The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-10
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
More Than Forty Bills Ordered to
Their Third Reading.
Bill Ito Create Board Of EquaIiza-
tion to Equalize Tax Assessment
of all Glasses of Property
Killed.

Columbia, Feb. 6.-The House to-
day ACCOMPLISHED, 80 far as the pass
age oe bills:was.corce.ned, more than
it has on any previous day Of the ses,,
sion. It began work at 10 O'Clock and
hammered away on the Calendar untll
long after 2 'clock.
More than forty bills e1eA ordered
to their third reading and on Monday
vii, receive the final sanction OF the
House, and will then be sent to the
Senate. Most of these measures are
Of what is technically known as OF
local character. That is, they refer to
the bonding Of towns or cities for the
purpose Of erecting school buildings,
jails or poor houses, to the increase OF
county officers salaries, to the purchase
of index cases, and the like, by county
authorities, and all such things of q
more or less local character. Out Of
all of the forty bills passed today not
more than three or four are of a general
nature.
The most significant action was the
defeat by an overwhelming vote of the
second bill proposed by the tax COM
mission. This bill, known as No.
]. .OO2, provided for the creation of 8
new board Of assessors, to be con-
stituted by the appointment of one
member from each judicial circuit,
and this board. instead of the present
boards now having jurisdiction owes
the various classes of property, was
to assess and equalize the assessment
of all real estate, personal property,
banks, railroads, textile enterprises,
fertilizer factories, etc. At present
the banks and railroads are not assess
ed by a general State board. The
banks are now assessed by county
boards and the railroads BY board OF
State officers, and the proposition was
to bring all classes of property under
the control Of one small board and do
away with the idea of representation OF
individual counties. This bill had
the hearty approval Of the tax commits
sion and was regarded rs one Of their
pet remedies for conditions in this
State, but it failed by a more than two
to one vote.
For quite number. of years there
Las been considerable agitation and
feeling about the matter of examina-
tions of medical students. The Rich
ards bill, it will be remem bered. was
passed three or four years ago and met
with considerable opposition from cer-
tain sources. Yesterday the House
concurred, by passing to third read
ing, in what is known as the compro-
mise bill relative to this matter.
This measure, it seems, has met with
the concurrence OF the Medical Asso-
citation, the Charleston Medical Col
lege. the members Of the General As
sembly, and In fact has conciliated
all others as being the best thing that
can be done in the premises. l. is
judged that the same measure will go
thrI dgfl Senate, especially with the
assurance that it is the last that is to
be heard on this subject of exemption
from examinations.
AS is usual on Saturdays there was
not large attendance upon the Sen
ate's session today. The bill creating
the department of commerce and i'm
migration was passed, and sent to the
House without discussion.
After passing some local third read
ing bills the Senate took up uncon test
ed second reading bills.