Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1921-01-22
STATE LEGISLATURE
Our Pierre Correspondent Contributes His
Weekly Letter Giving Digest
of Legislative Doings.

1 lNlAN1 As ~, ~ ais lb-A,--lt tue
generally expressed sentiment is any
real indication of what the present leg
isIatiye session will do in general way
the session laws" will be about as brief
as those of any session since the begin.
ming of statehood. or course, after the
members have been at home for recess
they may change their minds, but TO
date the idea appears to prevail that the
fewer laws they enact and the more old
ones they can get rid Of the better the
state viii be of in the outcome of their
work. There have been probably more
outright repeal bills introduced to date
ia the present session than ia any other
session since the beginning of the state
la this same line the number Of new
bills introduced for the first week is far
below the average, in fact larger mum
Der have been thrown into the house
chopper" in one day in past sessions
than have been introduced for the first
Two weeks.
The main issues under discussion for
the past week have been the soldiers
bonus and home building bills. Neither
of these have been introduced as yet ia
either house hut that does not mean
that they are not getting consideration.
1t means that they are being discussed
tentatively before being framed aud in
truduced rather than 10 be thrown in a.
a theory to be worked out aiterward
The bills when presented will have haC
far more consideration than any meas
ures get before they are put to a final
vote, and while they viii likely be
amended even after this they are well
along. On the soldiers bonus the ques
tiou OF granting it in the shape of non
negotiable bonds is not getting very far
The pay meEts will be ia cash at the rate
OF fifteen dollars month, but will be
closely scrutinized to see that only those
entitled to such relief get the money.
As to home building, the general ide.
appears 10 be that of making each man
Icipaiity who wants to take advantage o
IT'S provisions, stand responsible for the
loans made, just as the counties are now
required to stand back of the schoo
fund loans
One measure of considerable interest
TO the western half of the state has re
ceIyed a favorable vote in the house.
and has gone to the senate, in the Hags
bill requiring county commissioners to
provide poision for the destruction o.
yrasshoppers and other insect pests
This was presented by Representative
Hagg Of Corson county, he sees a rea
need for it in many localities in the
western part of the state An attempt
10 add the same requirements in rela-
ion to gophers aud prairie dogs was
voted down.
One bill which will call out more OF
ess opposition is one by Representative
Parker of Lawrence county, who wants
an act to compel all vehicles upon the
highways at night to carry lights of the
same coiors as is demanded of auto driv-
srs, giving the same protection to the
auto owner as TO the owner of any other
lass OF vehicles.
The Black Hills delegation is getting
lned up IN their work, and bills have
been introduced in the house by Clark
d Lawrence tc amend the workmen's
law to allow payments to
4 widow With children without the APP
2ointment of an administrator where
here is no other assets than the pay
nents; and to prohibit payments to de-
in a foreign country Parker
)i Lawrence wants lights on all vehi-
;les, and to strike out the present pro-
vision OF the code which max es attempt
ed suicide felony; Mayo Of Lawrence
asks that municipalities be given in
creased powers in their control of city
affairs; Erskine of Meade in the senate
presented bills to make Armistice Day
legal holiday and another TO contne the
expenditure of Federal and state aid TO
trunk line highways; one by Guiifoyle
0i Fall River to provide compensation
for Clerk of Courts in organized coun-
lies for services in connection with un-
Jrgauized counties. Representative
torney in the house introduced simi-
lar measure to that presented in the
senate by Guifoyle.
The bill to restore capital punishment
in this state called out the first real
talkfest of the session in the senate. and
" hen the vote was forced the bill went
down by vote of II yes and % no
The Black Hills senator's, Cox, Erskine
and Guilloyle were all recorded in the
list against the bill In this line il NAV
be proper to mention that the Black
Hills section is short one in its sena-
torial representa- on, as Senator Ben
nett OF Pennington is yet confined to his
home by illness, and may not be able to
attend for the session.
The bill TO require butchers to retain
hides for inspection in search for evil
dence of cattle rustling, was explained
in the senate by senator Cock of Butte
who presented it, and the explanation
that many butchers failed to retain hides
for such inspection was satisfactory 10
the senate members, with the exception
that some feared it might iniure the
packing house men, but when repre-.
from Minnehaha county in.
formed the senate that the packing
houses all retained and salted hides and