The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-02-03
HYDAO-ELECTR|C
FIGHT WARNS UP
MOBRIDGE BOOSTERS INTRODUCE
BILL TO ACCEPT REPORT
OF COMMISSION
LEGISLATURE STILL FAvORS ECONOMY
Dick Richards Starts Things Again
With His Legal Merit Bill
To Buy Booze.

The boosters for the hydro-electric
sites at Mobridge and at Mulehead
are yet IN hand pushing their various
claims. The Mobridge people have
introduced a bill which merely ac-
cepts the report of the engineers and
Of the hydrO-electric commission and
the first test will come on this. They
claim that they are not asking for
any appropriation, nor for any action
at this time, but want only an accept
ance of the reports of the governing
and engineering bodies so far in cor
troll Of the probabilities OF hydro
electric development of the big river.
The vote on this will likely be a test
of what is to be expected. Their bill
has the advantage that so long as it
does not carry an appropriation it can
be adopted by a majority vote of each
house. The Mulehead people have
not yet presented their bill which
calls for a location at the southern
point, but they can be counted on to
get busy when they think the proper
time has arrived. Both forces have
concluded that they need not look for
any action at this session which would
call for an appropriation, and if any
thing is enacted it will be along the
lines laid down in the "Mobridge"
bill. but that does not mean that their
particular bill will go through.
The one proposition which will no
doubt cause more discussion thar any
other one thing which has been intro
duced since the recess, is the bill by
Gilman, with a title longer than the
average bill, which is one of the pet
ideas of r. O. Richards, and which at
tempts to set up a standard Of morals
for citizenship privileges. The title
~ aesignated as al act to standardiZe
the citizenship to individual RESPONSE
bility under a legal merit system to
stimulate morality as a basis for tenn
perance, with many more words fol
lowing. In brief the bill attempts to
fix a legal standard Of morals, and
the man who can meet the required
test shall be allowed to buy and drink
beer and wine, and to vote. If he cant
come I'D to the standard he is to be
deprived Of both these rights. Among
other things which make a citizen
immoral" and not entitled to the
above privileges being a deadbeat, a
Ioafer, a liar, failure to support his
family, drunkenness, or general i'm
morality. OF conviction Of any Of
these offenses his certificate to drink
and vote is taken away from him. in
defining the drinks which may be al
lowed, moonshine and home brew is
DIaced under the ban, and any who
Use this are cut out from the priyi-
leges which go with the moral GER
fcate which must be secured from
he court. A companion bill with this
coming from the same source is one
20 abolish the Office Of state sheriff.
The members have returned from
heir trip home imbued to even a
Greater extent than that which pre-
yaded the Legislative atmosphere be-
fore the vacation, that it is up to them
to see that there is no appropriation
which is not absolutely necessary to
carry on the affairs of the state, and
this was evidently especially i'm
pressed on the members generally by
their constituents, if their talk since
their return is any indication of what
they learned.
The members have hardly got back
TO normal as yet since the recess, but
by the beginning Of the week they
viii get down to routine again, as
practically all the absent ones will be
back by that time. Several members
are out on investigation work outlined
cess, and their work will likely be
cleared up soon. Gill of Brookings,
Belk Of Codington, and. VanOrnum of
Sphinx are on the committee sen to
Sioux Falls to investigate the Irvine
situation at the penitentiary and that
will likely take them several days.
Little new legislation was started by
the returned members up to the end
OF the week, and outside of the freak
bills presented, the ones which are
Of the most general interest Is one
to cut the compulsory features from
the state hail insurance act. The hail
department takes the position that If
this feature Is eliminated, the whole
law should be repealed as the states
which tried an optional law all admit
failure, and the option states Of Okla.
homa, Nebraska and Montana have
asked for copies of the hail law in
this state on which to base a new plan.
Just what action will be taken Is to
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