Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1915-02-13
PIERRE NEWS
Weekly Resume of Doings by the Legis.
latute-Written for Chronicle
by H. A. Robinson.

|
capital punishment are making siren
uous efforts to prevent passage by othe
house of either Beebe senate bill whicl
pulled a 24-l8 affirmative vote in tn
house of origin, or the Steele house bill
which got through with 62-34 majority
A majority of all members elect or 2
votes in senate, and 81 votes in house i
necessary to pass any measure, so tina
two votes will turn the time in senat,
and ten in house.
The Anderson of Clark-State Educa
tional Association free text book bill
providing for selection of texts by loca
districts, said to have had the combined
opposition of all the big book companies
who did not like the idea of canvassinl
each district has passed house. Speaker
G. A. Christopherson, for the first time
this session, left his chair to champion
free texts on the floor.
The house has abolished the 1915
State Voluntary Highway Commission
and its final fate is now before the senate
Friends of good roads are focking to its
support
The Governors Residence committee
has reported, giving plans for bungalc
effect home, to cost from $27, 900 to $37,
600 complete, varying in cost as to mater
ial used.
The Howe Irrigation district constitu.
tional amendment which passed the
house, was amended in senate commit.
tee to permit the state to engage in all
internal improvements, on two.thirds
vote of legislature, but is still awaiting
passage in this form by senate and affir.
nance of amendment by the house.
Speaker G. A. Christopherson has ap.
pointed Rep. Birch, Swanson, Tscharner
and Martin to act with senators Stiles
Van Denmark and Anderson as members
of the Birch Mclean Legislative Inves.
tigating Committee. 1t is expected to
query ex-State Auditor during the COM
ing week regarding statements of huge
savings in state expense through busi-
ness methods, as advocated by him in
his annual report. Mr.. Anderson has
prepared current open letter for the
press advocating the consolidation oi
state schools; reduction of the state ad.
ministration boards by placing all edu.
cationa and penal institutions under
one board of three members; with power
to levy tax and apportion proceeds. He
does not show any actual graft in state
administration.
The Paterson. Waltner bill, introduced
in either house, provides that the ad-
minstration of the motor license bust.
ness shall be retained in the Secretary
of States Office, instead of being placed
with the treasurer as limited earlier in
the session, with fee fixed at $500 for
dealers, $500 for autoes and $l.00 for
motorcycles. 25 per cent of the funds
thus raised is to remain in the county to
be employed by the Commissioners in
improving roads.
The Waters-Withes Illinois plan, muni-
cipal universal suffrage measure, which
the ladies are pushing With might and
main, is before committee in either
house. 1t is reported that the commit
teemen are much divided as to their
opinions, and that the house committee
will report it out without recommends.
tion. The antis and suffragettes held a
debate before the joint committees early
in the week.
The Withee No sale of.liquor-within-
five-miles. es.of-the-Soldier's Home bill
which, if enacted, will force Hot Springs
dry, was pulled by house over adverse
majority Temperance Committee report
and will be dealt with on it's merits on
floor. 1t is attracting much opposition
from the liquor interests.
The primary is being wrestled with
by the elections committees, and modi
fcation of the McMaster senate bill
which provided for the repeal of the
Richards primary, and the reenactmen
of the old Crawford primary with
amendments to fit present conditions, is
the likely recommendation.
Whether or not the legislature will re
tain county Farmers Institutes is biz
qUestion. The house specifically turned
down $4,000 deficiency appropriation
to carry on the work for the remainde
of the present year. The county-agent
agricultural extension propaganda
v hereby the individual county may Sc
lcure both state and national aid, unde
the Smith-Lever act, as worked out b,
Amden of Grant, is suggested by man,
as an acceptable substitute.
The Aberdeen Social Science Club Eu
lgenics marriage bill, prohibiting an.
marriage without physicians certificat
|shoNing freedom from infectious or con
tagious disease, failed in the house.
The senate passed Urdahl's bill pre-
hibiting employment by state officials G
relatives in their Office, but the hous
turned it down on committee report, &
it did on final passage of similar hous
bill earlier in the session.
The Stutenroth constitutional amend
ment, enabling the legislature to increas
the present constitutionally fixed stat
officers salaries by two-thirds vote
still before the senate. On Urdahl
motion the precentage of legislative vote
for increase was raised to thfee-fourth
Walker has presented proposed cor
: stitutional amendment fixing the hous