The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-01-31
OUR RALEIGH LETTER.
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION PRO
POSED.
Correspondence to The Commonwealth.

/ Correspondence to he commonwealth.
Raleigh, N. c., Jan. %, 1901
Five of the most important measure
II legislation proposed (most OF then
,ince my last letter. are still pending
| hough two of them will probably b.
disposed of this week. All OF thes'
bills originated in the upper house.
l refer to the Aycock bill pending
for State adoption of uniform series
of schol books; the school bill; tbs
Brown bill to prohibit the sale (no
MANUFACTURER of cigarettes in N. G.
The Ward ANTITRUST BILL" and the
Henderson bill pending tor alimony
(at discretion of trial judge in cases
of absolute divorce. Each Of these
measures is of great importance to
tho people of the entire State.
The Aycock bill is probably the most
important of all, for a uniform series
Of school-books, through State adoption
is one of the great needs Of our people,
because it means cheaper school-books
and avoids the necessity OF purchasing
different books when children change
from one school to another.
The system provided by the machin-
cry of the bill for selecting and con-
tractiug for these books (through a
State commission, with the Governor at
its head and the Supt. of Public Instruc-
ton as its Secretary, will open the
doors of competition to all and the
"book trust" will therefore not be able
to control the supply.
BILL DON'T SUIT BOOK TRUST.
The johnson Publishing Co., OF
Richmond, and other independent
school book firms, have stated through
their attorneys, to the legislative COM
lnlttee on education, that they are sat-
isfied with the Aycock bill and would
be glad to zee 1t made law-although
it Is not exactly what they would have
suggested.
The attorneys of the University
Publishing Co., and the American Book
Co., both of New York, and which
some ella m are the leaders in he"trust,'
opposed the Aycock bill at joint meet
ing Ct the two legislative committees
held Thursday night-a meeting that
lasted till one o'clock a. m. Friday
The bill is now in the hands
Ct subcommittee and will be reported
back TO the fnlI committee tomorrow
Tuesday, evening. The bill Will be
favorable to the Senate this
" Geek. Judge Conner will seek to
amend it by exempting graded schools
II the towns from its provisions buu it
IS doubtful whether the committee will
lake that course.
The Re form school bill introduced by
senator Broughton OF Wake Is still in
me hands OF the Senate Committee on
Peal END Charitable Institutions. II
Slll be reported favorably, after being
,me:.ded in several particulars, later On.
During the past week the two commit
.ees held JOINT meeting and were ad
dressed eloquentiy and argumentatiyeiy
ny advocates of the measure, including
he president Of the Reformatcry AS
tho president of the W. G. T.
D., the Secretary OF the State Board of
charities, U. S. Commi ssioner Nichols |
md others.
The Ward Antitrust bill" has been |
by the Robinson bill (tbe |
after being accepted as substitute), |
t being copy of the Texas law on the
ubject of trusts, etc. The Senate COM
nittee on the judiciary held two
engthly meetings during the past
week and considered this measure
Without getting through with even the |
list section (Which defines conspir-
.cy) and the bill Is still before that
What is to become of 1t Is |
lard to foretell at this juncture.
While all the lawyers on the COM
nittee (and every one of its eighteen
Members is lawyer, and they all good
mes too) recognize that an effective
aw which would reach trusts and |
would be very desirable
md is badly needed, yet, with few ex-
'eptions, it seems to be their opinion
hat these monsters cannot be reached |
y State legislation or State control
hat national legislation, by Congress
) the one and only means of effectively
q monopoly or 'strust ;" that
7hile We might frame another bill
there are two already on the statute
ook, designed for the same purpose) to
satisfy popular clamor" or "for pol
tical effect" Il am using the express
ions Of committeemen) it could not
. used effectively to reach the econ
plrators" we most want to get hold of
tire big concerns chartered in other
tates and controlling the prices of oil,
agar, fertilizers, tobacco, etc. here and