Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-18
REVIEW OF THE WEEK
What the Legislators Hsve Accomplished
School Levy-Col. Chew's Measure.

session of the Legislature. Whatever may
be said in regard to the industry of mem
bers heretofore, /, cannot be assailed with
the record of the immediate past in view.
The greater part of the really valuable
legislation has originated and been pushed,
as it generally Is, in the House. One bill
was passed which in itself would consti-
tute an important weeks work for any
legislative body 1t was Col. Chew s
State Commerce act. designed 20 cooper
ate with the Interstate law. It is a
measure complete 10 every detail Am
pie safeguards are provided against unjust
discrimination by railroads, and Com
nm ssion. properly sppOin, ed, viii St that
thess provisions are carried into effect.
It may seem o paradox, but it is the
truth, that the passage Of the Interstate
lazy brought about a condition OF az
fairs, which made the hill proposed by
Alr Chew sn imperative necessity. Under
the Gallon ball ID is impossible for trunk
lines Co charge extortonate rates from
points l0 points IN different States. A
great source of income as regards local
trsdic was thus Topped off az one blow. 1t
had TO be made up, and the trunk lines in
West Virginia fell back on the local traffic
between points ia the State TO comp snsate
the loss The rates for such transportation
was increased iu many cases to an Oppres-
sive'v unjust figure. There was general
complaint slong the lines of both the B. &
Cd. and C. 80, aud the bll introduced by
Col Chew. and which is now safely past
the House. designed to remove the source
Of .h,s c1mplsiut Its patron and friends
are corfje1t that If properly applied, it
win have ihis effect
There IS another feature of the bill
which may be overlooked. 1t has been
fhs fsshiOnable custom for TWO large rail
roads I'm West Virginia to treat small
branch lines, constructed by local capital,
I'M sucha way that they sooner OF later be-
come able 90 gobols them up. The writer
has in mind th;e cases of this kind which
have occurred within the last few years.
T1 larger and older roads threw every i'm
pefiment In the path Of the local enter
prsls Rates were sgainst ttem, accom-
modauons were against them and the re-
suit was that they soon ceased he strUg-
.ls Cor an independent existence.
IL Mr. Chew's bill becomes a1aw, aud
the comm sion appointed m 10 performs
tts u duty, this policy Of railroads l.
likely a5 brought 90 q stop. Tie small
VIII re protected iD the.g rights AS veil as
-1s .r..,, and We may expect TO see short
ha lines branching ont from the longer
roads al over the State.
Two important LABOR bills before the
H0u-e nave already been referred 70 40
some eoz.b. They were Corccran's Bu-
-eaa OF LABOR bill, and Kinks coal screen
ng BIN. Both contemplate reforms that
sill be gra.efnl in the highest decree TO the
workirg classes OF West Virginia. These
go have passed The House, and are now
hidden somewhere in the Conglomerate
mass of work. which the Senators are
slowly pounding away 81, bat which
seems To- grow the faster The harder theY
pound The labor interests aie not so for
cunste'y tuatei In the Ssnats as in the
House The latter body has two OF three
active and aggressive labor members, who
know iron immediate experience what IL
IS Do handle the pick OF m0uld the molten
glass I0r living In the Senate Col Carr
Is the only labor representative. The labor
.n which he is m particularly interested
.s in setting the politicians Of both parties
bv their ears. He works industriOusly az
bis occupation, and has accomplished q
vas. deal OF more or less valuable cOmpli-
cation of matters, bat for the fields Of ac-
tive leg.sIa ION. Col Carr has not been a
bright and shining light The Labor Bu-
reau hiI aud the coal screen bin viii, OF
course. receive his support; bu. unless a
determined effort is made 90 push them,
there is no, much likelihood of their be-
coming laws.
While this letter is being written there
Is pending n the House a bill which has
been the suajtc- of more contention IN past
Legislatures, as well as the present, than
probably any other. For years the mem
hers from con ties which are known az the
uoore- c1uuties, have been striving 10 Sc.
cure an increase in the State school levy.
The present rate is ten cents. Toey wished
f0 make 10 five cents more. Ia one form
OF other this bill has come up regularly and
has De- e.r defeated, either by superior gen
aaIsliD OF force Of numbers. In more
than oe- Lfgi .aturs /. was 60 sngled by
81 harp 0rk. when the majority favored IT,
Ir Aluzs-, of Calhoun, introduced IL
arl7 10 ia this session. The opposition
am TO have been taken nappiug, for it is
evident from the votes which have been
pol.ei in the House. that Altizer and his
friends have g compact and thorough or
gani1ltion. It's force was manifest Friday
10 the ease with which they forced TIE bill
on 90 @ third reading without a line or
word OF amendment being made. II!
was done only after debate
memorable i'm the history of the
session. les opponents made a desperate
tight They were composed Of the lead
ing members of the Legislature. They re-
sorted t0 almost every parliamentary
tc.ic ,o bring shout an amendment that
would destroy the force of the bill. and
falling n this fell back on bare-faeed fill
bustering. and yet the well trained ma
outy back OF the measure carried 1t
through easily
Both the friends aud opponents Of the
Increased levy were remarkably candid in
Stating their views. There was only d
chin co1cssimsn. Of the fact that it was a
question Of dolisrs and cents with the
great majority The richer counties pay
mere into the Sale school fund uaie- The
prsse1t levy than they get back when TIE
uud is divided ia proportion TO tho num-
her of youth Their loss is the gain Of the
FOOT counties. By Increasing the levy the
oss TO the one and the gain 70 the other is
increased lust that mach. It's not diff
cuit thsn 90 mark out the lines on which
the Legislature divided The counties
which pay more into the State fund than
they get out, oppose it, The COUNTIES
which gst out more than they put in,
favor it, a1d that is the quest on in nut
SHE'LL
Ohio county in particular has always
been very bitter 10 objection to this proIO-
s.tion, aid with good reason. She row
loses yearly several thousand dollars which
she pays into the fund with no apprec;ahls
returns and the heavy levy would make
chat less very much greater Both Mr
Garden aud Mr.. Shiel spoke against Alt
izer's bin and the delegation voted sOidly
sgsiosti b.
The third house SO called, has been
particularly active duyng the week. A
number of gentlemen were very indu. triOus
about both branches who have no apparent
business To- bring them here The meior-
ity of th0ss men are interested in one way
or another in bills that are in some degree
of completion. description of their tse-
tics, aod q still further description of the
gentlemen themselves, might be made very
spicy, but 10 would hardly be relished by
those who would be mostly concerned.
A sharp and energetic piece Of work was