Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-24

When the Legislature has elected 4
United State Senator, the body Will
probably get down to business. 1t will
be found that matters OF considerable
Importance, covered by the bills al
ready introduced, will be presented for
consideration. Republican ilibustering
has been responsible for the delay
which has occurred, and the same atti-
tude will no doubt be maintained III
the event Of a Senatorial deadlock. In
the House. the bills introduced have
reached the committee stage, while vir-
tually nothing has yet been accom-
plished in the Senate.
There has been a flood of bills pro-
yiding o amendments to the State
school law. Separate consideration of
these measures will jeopardize the fate
OF all of them. For this reason it is
likely that both branches of the Legis-
lature will adopt the resolution offered
by Senator Hughes, creating a commits
sion to prepare and report amendments
to the school law. If the resolution
prevails, the commission will be COM
posed of the State Superintendent of
Free Schools, the chairman of the Com
mittee on Education, and two other
persons, not members of the Legisla-
ture, to be appointed by the Speaker of
the House and President of the Senate.
A number of bills in which organized
labor is interested, have already been
introduced in the House, among the
number n providing for eight-hour
work days on public buildings. Mr..
Connolly, Of Ohio county, at the in
stance of the Ohio Valley Trades AS
sembly. and the State Labor Commits
sioner, will introduce other labor meas
ures. One will make it a misdemeanor
to employ in factories or shops chill
dren under IA years of age. Another is
designed to guard the health and safety
of employees, and their morals as well.
1t provides for proper sanitary arrange
ments, and for fire escapes ON all fac
tory buildings. The most important Of
these bills, perhaps, is one which en-
larges the scope of the act creating the
State Bureau of Labor. 1t authorizes
the Labor Commissioner to enter and
inspect factories, his powers being
made similar to those of State Mine
Inspector.
House bill No. 20, introduced by Mr..
Kemper, will be of interest to certain
citizens of Wheeling. 1t aims a body
blow at the seductive slot machine.
The slot machine is classed with faro
and keno paraphernalia. The bill in
cludes a provision for the destruction
of machines after raids are made. If
it is enacted as a law, no doubt a job
lot of devices of this character will be
on sale in Wheeling.
Next to education. the largest num-
Der of bills pertaining to one subject,
provides for amendments to the insur-
ance laws. One bill which will no doubt
be %stubbornly fought, aims to compel
insurance companies to pay the full
value of policies in case of losses.
There have been a number of bills re-
lating to the State p~enitentiary, sew
eral of which will no doubt pass. One
bill provides for inficting the death
penalty by electricity instead of hang
ing, and another provides that all death
penalties shall be inflicted within the
walls of the State prison, instead of in
the counties in which the crimes were
committed. Another seeks to appoint a
chaplain at a fixed compensation. Sen
ator Bakers bill makes it the duty of
attaches of the penitentiary to convey
prisoners from the respective counties
to that institution. This is expected
to stir up opposition from the sheriffs,
but if it passes will save many thou
sands of dollars to the State.
Mr.. Behrens. of Ohio county, offered
a bill which has many commendable
features. 1t provides for an appropria-
ton of 50, 1000 from the State to enable
the West Virginia Humane Society to
enlarge its scope of usefulness. The
bill was introduced at the request of
the Wheeling ladies who are engaged in
this c~ommendable work of the Humane
Society.
Mr.. Nixon. of Marshall county, has
offered a bill to divide the county into
three commissioner districts. Under
the present law, the people of the en-
tire county vote for the three commits
sioners.
Ohio county members have been in
correspondence with Island citizens
with regard to a free bridge bill. Such
a measure has not been introduced,
and as a matter of fact, has not yet
reached the Ohio county delegates.