The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-22
SOUTH CAROLINA'S ASSEMBLY
WHAT THAT BODY HAS ACCOM-
PLISHED IN FORTY DAYS.

A Quiet Session and Not Much Done.
No Child Legislation Enacted anu
Fight Against Trusts Failed-SO-
ucttors' Salaries Increased But
supreme Justices Pay Remains at
s2,S5O-An Old Supporter of Dis
pensary Secures Prohibition in
Face of the Law.
Columbia, S. c., Feb. 21.-Before day
light tomorrow morning the Legisla-
ture viii have adjourned. The body has
remained in session the full forty days
ii is permitted by the constitution TO
draw pay. Up TO seven years ago the
Legislature met the last Tuesday in
November, and although its sessions
were not limited. always adjourned in
time for the members to go home
Christmas But latterly, it has taken
the full forty days to wind up the bus
mess. SO the state has saved nothing
from the reduction of salaries from s.
to 81 per day.
This has been very quiet session.
no bitter fights. no long debates, and
nothing done of great interest The
child labor bill was fought over last
year, the opponents of limiting the Ia
bor of children carrying the day. This
session, the contest was not spirited
and the result was the same. a con-
pulsory educational bill, which was de-
signed to keep children out of the mills
at least part of the year, and in
which there was as much interest as
any measure before the Legislature
was defeated.
Nor did anything come of the fight
against trusts. The Virginia. Carolina
Company, which it was proposed to
exclude from doing business in this
state, developed strength in both
houses and won at every point. A
general trust regulating bill also
failed.
The pendulum is swinging back from
the economic salary-reducing extreme
reached in 1892. The salaries of circuit
solicitors, which were never muniti-
cent, We're returned to the old figure,
1850. The Legislature, however, de-
clined to raise the salaries of the Su-
preme Court justices. They used to
be $4,000 but were reduced to $780,
while the circuit judges were reduced
from $500 to 50, 900. So the judges
OF the inferior COURTS 10 IC-
ceive $3.50 more a year than the Su-
Dreme Court justices.
Senator Applet, an old supporter of
the dispensary, succeeded in getting
the first legislation against that in
stitution. His bill chartering the town
of Summerton in Clarendon county
contained the proviso that no dispen-
sary should ever be established 9TH
in its corporate limits. So there will
be prohibition or blind tigers in Sum
merton. as this provision was allowed
TO stand.
A bill providing for an oil inspector
failed to pass for lack of time.
state Insurance Works Badly.
A year ago the Legislature provided
a system of state insurance. The first
loss under this system-$300 or 800
was sustained in the fire in the court
house at Newberry The fund to pay
losses is only 81, 400. The asylum au-
thorities, having property valued at
$3.50, 900 in their keeping, have asked to
be exempted from this provision. They
point out that If the property was de-
stroyed there could be no money to
pay the losses and pending the meet
ing of the Legislature and making an
appropriation the unfortunate in
mates would be very Interestingly sit
uated. so far no action has beeen
taken. 1t is probable that II there
should be a serious loss on any public
building this law would be repealed.