Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-05
S0UTHDAKOTA
LEGISLATURE !;
ENDS SESSION
Economy and Constructive
Legislation We're Key
notes Of Program.

Pierre. S. D., March Stocking
PACK over the work Of the seventeenth
south Dakota legislative assembly,
which. adjourned last night, the two
features stand out above all others
namely economic and constructive
legislation, l.
This tendency toward economy
probably as much as n other rea-
son. may be attributed to the defeat
or rather the lack of action on the
proposition of constructing a state
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES plant, a\measure
classed among the most important
of the session before the legislators
Except for the fight which devel-
oped the last week of the session, over
the moving picture censorship, Sun
day movie and baseball bills. the CO.
day period might be considered an
unusually tranquil one. This is &C
counted for by a Republican admin
%istration working with an almost SOL
, ID Republican body in both houses.
The general attitude of the mems
hers was to defer until the 1923 SEES
sion, all matters which were not Of
immediate necessity for the welfare
OF the state. Without exception, those
things promised by the Republican
party during the campaign of last
fall were adopted. The only hitch
49, III plO6ld LII dIl "tIcH Inc sen.
ate after d two hour fight, killed the
nome building bill, but upon recon
s'deration the measure was passed
and sent to the governor for his sig
nature. L.. cIu
Measures calling for an appropri.
alton, no matter how small, were con
sidered. fronl~every angle before ac-
ton was finally taken. -
OF the seven hundred odd bills in
trOdnce6 in h0th hOrsoe d,rSro Tho
session. action was taken ON more
than 600, the remainder being dele
gated to the legislative bone pile.
Revenue Warrant Bill Was First.
The first bill to be enacted and
signed by Governor McMaster was
senate Bill No. 2, relating to the is
suance of state revenue warrants by
the state treasurer at an advanced
rate of interest. to care for the i'm
mediate needs of the state. This law
became effective with the attachment
of the executive signature, on January
IL. at 3:15 p1sIu-.eight days after the
opening OF the session.
During the early part of the session
and Il week or more after the recess
through a measure calling a constitu-
tional convention, something which
South Dakota has never had since the
original constitutional convention in
July. 1887. The. matter, however,
died a natural death after it had been
thoroughly investigated.
Composed as it was of almost one
half new members: the lower house
was the most cratic of the two bod
les. and little. could be forecast as to
what actionSswDNI9 be taken on any
brought to a y6ttfS.. 49, -
For the first three weeks of the
session old members attempted to fee
out these new members to discover
what line of action they would fol-
low. The attempt was fruitless. New
members, especially the Younger
ones. refused to be led by any faction
: and voted personal convictions rather
than follow the dictates of the So
called leaders, regardless of the eft.
feet it would lave on their future po-
litical career. This tendency was es.
p~cciaily noticeable during the figh,
over moving picture censorship and
Sunday legislation.
Much Of the work done during the
Session was necessary to correct Ger.
tain errors in the code, which was
revised by the code commission ap
pointed in 1917. and adopted at the
1919 session.
OF the important measures to come
. before the session the most promi.
diers' bonus bills, the former provid
ing a means for citySdwellers Of small
means to obtain long time loans a,
low interest, for the erection of home.
under the plan employed by the state
rural credits department, and the lat
ter providing for the payment Of ex.
service men a bonus Of SIS pc
month for each mont spent in tn.
service. .
The establishment of a court o,