The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-13
THE LEGISLATURE
BANK GUARANTY BILL INTRO
Dut I'D - CHAMBERLAIN
BRIDGE-HEAITH
OFFICERS.

Pierre. Jan. l3.-McMasters III
the senate and Tscharner in the
house introduced what is known Ar
the administration bill relating to
bank guaranty and to reenact the
present banking laws.
The bridge situation, in relation
to the Chicago. Milwaukee & st.
Paul at Chamberlain, was made a
matter OF public record today by the
introduction in the house by Hall of
Lyman of a resolution memorializing
congress to take action TO compel
the company to place a permanent
bridge across the Missouri river at
that place. The resolution cites the
dangers from the present pile bridge
plan of crossing and the inconveD-
fence 10 the people resident along
the line of that road between Oacoma
and Rapid City each time the Mis-
souri, river decides to wipe out that
means of crossing, which is placed at
from M TO four times each year.
and makes a demand for federal ac-
tion in the interests of safety and
the needs of the people.
Patterson of K%ingsbury in a SEN
ate bill. asks that the automobile IL
cense fee be reduced from SO per
year for each auto to So. with a cor
responding reduction for motorcy-
cles. He also limits a distance of
seventy-five feet between cars trav-
cling the highways of the state 60
ing in the same direction.
County health officers are given
too much latitude in the method Of
charging fees and mileage, according
to some members of the legislature
who want a restriction put on them.
II is alleged that some counties have
paid several thousand dollars in one
year as the cost Of quarantining
families that have infectious dis
eases.
Apparently the law permits the
health officer TO charge a fee FOR
each family quarantined and mileage
no matter If he can visit several fam
lilies in one drive. One such, it is
claimed, put in a bill for 1914 for
one days work. which included a
mileage charge from town and back
for each case, Notwithstanding he
made his calls on one trip from town.
IT is claimed that there are many
cases of abuse of the fee and mileage
charging privilege. many of the
county health officers making only
a reasonable charge for the time put
in and distance actually Travelled, but
the opportunity for running up a big
bill should be removed in the opin-
ion of the legislators.
Representative Blake of Beadle
county is being accorded the distinc-
ton Of being the only member of
either house friendly to the Richards
primary law. He voted no on the
viva voce vote to have the law dis
sected by a committee with a view to
ultimately getting rid of 1t. There
Is some dispute as to whether there
was more than negative vote. but
Mr.. Blake is quite generally given
the credit of being a minority of one.
On complaints in regard to inabil-
ity of members to find the stenog-
raphers employed for their use and
the committee heads to find their
clerks when needed, a room has been
set aside for such clerks and placed
under a supervisor to see that the
clerks keep proper office hours and
are where they can be found when
wanted, instead of playing hockey at
Their pleasure, which is a general
charge against them.
Since the feeling has gained force
in legislative circles that a new pri-
mary law will be adopted at this ses-
sion, as a substitute for the present
Richards contraption. political lead
ers are much concerned over the de-
tails of a substitute measure. At this
stage of the proceedings it seems
quite certain that the administration
forces will seek to keep a guiding
hand on the primary question.
There is a marked sentiment
among the legislative members for
the short ballot idea-making minor
state officers appointive-but the
proposition is somewhat handicapped
in South Dakota by the fact that the
elective system for most of these
minor Offices is fixed in the state
constitution. The voters might be
willing to amend in this particular,
or they might not-on the law of
ayarapac nrphahly not