The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-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, S. D.. Feb. Stalking the
floor Friday afternoon when the
text book bill was up for passage in
the house, Speaker Christopherson
made a stroug plea for the measure and
succeeded in pulling it through by a
bare majority. Although there has
been much lobby ak about the pos
sible interest of the book companies in
the bill. no charge to That effect was
made during discussion, which lasted
nearly w hours.
Opponents of the bill attacked spe-
l sections rather Than the bill as
a whole. The main objection made
was against the change from the pres
ent county system of uniformity to the
smaller unit of a district system.
The free text book provision met
with no objections, except the claim
h h present law, permitting adop-
ton of a free text book system, is as
good as that proposed in the bill.
The bill was advocated on the floor
by E. w. Anderson, who introduced it;
Speaker Christopherson, Jacobs, Nc
tarland, Howe, S~leddonsky and Groce.
II was opposed by Baldwin. Gilby,
Johnson of Sphinx. Walker, Rinehart,
Benson and Bielski.
Gilby moved to amend by striking
put section II, requiring schoo district
t~reaSurerS TO purchase books of fam
ines about to move away. Mcfarland
and ChristopherSon charged that this
amendment was al attempt to kill the
bill by robbing 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 that nay
De taken as an indication of the atti-
tude on the liquor question occurred on
McFarland's motion to adopt the mi
1oritN report on the bill prohibiting the
sale of liquor within five miles of the
state soliiers' home at Hot Springs.
The bill would ave the effect Of max
ing Hot Springs dry" and was OPP
posed by Bilger. Of FAN River county,
ind others. The house voted Town the
motion to adept the minority report,
which was against the bill, Sc to AZ.
4 number of members served notice
hey voted no" TO permit the bin to
come before the house, and would vote
against it on final passage.
The same sentimental attitude was
shown towards the eugenics bill. Al
though the measure has few hackers
among the legislators, the house voted
It onto the calendar, annulling the I'M
favorable report Of the committee.
These courtesy" actions are becoming
- Ac-14s occurrence, ldhHlS I'D
the time of members in consideration
ot bills which have 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. The nun1ber of bills pre-
sented for the first half in the house
two years ago was 273. and for this
session 2o3. In the senate two years
ago 20s, and this year 131. The bills
his session being principally small
ones, the volume OF the files is not
more than half what they We're two
years ago at the same date.
As for enactnents, they are 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 a
smokestack 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 3I-Providing for collection Of
taxes against corporations.
House 50-Proyiding for transcribing
records where new counties are organ
lied.
House 51-Fixing manner of q%ualifi-
cation Of officers of new counties.
House 54-Regulating manner Of
finding population of new counties for
fixing official salaries.
House Regulating habeas corpus.
House 71-Fix powers of the state
game warden.