The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-02-23
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
HAS COME TO AN END
ADJOURNMENT WAS REACHED
ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
The Work of the Last Few Days of
the Session and A Brief Re-
view of the Whole.

Columbia, February 22.-lhe gen
eral assembly OF 1904 adjourned on
Saturday night at about twenty min
utes after ten o'clock.
4 brief review OF the whole session
shows that some hard work was done.
The personnel OF both houses was far
above the average and most Of the
members worked hard and conscien-
tiously. Of course, it is matter
purely OF opinion whether some OF the
measures which were passed are wise,
and whether the assembly did not act
unwisely in refusing to enact into
law some OF the measures which were
presented.
The most important legislation OF
the session was that looking towards
biennial sessions, the creation OF a
department of immigration, the fran
chise tax bill imposing a license tax
on corporations, the telephone bill
placing telephone companies under
jurisdiction of the railroad commits
sioners, the creation of the new de-
partment of immigration, the Brice
local option measure, and the rural IL
brary law.
This latter measure as at frst pre-
sented was a blow aimed directly at
the whole ::spensary system Of the
State. but meant very little when the
two houses got through tacking on
amendments to ii, and it was said that
the author would not know it if he
met it in the big road. The measure
with the amendments was warmly
supported by the dispensary members.
The original bill proposed that coun-
ties should be allowed to vote out es-
tablished dispensaries-local option,
pure and simple. The bill as it nm
ally passed provides that counties vot-
ing out dispensaries shall pay an an
nual tax Of one-half mill to be used
by the governor for the enforcement
? OF the law in said counties. and that
said counties shall not receive any OF
the benefits OF the school fund arising
from the dispensary profits except
that guaranteed by the constitution
in order to make Up deficiencies so as
to guarantee each county SIS for each
pupil. This makes the counties pay
very heavily for the privilege OF get
ting rid oi dispensary.
The bie:,-,al sessions bill simply
submits the question to the people this
fall. and there is little doubt but that
the people wifi vote for the measure.
Many OF those ,:to voted for submit
ting the question to the people very
much doubted the wisdom of holding
sessions only once every two years
but voted for the bill in response to
the demand OF their constituents.
The creation OF the new department
OF agriculture, commerce ard immi-
grafton creates new Offices. and new
salaries. and at the coming sessions
will very probably create a demand
for big additional appropriations
which must be given.
The telephone bill simply gives the
railroad commissioners the same jurls-
diction over the telephone companies
operating in the State as they now
have over the railroads.
The measure imposing license tax
on corporations was proposed by the
tax commission appointed at the
last session OF the general assembly
TO look into The financial condition OF
the State and to suggest measures for
putting the State on a cash basis.
The measure was vigorously opposed
as rank discrimination against the
corporations and was in one instance
described as a measure TO "sandbag'
CORPORATIONS. But it finally passed
and the corporations submitted grace
fully to the inevitable.'
The rural library measure provides
that the State shall appropriate $40
TO each school raising like amount
by private subscription and that when
said amount has been -aised by prl-