The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-02-17
The South Dakota
Legislature

Home rule" for counties when it
comes to discharging road superin-
tendents is the aim Of two bills intro
luced in the house and senate. The
house bill is fathered by Clark, OF
Lawrence. Senator Knight, of Clay,
introduced the other one. Under the
present law of this state, a county
highway superintendent can be dis
charged by the county commissioners
tor cause with the consent OF the state
highway department. The two sides
presented on this law are, on the one
hand, that it enables the state depart
ment to carry out its program with eff
ticient deputies In the counties despite
local jealousies and means continuity
when a discharge without cause might
mean continual breaks which are hard
on highway construction and on the
other hand hat this is pa~ternalism by
the state, that the counties should be
able to run their own affairs and the
commissioners are elected to run the
county and ought to have power to do
1t. The proposed bills which are sub
stantially to the same effect would
provide that the highway superintend-
ent could be removed by the county
commissioners for any reason they
deemed sufficient, or by the state
highway department for incompe-
tency.
A solution of the city manager prob
fem in South Dakota is deemed in
sight by interested members of the
legislature who have been studying a
bill prepared for presentation by Sen
ator Danforth, Of Minnehaha county.
South Dakota has in its 1919 revised
code a city manager law. AS a bill its
general provisions were heretofore
declared unconstitutional by the
courts, since the title of the bill, as in
PRODUCED by Representative Lyon, or
Minnehaha county, was Inadequate.
Reenacted as a part of the code by
the session of 1919, the law stood. But
it was vague in many points. There
was some feeling that no direct au-
thority was given anybody to call the
election on the question OF a change to
the city manager plan, and some other
preliminary provisions were vague,
while the duties and powers of the
manager when elected were not clear
ly defined. The measure proposed by
Mr.. Danforth is aimed to correct these
defects, and to make the city manager
plan practical and possible for such
South Dakota cities as desire to try it.
Apportionment committees OF the
two houses are seriously considering
their task. Every sixth and then eY-
cry fourth year the a~pportionment
committee has a ask on it's hands,
and the rest Of the time it is purely
honorary. After every national CEN
sus, and after every state census
which ~intervenes, it must figure out
proper legislative representation for
the people of the state. The 1917 SEES
sion figured on a basis OF the 1915
state census; this session will figure
on the 1920 basis, and their figures
will stand till 1927, after the 1925 state
counting OF noses. Counties which
have shared in the average growth
OF the state in the last five years show
little interest in the proceeding, but
from counties which Jagged behind or
had q considerable lead, members re-
port a divided recess howl that their
several rights be respected, and 1t Is
here that any fight will come.
Establishment Of a bird and game
refuge composed Of approximately le0
square miles along the South Dakota
Wyoming border is asked in a bill
introduced to the lower house OF he
South Dakota legislature by Francis
j. Parker, Of Lawrence county. The
territory includes some OF the most
scenic territory in the Black Hills
country, including parts OF Deadwood
and Whitewood creeks, Spearfish Can
yon and Mt. Roosevelt, recently dedi-
Gated. The country at present is
owned jointly by the state and fed
eral government. Already a herd OF
near 500 head Of elk, the progeny OF
a small herd liberated in the area In
1915, roam the proposed reserve, to-
gether with various other wild ami
mails. The park will be known as the
Theodore Roosevelt game refuge, in
honor of the former president. who,
on numerous occasions, hunted within
its confines.
Work on the general appropriations
bill to provide funds to run state de-
partments and institutions for the
next two years was started. Chair
man Frescoln, of the house %appropria-
lions committee, said they hoped to
have 1t ready for introduction about
the 10th day Of the session
Appropriations for poultry shows in
the state will be asked by poultry
men, assembling for the state poultry
show. They have been receiving
$2e, 900 state aid annually and will
ask at least $4,000.