The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1923-01-18
Efficiency Survey
Is Principal Topic
Legislature Getting Into Dis
cussion of Many Issues
of Economy and Reduc-
ton of Expense.


IS. Travis, Special Correspondent
one of the principal features being
considered by the session to date is
the final possibilities along the effic-
iency survey work. The joint commit
tee of the two houses is putting in a
lot of time attempting to frame up a
plan which will work out successfully,
and when their work is done the
whole plan Will be up to the two
houses to consider and pass upon The
committee is yet at sea to a large eX-
tent as they have a big problem on
their hands, one which is difficult to
say the least, and when they have
completed their work it will be open
TO such discussion as any member of
the session wants to give it. Until
something concrete is offered there
are many opinions as to just what
should be the line up. and many ele-
ments are coming into that part Of Il.
But with all the conflicting issues the
Indications are that some plan OF con
NOlIlttlOIl Will Ne NbIbtu Out 1T lilIS
session and al least a part of the re
port of the efficiency experts applied.
No one expects, nor could expect the
present session to carry out their en-
tire theory as that would call for on
stitutional revision, and could not be
carried out until the people had voted
OF the plan. and nothing along that
line viii be attempted.
one of the features of the session is
the evident attempt to take some
steps To minimize the present crime
wave" which is being so often men
toned. Along that line is the bill to
prevent gun toting" or in more spec
life language, carrying of concealed
weapons by increasing the penalties.
Another is a bill already through the
senate which prohibits Judges from
~suspending sentences as soon as pro
nounced. This was pushed by the pro
hibitiOu forces on the ground that af-
ter they had secured evidence and 0 n
viction in liquor cases the convicted
LIah walked out on a suspended sen
tence and in many such cases re-
sumed his old practices. The county
Judges want to help out the situation
by asking for increased jurisdiction to
take Il part of the burden from the
circuit courts. but whether this would
help much in the present practice Of
appealing everything is a question,
The present session will, unless
they fail to carry out their ayowed
plan, attempt to modify the present
primary law to allow a little rest be-
tween campaigns. Their plan viii be
to change the date of the precinct
meetings to ONE time in March in
stead of November, and to fix the
county and state proposal meetings in
May instead of November. and not
keep up a continuous campaign by
beginning a new one before the old
n is finished.
The question Of Constitutional re-
vision started the first general talk
in the house. The resolution passed
Friday and was recOnSidered Saturday,
and sent to the senate affairs commit
tee where it will rest for a time at
least if not for the rest of the session.
Apparently there is far from unani-
nous view that a general revision is
desired, " to refusing to submit the
issue to the people. At any rate it is
resting for the present, and while it
may come up again at the session it
will likely stay down.
The joint committee on irrigation
and drainage of the two houses has
started work on the tentative bill to
cover the situation in the valleys Of
the Sioux and Jim rivers to bring as
much relief as possible to them in the
control Of floods. The bill which they
will recommend will not likely contain
all Of the ideas of the original draft,
but will carry with it a general plan
OF drainage for the territory affected.
and if adopted will bring relief to some
Of the territory at least.
The farmer members of the legis
'ature have been devotlng a part of
their time the past week to attending
meetings at the state house where they
were addressed by leaders in farm
(COntinuql on papp 10-Co1 n