The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-01-09
URDAHL'S ACTIVITY
HE WORKS FOR PUBLIC BETTER
MENT REGARDLESS or
PERSONS.

Pierre. Jan. o. Senator trdahl. of
Lake, has been credited with being
the man always ready to start some
thing, and has been accused az many
times OF being after" some certain
individual. He denies such a record
but says that he has eve hesifated
10 go after conditions or a system
which he did not believe TO be- the
proper thing. and in this has not stop
ped to consider who might be I'm the
way of his ideas of reform. but has
worked to the end that he thought
was public betterment. regardless of
whose toes might be in the way of his
line of march. He has asked for in
vestigation of something or some one
at every session in which he has been
a member, and this time he wants the
special attorney for the banking de
partment provided by the last session
eliminated. and that work be put un-
der control of the state legal depart
ment. He says this will probably be
called an attack upon the present at
torney In that special position, but Ii
is only an attack on the system.
For several sessions there has been
a strong effort 20 keep the different
state institutions limited i'm their eff
forts to branch Out in their work,
and the charge has been made that
several of such institutions have at
tempted to make of themselves gen
eral colleges" instead OF combining
their work to The purpose for which
they were ostensibly created. Gov.
Norbeck in his message calls attention
10 such condition at the state college
of agriculture at Brookings, and asks
if ii would not be better for each in
~stitution 10 specialize along the lines
for which it was created, and that the
school of agriculture devote its eff
forts TO the development of agricul-
ture and leave the general courses OF
study to the institutions created for
that purpose. AS 1t has been an is
sue. il will no doubt be the cause of
legislative discussion before the end
of the session.
The estimates SO far presented 10
the legislature on the needs Of the
existing institutions Of the state for
the next biennial period reach a total
of $4,000. 900. This is a million and
a quarter il excess of the estimates
of any former session and does not
include any appropriation TO carry
out road improvements, capitol build
ing extension or rural credits estab-
lishment.
Representative Barclay, OF Clark
county, introduced a resolution today
providing for a special investigation
of the appropriation needs Of the
state institutions and for inyestiga-
ton of items charged against former
appropriations.
The intent of the resolution is TO
have the investigation made by a
small committee made up from the
appropriation committees OF the
house and senate. 1t is provided thai
the investigating committee shall
have power to summon witnesses ana
to compel them to testify under oath.
Mr.. Barclays move Is based upon
various reports in circulation that in
stitution officers have been dissipat-
ing appropriations for personal profit
and in promotion of personal prereq-
u~isites.
These alleged abuses lead into
hundreds of different channels. One
board member is said to have bought
second hand automobiles for people
under his jurisdiction, paying new
car prices.
1t is held that such transactions
either involves questionable judg-