The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1921-03-10
Legislative News
(By our Special Correspondent

| NDy our Speclal correspondent
Pierre, South Dakota, March 9Th
The legislative session just clos
ed will stand out as one composed
of men who as a rule compared
more than favorably with many
sessions Of the past. The member
ship as whole can be fairly said
to be above the general average
Iof years as to qualifications. This
statement will no doubt be chal-
lenged by some of those who did
not get what they wanted, or got
what they did not want from the
session, and who looked upon the
men who were making laws largely
from the view point of personal
prejudice and feeling, but from
the side lines and with the aetna &C ttttssaasi |
experience of years in watching
legislative bodies at work there is
no question that the membership
of the session just closed was up
to or in fact above the average
for years. In some sessions thru
| the mutations Of politics, voters
have sent representatives, who
could hardly be classed as ideal
legislators by any menas, and the
session just closed was certainly
free from this criticism.
The work Of the session has been
anything but a picnic for the me-
mbership ard they have worked
out some lines of legislation which
is likely to have a far reaching
effect on the people of the state in
its workings. The home building.
plan, while criticized from many
suroces, it the beginning of sys-
tenn which will bring homes to.
many not now able to secure this
privilege. The bill is q first draft
and no doubt will not work as
smoothly as desired, but it is con &.
fidently believed that it will work
and be the basis Of law whiehs
experience may show needs change
from the ideas embraced in the
present act.
The cement nlant which was
provided for will help the people
of the state in the thousands Of
dollars, even if it is not as success
ful as predicted by the optomistic.
It's effect viii be similar to that
Of the state coal mine which has
reduced coal prices wherever it's
Iproduct goes, even thoug in limit
ed quantities.
The failure to push the power
possibilities Of the Missouri river
have been criticized in some quar-
ters and praised in others, but
through the referendum the people
will be given an opportunity to say
as to whether or not they desire
to take up this expenditure, when
they vote in November Of next
year.
The highway situation promised
to be a problem for a time, but
the gasoline tax plan suggested by
Representative Kneeland of Custer
and the auto registration tax to
supplement this made the contin-
uation Of the roasd plan success
full, and allowed the taking up Of
the Federal Aid without. direct aD-
| propriation, and the use of money
collected by general taxes The
auto man may not agree that he
| should bear the brunt Of highway
taxes, even if he does use the high
way more tha nthe non-auto own
er, but that is the plan devised to
meet the situation and will be in
force for a time.
In the closing days Of the ses-
sion considerable friction develop
/ ed between the senate and the
house, one of the causes being the
legislative apoprtionment bills, and
as no agreement could be reached
as a compromise both houses ac-
cepted the re-enactment of the
present anportionment. The fight
was over the senate apportionment
which attempted to place Meade
county and Butte in one district,
and Bennett county to the district
| of Fall River and Custer, and Gre
ate a new senatorial district of
| Dewey, Ziebach and Corson coun-
ties, cutting these three counties
loose from ties which are not close
enough to do them much good
There was alos a fight over reduc-
tion of the house membership IN
| Lawrence county, but after wrang-
ling until midnight of the asst
might Of the session the con,prC
mise bill was agreed on and passed
The moving picture CENSORSHIP,
and so called Sunday bills went
down to defeat largely on this rock