The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-02-11
AN OIL INSPECTOR.
The State Senate Passes an Act Pro-
viding for the
CREATION OF SUCH AN OFFICE
And That All Illuminating Oils Sold
in This State Shall Stand
Certain Fire

Certain Fire
Test.
The bill to create the office Of OF.
inspector: to prescribe the amount of
his salary; to establish the fees for in,
spectors of oils and to provide for the
disposition of such fees" was the first
business taken up in the Senate on
Wednesday.
AS soon as the bill was read Mr..
Brice moved to strike out the enact
ing clause and gave as his reasons that
the measure had the appearance OF
creating fat job for somebody. that
it is useless and expensive and the ap-
pointee. should the bill become law,
would cost the State as much for his
expenses as his salary would amount
to: that it would be impr icticable in
that no one man could go all over this
State and accomplish all the duties
that would be required Of him.
Mr. Goodwin stated that be had in
troduced crude bill at the last Ses-
sion looking to the remedy Of the evils
here to be corrected and it had been
referred to the judiciary committee
and this is the Cne that they had for
mulated in conformity to the one now
in successful operation in Georgia.
Greenwood" said Senator Goodwin,
has long been the dumping ground
for the refuse c:l of the Standard Oil
Company" and the complaints had
become so general that be determined
to give the people some relief from the
great imposition that was being prac-
ticed upon them. He read extensively
from the reports of the Georgia in
spector to show that the people had
been benefited by its operations.
True the cost of cent gallon comes
out Of the consumer, but as a return
they get a purer and more lasting
product.
Mr.. Butler thought that the evil
complained of could be regulated by
statute just as the sale of the toy pis-
tol had beer made a misdemeanor and
agreed with the position taken by Mr..
Brice.
Mr.. Manning is opposed to the null
tipllcation of offices, but when an evil
exists ard it is necessary to correct it
by the bliShment Of an additional
office he would assent. Other States
have tried it, and are satisfied, and
from the evidence before the commit
tee he is constrained to believe that
the Standard Gil Company has taken
South Carolina as a dumping ground
for the rejected oil shipped into other
States.
Mr.. Marshall said that the bill orig
inally proposed to establish one inspec-
tor in each congressional district, but
he deemed this unnecessary and
thought the better plan to pay him
stated salary and expenses. True, he
could not do all the work required Of
him at once, but he believed that the
retailers would assist him by sending
samples and reporting special cases
which needed immediate investiga-
tion. Mr.. Marshall further stated that
the committee was unanimous in its
favorable report with the proposed
amendment.
Mr.. Hydrick gave his experience"
in summer resort hotel an6 thought
the punishment should be extended to
the retailer as well as the wholesaler.
Mr.. Mayfeld also advocated the
measure and said that the Standard
Oil Company has various reposits es-
tablished all over the State and it
would be, as general rule, only nee
eSsary to test their contests.
He spoke of the superiority of the
oil received from Savannah over that
purchased in Blackville Increased
cost to the consumer is an old song al
ways conveniently sung by the oppon-
ents Of any measure.
Mr.. Hood stated that the greater
portion of the oil brought into this
State comes in tugs TO Charleston and
from there is shipped to all points in
the State. He suggested that if the
inspector spent the greater portion OF
his time there that he could be OF eff
cient service to the people. He be-
lieved that the retailers would give
him cordial support and thus help
to relieve the people from the impoSl-
tion now thrust upon them.
Mr.. Johnson said that he would be
the last man to impose an unnecessary
tax upon the people, but that the evil
complained of was real and not imagi-
nary, and to his own knowledge a
shipment of oil which had been re-
iected in Georgia had been then sent
to Aiken County.
Mr.. Heradon stated that the loss of
the condemned oil would ultimately
fall on the Standard Oil Company.
Mr.. Sheppard also favored the meas
ure.
On motion Of Mr.. Manning the bill
passed to g third reading with notice
of several amendments.
PROVISIONS OF THE ACT.
Section two of the bill provides that
no illuminating oil or burning fluid to