The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1915-12-24
Chance IN Ruljno.

Change IN Ruling.
A witness in a land contest case
must set forth grounds for contest as
fully as contestants. There are I'M.
portant changes In rules. Owing to
lack of understanding of the rules OF
practice in contests before the United
States land office, q large number Of
applications for contests and afida-
Wits of witnesses supporting the same
have been held up. Under the old
rules of practice. the witness was re-
quired to state that he was acquainted
with the tract described in contest
ants affidavit, and that from personal
knowledge and observation the state
ments therein made were true. So
many witnesses, however, never read
the affidavit of the contestant, and
blindly swear to it. To remedy this
condition, Rule 3 of the land office
practice was amended September %,
1916, and provides that the statements
made in the contestants application
must be c~orroborated by the affidavit
of at least one witness having such
personal knowledge of the facts in re-
lation to the contested entry as, il
proven, would render it subject to
cancellation. These facts must be set
forth as fully in the affidavit of the
witness as in that of the contestant.
Afidavits of witnesses must also be
made in duplicate. If contestants and
witnesses would keep this simple rule
in mind, much delay and annoyance
would be avoided.
Better Methods Needed.
The future hero Of our country will
be the man who fOrmulates a practic-
BILE method of equalizing taxation" de-
clared A. E. Hitchcock, mayor Of
Mitchell, and former member of the
state board Of regents, in an address
to the county commissioners of South
Dakota, assembled at Mitchell in their
first annual convention. In speaking
on "The Legislative Needs OF the
County Commissioners Association"
Mayor Hitchcock asserted that the
most urgent problem facing the coun-
ty boards of the state today is the re.
adjustment of present taxation in.
equalities. The commissioners pow
ers in this direction should be extend
ed, he believed. The law should give
hem power, at present not granted, to
correct mistakes of assessment. The
only legal remedy under present law
is for the individual to pay the as
sessment, even though it is ad.
mittedly wrong, file a protest with
the county treasurer and then u the
county for the recovery Of the amount
in question. About Is commissioners
from over the state were present when
Mayor Hitchcock delivered the ad.
dress Of welcome.
Million for Schools.
Just under a million dollars was
turned owed to the maintenance funds
Of common schools OF this state by the
state land department, for the calen.
dar year 1915. With funds turned over
to the different state educational
institutions the fund run well above
a million dollars as state aid to edu.
cation in South Dakota for tie year.
Liz ldSL GDUtl tiOIlllltiil lOi Cl1G y CdI
has just been made at S21S,0S7 10. or
at the rate Of S1.26 for each pupil in
the state, which is an excess of near.
ly four thousand dollars over the De.
cember a-pportionment of last year.
The June apportionment for this year
was $73o,G07.41, at the rate of S4.27
for each pupil, making the total for
tho yraa~ El4l iS1 81 re & 20 For. aaah
school child II the state. Out OF this
fund in round numbers $4,000 is the
proceeds Of the work OF the trcspass
agents OF the department in the field
for the fall looking into the matter OF
unauthorized use of such lands.
Football Negotiations.
Negotiations are under way between
the athletic boards Of the University
of South Dakota and the University
of Missouri for a football game next
fall between the two institutions at
Vermillion. The only date open is one
early in the season. If south Dakota's
proposition is accepted by the Missou.
rians, it will be the big game of the
season on the home grounds, and the
date will be chosen as Dakota Day,
the annual gala day on which the alum.
nj foregather. With Missouri on the
schedule as well as Minnesota, Notre
Dame, Creighton and North Dakota
the Coyotes are in for the most siren
uous season in the history of football
at South Dakota. The Wabash col.
lege team, which claims the Indiana
championship this year and which was
coached by a former Coyote player,
Paul Sheeks, wants a game with South
Dakota mex year, but arrangements
have not been made as yet to meet
the Indiana college.
Belgium Still Needs Relief.
Gov. Byrne has received from Oscar
S. Straus, chairman of the commits
sion for relief Of Belgium. a telegram
denying the statement sent out that
there Is no further need for relief in