The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-08
BETS ON The BILL
WILL THE CHILD LABOR MEASURE
BECOME LAWs
THE HOUSE is so DIVIDED
THAT LEGISLATORS OFFER WA
GERS ON THE RESULT.

he 10 a ' ONe Nv Noon TO
dny-Each Side Claims from 90 to
100 VOtes-ThOse who Argued the
Mntter--APpIaUse from the Gallery
Now and Then Showed the Inter
est FeIt-SpenLer Threatened to
Remove Visitors.
Atlanta, July THE House consum-
ed the entire day in debate on the
child labor bill. The debate will be
continued for two hours more to-mor-
row morning, and the previous ques-
ton will be called at IL o'clock. A vote
will be reached by noon. Both sides
are predicting victory, each claiming
from 80 to 100 votes, and some few
small wagers have been made as to
which side will receive the largest
number of votes.
The bill and the minority report,
which was signed by thirteen of the
thirty-three members of the Committee
on Education were read in the House
the first thing this morning, and then
ii was arranged that the time for de-
bate should be equally divided between
opponents and advocates of the bill.
The speakers in behalf of the bill
were Merrs Houston of Fulton, it's
author; Stovall of Chatham, Miller of
Muscogee, McHenry of Floyd. Gauld-
en- of Brooks and Rankin of Gordon.
On the other side of the measure ar
guments were presented by Messrs.
West of Lowndes, Grice of Pulaski,
Moses of Coweta. Thurman of Walk
er and Steed of Carroll.
The arguments on both sides of the
measure are more or less familiar, and
nothing particularly new was present
ed To-Day. 1t was the old issue of the
mental. moral and physical develop
ment of the child on the one hand, and
interference with the industrial pro-
gress and prosperity of the state on
the other. There was some ringing
oratory on both sides and for the bill
much sentiment.
Advocates of the bill said: IF in
dustrial prosperity is to be bought at
the expense of the child, let's have
none of it
Opponents of the measure denied that
! this was true, and said the children
were better off as they were at pres
| ent and wanted to be let alone.
Ideas along these lines were devel-
! oped by the speakers. At times there
| was applause from the gallery, which
was crowded, as we'll as from the floor
of the House, and the speaker had to
threaten to remove visitors to keep it
down.
Mr.. West of Lowndes created a lit
tie stir when he said socialists had
been invited to speak against the bill.
He was opposing the measure. Mr..
s,fI Nrr1t in lie To
refute this statement, and Mr.. West
gave the newspapers as his authority.
He declared that Mrs Irene Ashby Nc
Fayden, who came to Georgia ostensi-
bly, as a philanthropist he said, to
urge this measure, was a paid ennis
sary of those seeking the passage Of
the bill
The provisions of the bill are more
or less familiar. In brief, it proposes
to prohibit the EMPLOYMENT of any
child under 10 years of age in any fac
tory in the state; to prohibit the en-
ployment of any child under IL unless
a widowed mother or totally disabled
father is dependent upon it for sup
port; to prohibit the employment of
any child under IA at night, or unless
such child can read and write simply
English sentences. Violations of the
act are made a misdemeanor punisha-
BILE by fine of $25 to $780, or imprison-
ment from twenty-five to one hundred
days. or both.
The Day in the Senate.
The Senate to-day passed the bill by
Senator Symons of the Fourth, in
amended shape, so as to exempt eX-
Confederates who are physicians from
paying the physicians special tax or
| license. The bill formerly included
! lawyers and dentists, but these were
stricked out and the bill thus secur-
ed a constitutional majority.
The Senate also passed the bill by
Senator Davis of the Seventeenth to
amend paragraph 2, section 2 of
Article of the Constitution so as to
enlarge the power of exemption from
taxation of places of religious worship,
and also all property belonging to
colleges and incorporated academies.
This measure came up year ago, but
was defeated in the House.
Another bill by Senator Davis requir-
ing the payment of taxes by certain
corporations in the counties where
they are located, and fixing a method
of determining disputed cases, was
also passed.
A fight having developed in the City
Council over an amendment to the citys
charter, which is at present causing
a good deal of discussion, the bill pro-
posing this amendment was divided
into two measures in the Senate. and
the one relating to the recent bond
issue was PASSED while the other re-
lating to the management of the police
department was held up for further
consideration and the action of the City
Council.
Nominations Confirmed.
The Senate confirmed the nominal
tons by the Governor of William Fair
cloth as judge, and b. 3. Blount as
solicitor of the City Court of Wrights-
Vile.
A resolution authorizing the printing
of the state records of Colonial and
Confederate times. as prepared by Gov.
Gambler, was adopted.
Senator Perry introduced a bill to-
day to prevent the granting of spe-
ciaI privileges, such as passes or free
TRANSPORTATION of freight by railroads
to corporations, where such privileges
are not granted to the general public.
Defect in Five Mills Bill.
If has developed that there is a de-
feet in the bill recently passed by both
houses of the Legislature to limit the
rate of taxation to five mills. Gov.
Terrell having gathered some doubt on
the subject, submitted the measure to
Attorney General John c. Hart, who
said it might possibly be construed to
mean that the state could not collect
the speciaI taxes which now form so
.rrest a part of the states revenue. In
order to avoid any trouble on the score.
il is expected the General Assembly
will recall the measure tomorrow for
the purpose Of perfecting it SO that it