The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-02-23
THE Legislature
COUNTY BRIDGE BILL PASSES
THE SENATE-ROCTINE
BUSINESS.

Pierre, Feb. 23.-The county
bridge bill which was passed by the
senate two years ago and emasculat-
ed In the house after a small army of
county commissioners and states at
torneys had come to the capitol to
work against 1t. has been passed by
the senate again. and awaits action
by the house. The bill which was
introduced by Pearson OF Minnehaha,
differs somewhat from the one that
was lobbied TO death two years ago.
but its substantial provisions are
much the same. Its purpose is to
prevent the letting OF contracts in
Jumps to big bridge companies at so
much per lineal foot, and thus TO do
away with a graft that has been a
scandal i'm almost every county of
the state.
Stephens of Pierre put up a deter
mined fight to get the bill back into
committee, saying il was complicat-
ed and its provisions not clear, but
this was headed off and the bill pass
ed with but one dissenting vote.
Pearson, ~Stutenroth, Urdahl and
Hayes defended the bill.
House bill 191, authorizing the
state board of regents to select lands
in the western part OF the state for
agricultural experiment work was ex-
planned by Howe and was supported
by Waltner and Hall of Lyman.
Ruckman moved to amend by strik-
ing out words make farm pay"
Lundquist opposed my statute which
1fGasalI.v lonIa~1I a-osr& Al, x-o~t
ern part of the state; Gudahl said
that settlers need be shown how to
farm in the western part of the state
TO make a success. The Ruckman
amendment carried. Boreson oppos-
ed the bill. He said enough demon
stration work was going on now. and
IL kept up the state will 500 have
one in every county. Ruhlman said
the Smith-Lever act would take care
of the situation, and Jacobs asked
for indefinite postponement. Rine-
hart said western residents were
amused by talk of experiments and
that the banks of Rapid City carry
over $4,000 600 deposits and that
no N ever makes anything out of
any new country till the settlers go
out with a heart and determination
to win. and to make homes and
farms. Johnson of Meade moved TO
amend by placing Butte or Meade in
the list of counties. Tscharner
moved to amend to name Perkins
and Harding for Butte. Both amend
ments were voted down. Tscharner
then moved TO amend to insert the
counties of Harding. Butte, Meade
and Perkins, which carried. Jacobs
moved the previous question. and bill
went down by vote of Al yeas and
"A no.
The long discussion of the after
noon was on the bill TO make Bible
reading in the public schools compul-
sorry, house bill 140. Lundly favored
the bill just as il came from the
house and then the slashing began.
Urdahl wanted to cut out the word
"~sectarian" in regard to comments
upon the readings, which was oppos-
ed by Whittemore and the motion
went down. Ericsson then moved to
amend by striking out the word
shall and inserting may" which
was accepted. leaving the law in fact
just where ii has been for years.
Ericsson supported his motion on the
ground that the constitution provid-
ed for religious liberty, and hat the
reading should not be forced. Whit
temore thought the Bible a part of
the education of any man. Vande-
mark opposed il on constitutional
grounds. and because il would be OBJ
jectionable to some taxpayers. On
the question of Mclean as to whether
a majority of the people would not
support the move, ne said that the
temporary majority should not be
considered on a question like this.
He thought that the Bible readings
should be in the home, and asked
how many senators conducted such
readings in their homes. On vote
the amendment passed, 16 no, IT yes.
The agricultural committee of the
senate will present a bill which will
provide for a commission without
pay to investigate and study into the
conditions of agricultural extension
work in other states, and make a re-
port TO the governor not later than
the first of January next, the purpose