The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-01-18
JONES MATTER If
IN LEGISLATURE
WAS SENSATION OF WEEK AT
PIERRE-JONES HEARD IN
OWN DEFENSE FRIDAY
EQUAL SUFFRAGE HAS PASSED HOUSE
Torrens System Of Transfers Being
Pushed-Other Interesting Meas
ures Up For Discussion

Pierre, S. d., January II, 1917,
Special to Register:-The sensation Of
the week in legislative matters "a
the hearing granted to DR.. Jones of
the state university OF the floor Of
the house, which was conceded on ac-
count of the Evander resolution ask
ing for an Investigation Of the charges
which were made against DR.. Jones
following the meeting of the state edu-
cational association at WATERFOWL.
Jones was given permission TO speak
in the house of representatives Friday
morning, and while the body was not
filled by members of the two houses,
and the the galleries by spectators,
who heard Jones d~enounce those who
had spread the charges as UNANIMOUSLY
false, and a defense of all his actions,
which he declared to be absolutely in
the open, and without al attempt on
his part to work in the dark at any
time. He was later given a hearing
before the joint educational commit
tees Of the two houses, on the resolu-
ton, and it is now being held pending
any appearance anyone opposed to his
actions may wish to make, and a full
hearing of their views.
The equal suffrage resolution which
has passed the senate is the principal
legislative action to date, and the reso-
luton is in the hands of the
house committee on elections, with a
hope on the part of the women who are
looking after it that they will get it
finally disposed of before the recess
Thursday. In the debate, SoIthwick
stood against suffrage, and Carlisle
supported it.
The bill to legalize the organization
of Deuel. county, which is a curative
act to satisfy holders of bonds of that
county. has passed the house without
opposition.
Dalthorp, of Bookings, took a part
in the debate on the bill which sought
to repeal the provision which requires
county treasurers to endorse the
amount of state tax on the back Of
tax receipts, and which debate brought
out numerous views, with the bill go
ing down by a heavy majority against
granting the relief asked by the treas
urers.
Alseth, of Kingsbury, stands sponsor
in the senate for the district selection
of text books, which was framed by
the county superintendent of the
state and endorsed by the state educa-
tional association at their Watertown
meeting.
The S%outhwick abstract bill is said
to just about double all abstract fees
in the state. 1t doubles most existing
fees, and adds an additional expense
for documents which contain over two
hundred words. The discussion in re-
gard to it leads to the indication that
it will lead to the pushing of a bill for
the Torrens system of transfers.
The Riden bill which proposes to
change the date of beginning of the
term of county superintendent from
January first to the first Monday in
June has been favorably reported for
ariion in the house.
The Barley resolution. which
sought to provide a legislative com
mittee to visit the various state insti-
tutions to learn first hand what their
needs might be in the way of appro-
priatilns- -did-not-ge very far, al
though the members from various
counties in which state institutions
are located, extended invitations to
them to come and see what they
really needed. On a vote it failed in
the house and never got as far as SEN
ate action.
While Representative Mcfarland, of
Codington, failed in his ambition to be
speaker of the present session he
stands out as the one floor leader who
is always On the Job. and Is a force for
any measure which he Is backing. On
account of the future possibilities of
legislation governing control Of in
a n asylums affecting an institution
at Watertown. he was the floor man.
ager of a series Of bills covering such
control. and while he met strong op-
position to one Of the measures and
saw 1t 60 down to defeat. he managed
to get it back on the door, and past