The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-02-04
OUR COLUMBIA LETTER.
CDluMnIA, ZEE. ., 1903.

COLUMBIA, FEB ., 1903.
AS today is salcsdny and the lawyers
III the Legislature. whose name is
legion, all desire to be ut their respect
lvc county seats neither house met to-
day. The House Of Representatives
Will meet mt 3 o'clock tonight and tho
senate Mt moo O-mOrrOW.
The General Assembly on the whole
il pretty we'll along with its work for
n first session. Tho Senate has made
particularly good progress III dispos-
lug OF some OF the most important
measures. Not only the biennial SEES
sions bill and tho child labor bill but
the compulsory education bill is out of
the way. But tho House has o touch
Ell any OF these questions, devoting it's
time 30 Tar principally to the road law
and county government matters and
local measures. Both hcusee devoted
thelr Saturday sessions to clearing the
calendars of uncontested and local bills.
The compulsory education bill pass
ed by the Senate requires the atten-
dance at some school OF all children
between 8 and IL years of age for at
least q weeks In the year., unless pre-
vented by illness or reside more than
3 miles from a school house. The pen-
a!cy imposed on parents and guardians
for noncompliance with this law is to
pc q tine OF not less than S5 nor more
than $50. This measure provoked
much discussion and will elicit still
moro vigorous debate in the House,
with considerable doubt of it's passage.
The Senate has passed n bill propos-
ed by. Senator Stanland prohibiting the
use of toy pistols, except those using
paper caps, the measure being inspired
by the numerOu accidents, several
fatal, which have resulted from the
careless handling of these toys.
a bill introduced By Senator Blake
liking the time for payment Of taxes
passed the Senate. The bill provides
that oil State and County taxes and ali
taxes collected when State and County
taxes are collected, shall be due and
payable from the 18th of October to
and including the 31st day OF Decem-
Der OF each and every year, and if such
taxes and assessments IRE not paid on
or before said time, q penalty of five
per cent. thereon shall be added by the
and collected by the county trcasurer;
and II said taxes and assessments and
penalties are not paid on or before tho
Slst day of March next thereafter, tho
u county treasurer shall issue his
tax execution for tho said taxes and
penalties, against tho %defaulting tax
payer, according to tho law.
: JOluU ICSOluJlUu 10 eN-
tend the time for the payment of taxes
without penalty until March 81. 1908.
has been q the second time, but
promises to develop opposition when
1T comes ,p Tuesday for n final read
Ing. Many senator's express themselves
openly that tho people are expecting
n time to be extended and it's passage
Will relieve the complicated condition
OF the present tax books without in
jury to the people or the State.
The House has given n good deal of
time to the road law. The general law
now In operation causes dissatisfac-
ton since the conditions in different
sections of tho State are 30 differen(:
the up.cOuntry counties, with white
populations. desiring n few days road
duty and a higher communication TAX,
and the low-country counties, with
negro populations, wanting more days
with a lower tax. The constitutional
provision against special legislation
prevents the passage of measures suit
ed to each county, as the law on this as
other snbjecte has to apply to oil the
counties alike. To circumvent this
provision a number of bills have been
proposed. and the cOnstitutionality of
each has been attacked. The bill
which was passed provides that in
stead of "eight days if so many be-
necessary" the law shall read mot less
than three nor more than eight to be
regulated by the county commissioners,
and in lieu thereof the communication
tax, instead of being fixed Mt 81, "shall
not be less than 81 nor more than So"
There were n number of good speeches
made. One feature of the debate was
the opposition to taxing boys of Is to !
Fl years when they have no voice in
matters of State.
While several of the best lawyers in
the House contend that this measure
IS constitutional, others hold tho oppo-
site view, and SO Mr. Wingo and Mr..
DeBruhl have each introduced a reso-