South Dakota

Climate.

Owing to the northern latitude, comparatively high altitudes and the great distance from the ocean, there are great annual variations of temperature and a small amount of rainfall. The State is coldest in the north-east where the mean annual temperature averages 42° F and warmest in the region south of the Cheyenne and west of the Missouri river where the mean annual temperature is 48°. The crop-growing season ranges from 120 days along the northern border to 150 days in the south-east. The average annual rainfall ranges from 14 in. in the north-west to 3o in. in the south-east.

Government.

South Dakota is governed under its original Constitution, adopted in 1889, with frequent amendments.

The legislative power lies in the State legislature, consisting of a house of representatives and senate, except that the people have reserved to themselves the powers of initiative and referendum.

South Dakota adopted these two methods of legislative procedure in 1898 and was the first State in the United States to do so. Petitions of but 5% of the qualified voters are sufficient to secure either of these privileges. The legislature in 1936 consisted of 45 senators and 103 representatives, all elected for terms of two years. The executive department is headed by the governor, elected for two years. The governor's veto can be overridden by a two thirds majority in each house, and does not extend to bills passed directly by the people through their use of the initiative or refer endum. The governor's judicial power is represented in his right to remit fines and grant reprieves, commutations and pardons which the courts may have imposed.

The judicial powers are vested in a supreme court, circuit courts, county courts, justices of the peace and such other courts as may be created by law for cities and incorporated towns. The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction only, and two terms, at least, must be held yearly at the seat of government. It consists of five judges chosen from districts by the qualified electors and serving terms of six years each. The State is divided into districts or circuits in each of which is a circuit court with one or more circuit judges elected for a term of four years. The number of circuits can be increased by the legislature from time to time if deemed necessary. There were in 1927 12 circuits and 21 judges. In each county is a county judge elected for a two year term.

Population.

There were 636,547 inhabitants in South Da kota, according to the Federal census of 1920, an increase over the 583,888 in 1910 of 9%. In 1930 the United States census reg istered a population of 692,849. In 1930 the white race repre

sented 96.6% of the total population, the remainder being largely Indians, who numbered 21,833. There were only 646 negroes and but 7o Chinese. The Indians are chiefly of the Dakota (or Sioux) tribes, the largest group being the Oglala Sioux at the Pine Ridge agency, which numbered 7,628 in 1925. There were also 5,700 Sioux at the Rosebud agency, 3,00o Cheyenne River Sioux near the mouth of the Moreau river, 2,500 at the Sisseton agency and 2,000 at Yankton, beside smaller bands at the Crow Creek, Lower Brule and Flandreau agencies.

A large portion of the pioneer settlers of South Dakota were foreign-born. Since there has been little immigration since 190o, however, and the original pioneers are fast passing on by death, the percentage is rapidly decreasing. Foreign-born numbered 175,865 in 1910, 82,391 in 1920 and 65,648 in 1930. In the latter year natives of Norway numbered 13,061, Sweden 6,54o and Den mark 5,298.

The Teutonic element made up of 12,739 Germans and 9,023 Russians, chiefly Mennonites, was of similar importance. The 3,351 Canadians were the next largest foreign group.

In 1930 South Dakota averaged 9.0 inhabitants per square mile. The most densely settled portion is in the south-east where some counties average over 25 persons per square mile. East of the Missouri river towns are located every eight or ten miles along the railways and are so evenly spaced that few localities are more than 15 m. from a railroad town. South Dakota is largely an agricul tural State and its high percentage of rural population (84% in 192o) is exceeded only in North Dakota and Mississippi among the States.

There are no cities larger than Sioux Falls, which had a popu lation in 1930 of 33,362.

Education.

The public elementary and secondary school sys tem is under the control of the superintendent of public instruc tion. Under this official are three rural supervisors covering respective districts and a high school supervisor. There were, in 1933-34, 4,561 elementary public schools with 124,824 pupils and 6,915 teachers. High schools numbered 614 with 35,132 pupils. In 1934-35 enrolment in the ele mentary schools dropped to 118, 940 while that in the high schools rose to 37,304. The average yearly attendance of pupils in 1932 for both grades of schools was 141.1 days as against 1i2.4 days in 1920. The average num ber of days that schools were in session in 1933-34 was Expenditures for public educa tion in the State for 1934-35 amounted to $10,513,959. Teachers' salaries averaged $980.70 for high and $642.28 for elementary schools.