The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-02-17
THE ANTITRUST BILL
PASSES TIE SENATE AND AWAITS
tbs GOVERNOR S SIGNATURE.


THE GOVERNOR 5 SIGNATURE.
Several o:her Impcresnt Measures Pass
Their Second Residing ARA are In a Fai,
Way to Become Lxws--Scme Bills tha,
F.n by the Way Side.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Feb. 13 The
Senate on Saturday discussed two bill:
AZ length on their second residing.
The first, the house bill requiring the
sinking fund commission TO lend
funds to the seversl couat7 treasurers
Of the State for the use Of their coun
ties IN preference to lending the same
20 other applicants for such funds;
,he second, bill extending the pow.
ers Of the railroad commission to the
telegraph and express companies. The
former passed without very decided
opposition, while the latter came II
ior its full share OF discussion pro and
con.
Mr.. Bpist objected to the sinking
fund being loaned TO counties. He
was opposed, said he, 20 lending
money on any other security than
e':ate bonds.
Mr. Henderson said the security Civ
would be just as good as State
s.onds. He could not see the justice
II lending this money to the banks ct
!! per cent. to reIend to the counties
at S per cent. 1t was rot money paid
ythe people ard why not let it to the
counties at the 4 per cent, thus saw
ins 81 per cent. 10 the taxpayers.
Mr.. Buist raised other objections 10
ne security and Mr.. Moses asked him
>!he knew OF sny bank in the State
Rat would not lend money with the
'oupty taxes pledged as security.
dr. Buist knew of no such bank.
Mr.. Buist moved to strike out the
tnacting words. This was voted down
sd the bill passed 1t second res ding.
a bill to regulate express and te!e-
graph companies, and to extend the
powers of the railroad commissioners
SO SIS to give them power and authori-
~ 10 regulate charges by express com.
;;anies for transportation; to regulate
charges of telegraph companies for
,he transportation ofmessages by teie.
graph, or charges by persons engaged
n the several businesses named here
u; to apply the powers given to said
commissioners by law over railroad
companies to all companies or persons
Owning, controlling or operating a
line or lines of express or telegraph; ;
end make the penalty prescribed
against railroads for violating COM
soissioners' rules apply to the ccmpa-
lies and persons herein named whose
line or lines is or are wholly or IN
part in this State was killed, after sew
raj senators spoke on it. Messrs.
Raesdale, Love and May6eld were
for the measure. They argued that
the Constitution required the passage
of such an act as this; that numerous
cases Of unfair treatment by these
companies had occurred and for the
protection OF the people the billshopld
Fass.
Messrs. Buist, Dean, Walker, Hen
Lerson and Hay led the opposition
forces. They attacked the bill on the
grounds that there was no general
complaint against these companies;
that in the case of express the conpa-
MES were kept from charging exoro!-
tant rates by their powerful competl.
tor. the United States mails; that Ii
losses did occur they were always
paid BY the companies; and finally,
Messrs. BUST and Dean opposed the
measure upon the bread ground that
legislation was becoming too pa!ernaI.
The vote resulted IN the bill being
killed by Is to 10.
A house bill to prevent the employ
ment of other than convict LABOR on
any State farm was debated on very
much the same lines as in the house.
Messrs. Moses, Hay and Connor spoke
of the demoralizing effect on free LABOR
Of having the State to compete with
the farmers. The State paid more
for labor than the farmers could al
ford and of course secured It.
Messrs. Archer. Norris and Ga!2es
objected to the bill. There were Ger
tain times during harvest, said they,
that 1t was almost necessity to have
the cotton picked. Unless free LABOR
was employed this could not be done
sn6 a heavy loss would be inflicted By |
having the cotton exposed to the raw
.ses of storm. Mr.. Norris also
wanted to amend by striking cut the
,roviso against hiring out ccnvlcts
except when there was no work on
The State farms to be done. By vote
,f20 to 9 the amendment was reJecled
and the bill passed. i
On Mondey the House antitrust
hill with the committee amendments
anne up after the disposition OF sever
al special orders. The only amend
,nent of importance Of these was the
change OF title. Mr.. Henderson
moved TO amend by adding a proylso
that nothing in this Act shall affect
The Dispensary law" The bill was
,hen passed. The illdeclares unlawful
md void all arrangements, agree
,nents, trusts or combinations made
with view to lessen, or which tends
10 lessen, free competition n the I'M,
1.ortation or sale of articles imported
,nto the State, or IN the manufacture
ur sale of articles of domestic growth
or of domestic raw materials; to de-
i. lare unlawful and void all arrange
,nents, contracts, agreements, trusts
or com mbinations between persons or
corporations designed, or which tend
10 advance, reduce or control the
price OF such product or article to pro-
ducsr or consumer OF any such pro-
duct or article; to provide for forfeit
ure of the charter and franchise OF any
corporation, organized under the laws
OF this State, violating any OF hepro-
visions of This Act; to prohibit every
corporation violating any OF the pro
visions of this Act from doing ouSl-
less in this State; to require the At
,orney General of this State to lnstl-
ute legal preceedincs against any