The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-03-01
THE Legislature
SENATOR URDAHL PUTS \ CRiNp
INTO BOARD OF HEALTH
MEASURES.

Pierre, March l.-Another bill
comparable TO the state board of
health measure, which was with
drawn after Senator Urdahl had
turned the searchlight on it in the
senate, came from the joint commit
tee on public health and met a sim
liar fate. This bill is No. 24S and IL
would give county health officials ex-
%trordinary powers aud privileges and
salaries similar TO what was propos-
ed for state health officers i'm the 9TH
err bin.
The salary of the superintendent
of the county board of health. the
bill provides, may range from $500
to $4,000. Assistants may be APP
pointed without limit as to number;
an office for the superintendent. a
laboratory with all medical appli-
ances. surgical tools. etc. at public
expense; the superintendent to have
same powers as the sheriff in making
arrests of any persons resisting the
carrying out of his orders; expenses
OF attending state and county health
officers meetings and other expenses
i'm connection with the office are to
be paid: compulsory medical exam
i~nation of all school children is pro-
vided with heavy penalties for inter
ference with health officer.
When this bill came up in the SEN
ate II was proposed to defer ii. but
Senator Urdahl objected and asked
for the opportunity to give the bill
the treatment IL deserved. Senator
Daley moved indefinite postpone
ment and a large majority voted to
pass IL on to the undertaken.
1t is doubtful If state officials con-
nected with the health and medical
boards will be able to get anything
through this session giving them a
tighter control over the people. A
number of members of both houses
are on the watch for such bills and
they will in all probability be dis
posed OF %summarily IL they appear.
There will be many more dry"
towns In South Dakota this year as
the result of a bill which passed the
senate Saturday. striking out the
words voting on the proposition"
from the liquor license law of 1913.
With these words in the law ID has
not been necessary 10 get a majority
of all votes in a town or city 90 IL
cense saloons, but n majority only OF
the vote cast on the license question.
Many towns of the state are quite
evenly divided on the saloon question
and will go dry under the new law.
The bill now has passed both houses.
A spectacular fight was staged in
the house over Swanson's bill amend
ing the printing law of 1913. The
bill required letting contracts for
printing and supplies to printers
within the state and provided for al
lowances for corrections not the fault
of the printer. The bill was lost. 25
to co.
A resolution was passed by the
house providing for submitting a
constitutional amendment permitting
the state or counties to institute a
system of rural credits. The house
also passed the bill reducing auto Ii
eenses to 50.
The senate voted to submit to the
people the question of calling a con
vention TO revise the constitution OF
the state.
n toiEuildilln III the Stuair 40 h'-
ing framed up to cut all special APP
preparations for the purpose of keep
ing the total down to less than two
years ago, on the theory that ii will
be poor politics to increase appro-
p%riations, as we'll as that of needed
economy. Similar organizations have
been framed at many former sessions
but have always gone to pieces under
the acid test.
The effort to get the new sherif's
salary bill past an adverse committee
of the house judiciary committee met
with defeat and the sheriffs will get
along with the same compensation as
in the past.
When the bill to license embalmers
and create a state board was before
the senate, Senator Urdahl objected
to IL, saying that it would prevent
doctors from embalming as is the
custom now in rural communities
where there are no experienced un-
dertakers handy. To this Senator
Bobb replied that most of a doctors
work was done when the patient
died. This explanation seemed sat
isfactory and the bill was passed.
The game fish laws are all right
for the lordly trout in the hills and
the kingly bass in the east, but here
along the Missouri we must be salts
fed with the humble catfish, and he
can't be taken out of the Great Mud
dy with a rod. reel and artificial fly.
So spoke Senator Stephens in discuss
ing the bill to take catfish out of the
game class. He favored the bill
which permits catfish to be hooked
by less artistic methods. The bill
passed the senate by a comfortable
majority.
Local option for towns on the Sun
day baseball question was proposed
in senate bill 1872 by Stoner of Per-
kins, and caused a spirited discussion
in the senate. Senator Urdahl said
the preachers could go fishing every
day in the week and ought not to
work the blue laws on others who
have only Sunday for recreation.
| Mclean declared the way to let the
people go to hell in a hurry was to
throw Sunday wide open. Urdahl re-