The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-02-19
COLUMBIA LETTER.
What Oar Law Makers are Doing at
the State Capitol.
From Nm Orn Correspondent.

| With one week more OF its session be-
| fore 1t the General Assembly has yet Il
| number Of bills on tho two calendars,
| but it is probable that when the forty
days arc up many Of these will be left
TO die OF neglect, for the bills unacted
on Mt this session are done for. But
the two houses have been steadily ut
work last week, and nearly every day
! each of them has held two sessions. At
this rate great deal of legislation can
be disposed of the coming week, ana it
is possible for tho Legislature to get
through in time for the Governor and
his staff to attend Military Day" Mt
the Charleston Exposition on George
Washington's birthday.
The house passed tho appropriation
bill readily, and on Saturday took up
tho supply bills. The general supply
bill contains mass of details, and
| only few of local interest concern the
general reader. But the house has
passed two important bills-an anti
trust law and q new road law.
THE ANTI-TRUST LAW.
At one time it seemed possible thnt
there would be no legislation regard
ing trusts, despite the abundance of
agitation on that line, and, even now,
after tho house has passed stringent
measure, it's passage by the Senate isE
ny no means assured. The bill which
has succeeded is the one introduced by
w. j. Johnson, of Fairfield, and is
modelled very closely after the celebra-
ted "IIogg Law" OF Texas. 1t forbids
any and all sorts Of combinations of
corporations i'll restraint of trade and
competition or for the purpose of con
trolling prices and the output of pro-
ducts, and provides heavy penalties
for violations. Individuals or corpora
tions responsible for violations are lia-
able to Il forfeit of not less than 5000
nor moro than $4,000 for every offence,
anu for every day OF such offence,
while corporations violating tho Act
Shall have their charters revoked and
be forbidden to do business in this
State. The law is broad enough in its
terms and is doubtless constitutional,
but whether it can be made effective is
seriously doubted.
On tho other side of the Capitol the
opposition to corporations is not SO
strong MS in the house, and it was no
surprise when the Senate rejected the
very radical resolutions of Senator
Graydon to repeal the charter of the
Virginia Carolina Chemical Company
on tho ground that it is trust. Sena-
tor Graydon made strong fight for
his proposition but was unsuccessful,
the vote standing 90 to 10 against the
| resolution.
Another measure aimed, it seems, at
the same corporation was Senator May
fields bill to establish q State fertil-
izer factory, the idea being to utilize
the penitentiary convicts for mining
the phosphate belonging to the State
and for manufacturing it into CONNER
cial fertilizers or acid phosphate. The
debate on this measure was also rather
extended, but it was at length defeat
ed, the vote being % to 10.
TIE ROAD LAW.
The bill passed by the house provid-
ing new road law is one of the most
Important matters yet considered by
the General Assembly. 1t was deemed
necessary because the present Act is
regarded as unconstitutional by reason
OF the fact that it includes Especial
legislation in the shape of different
provisions for different Counties.
The bill leaves it to tho County Com
missioncrs to 'tiN IL minimum and max
imum age for road duty, but in no case
shall it be less than lS years or more
than so years." and the number of days
shall be not less than three nor more
than eight, ten hours being considered
days work. The Communication tax
"shnll be not less than 81 nor more
than SO, the amount to be regulated by
the Board of County Commissioners
according to the necessity OF their re-
spective Countless 1t is left to the
Commissioners discretion to employ
other labor or to utilize convicts, or
both, the cOmmutation tax being avail
able for this purpose.
This bill WAS prepared by commit
tee of one representative from each
county appointed at the last session.
1t has not yet been considered in the
senate.
THE STATE LEVY.
The general supply bill fixes the
State levy Mt five mills-the same as
last year-which is, of course, exclu-
sivc of the constitutional three mill
tax for the support Of the common
schools. Reduction Of taxation is n
dream of the demagoguc not yet real
lied, even when the amount and value
Of taxable property has so grc,.t,y in
creased
DOMESTIC FOWLS.
The bill to include domestic fowls
under the. provisions of the general
stock law met its death in peculiar
roH nnfI I. A..