Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-03-02

quence. There can be no doubt,
however, that the most important
and far-reaching action was that
looking towards biennial, instead of
annual, sessions of the General AS
sembly. 1t is a very difficult matter
with the constitutional restrictions,
to accomplish the passage of reso-
lution looking towards any amend
ment to the constitution, but the
necessary legislation has been en-
acted by which the people will, next
November, have the opportunity of
deciding whether or not they want
the constitution amended so as to
provide for sessions of the General
Assembly every two years instead
of every year.
BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION.
Next in Importance to this is
probably the passage Of the bill
looking towards the establishment
of department of immigration. 1t
is reasonably expected that this de-
partment will bring about good re-
suits. The idea is not new one,
but the State has gone into the mat
ter in earnest and, with a compe-
tent commissioner, there is every
reason to expect good results and an
influx of new blood.
WORK OF TAX COMMISSION.
There were great things to be ex-
pected from the tax commission ap-
pointed at the recent session of the
General Assembly. The State of
South Carolina has not been, and is
not, operating upon cash basis, and
the commission was appointed for
the purpose of suggesting plans by
which the State would get out of
debt and continue to operate on a
cash basis. The tax commission did
it's work well, but the General AS
sembly did not go any farther than
to pass what is known as the fran
chise tax bill and stop there. The
tax commission was sincere in pro-
posing series of five bills and it is,
perhaps, unfortunate for the State
that the General Assembly should
have picked out the one bill that
was directed against corporate in
terests and passed it. 1t is expected
that this franchise tax bill will raise
about 100000, but, with the com
plement franchise tax bill proposed
by the tax commission, the State
would easily have had plenty of
funds but, unfortunately, the propo-
sition to make the corporations pay
whatever tribute was to be paid be-
came law and the scheme stops
there.
DEALING WITH CORPORATIONS.
Outside of this franchise tax bill
there was no legislation that might
be called antagonistic to corpora
tions, unless the bill which places
the telephone companies under the
jurisdiction of the railroad commits
sion is to be 80 regarded, and there
seems to be no particular objection to
this measure.
RAILROAD BILLS.
Quite number of bills were
passed rela5 live to the railroad inter
ests of S1ath Carolina, but the only
bills that will become laws that will
In any way affect the railroad inter-
ests are First, the bill to require
the railroads to transport baby car
riages free as baggage; second, the
bill to require the hauling of 200
pounds of baggage free third, the
Coggeshall bill, which places time
limit for the delivery of freight in
this State /; fourth, the bill to allow
family use of mileage books. OF
course there were whole string of
bills proposed, but out of all of them
these were all that were passed of
concern to the railroads.
AS TO COTTON MILLS.
There were quite number of
measures proposed relative TO cotton
mill interests, but there was no dis
position to affect injuriously the cot
ton mill interests of the State, and
if there had been any proposition
which would have given encourage