
motion to adopt the minority report.
which was against the bill. 90 to AZ.
4 number of members served notice
they voted no to permit the bin to
come before the house, n would vote
against 1T OF final passage.
Ihe same sentimental attitude was
shown towards the ~eugenics bin. Al
though the measure has few hackers
among the legislators. The house voted
~ onto the calendar. annulling the I'M
favorable report of the committee.
These "cdurtcsy" actions ore becoming
iHtS5 A'ihi 'i'.tly occurrence, Eilg nD
the tIine of members in consideration
of bills which iiave no show of being
adopted.
Session Half Finished.
The present Legislative session has
closed the first half of it's work, and
does not show that it is attempting any
such volume of business as that of it's
predecessor. Tile number of bills pre-
scented for the first half in the house
two years ago was 273. and for this
session 203. In the senate two years
this session being principally small
ones. the volume of the files is not
more than half what they We're two
wears ago at the same date.
AS for enactments, they arc prac-
tically on a like basis. So far there has
been filed with the secretary of state
four senate bills, and six house bills.
The following is the senate list:
Senate 51-The appropriation act for
legislative expenses.
Senate so Appropriation for n
snokestack at the soldiers home.
Senate 24-Allowing jail sentences in
certain cases of grand larceny.
Senate 46-Appropriation FOR a water
tank at the school for feeble minded
The house list is:
House S~T-Providing for collection OF
taxes against corporations.
lou 5~0--Providing for Transmitting
records where new counties are organ
lied.
House 51--Fixing manner of a%ualifi-
cation of officers of new counties.
House distinguishing manner Of
finding population Of new counties for
fixing official salaries.
House Regulating llabeas corpu
House 71--FiS powers of the state
| game warden.