The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-22
To PROTECT The
STATES RAILROAD
BILL is OFFERED IN HOUSE
IN PREVENT ANY COMPANY FROM
PARAI.LELING IT.

BE Issued-InIS Is aimed mt the
l.. & Ms Plans for Extending and
Entering AtIanta-Senate May Kin
the Australian Ballot BiII-Might
Mean Republican Control in House
and Senate.
Atlanta. July 21.-With a view to
protecting the Western and Atlantic
railroad against competing lines,
which would have a tendency to de-
srrov it's value, there was introduced
in the House bill which prohibits the
secretary of State from issuing a
charter to any line. except an electric
trolley line. proposing to parallel the
state road.
But the most startling feature of this
measure is that it proposes to revoke
the charter of any lines which propose
TO parallel the Western and Atlantic.
unless such lines are already built and
in operation. This latter section is
aimed at the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad, which is now preparing to
enter Atlanta, as many suppose, by
the construction of its own line from
Marietta as a continuation of the At
lanta, Knoxville and Northern. Should
the state revoke the charter for the
construction of that portion of the line
the Louisville and Nashville would
have to come in on the Western and
Atlantic tracks, as was at first pro-
posed.
This bill was introduced by Messrs.
Gross of McDuf1e, Hall of Bibb and
Underwood of White, and is the out
come of the discussion that has been
in progress for some time to the eff
feet that the states property would
be rendered valueless, practically, when
competing lines were built on all sides
of it.
The bill by Mr.. Darlington of Madi-
son, providing for the extension of the
Western and Atlantic Railroad to the
sea, using the states convicts to do
the grading and other preliminary
work. will come up for consideration as
the special order of the morning to-
morrow.
StOvaI1's Pure Food Bill.
The House Committee on General
Agriculture to-day recommended that
the pure food bill by Mr.. StovaI of
Chatham be passed. This bill prohib-
its all authorizations of food which are
dangerous to health, and requires all
foods that are adulterated in any man
ner to be marked and branded for
what they are. 1t also puts penalty
upon authorizations of stock foods,
which lis a new feature in pure food
laws. Violations are made misdemean-
Ors.
This action of the committee was
taken after it had heard an interesting
talk on the subject of pure foods from
state Chemist J. NJ. McCandless. who
has given the subject much thought
and investigation.
Regulate Money Lending.
The Senate Committee on general
judiciary to-day recommended for
passage the substitute bill to regulate
money lending in the state. 1t is said
the Senate will pass the bill to-mor-
row.
The bill as amended stipulates that
it is to relate only to such loans as
are made upon household furniture
and goods, tools of trade sewing ma
chimes, typewriters musical instru-
ments and wearing apparel. 1t fur
Their stipulates that no money lender
shall be able to swear out a warrant
for cheating and swindlng in a loan
case unless he first makes affidavit
that he has conformed in every re-
spect TO the terms of the law.
The money lenders will be required
to take out a license and will then
he allowed to charge only per cent.
interest and fees fixed by a sliding
scale, and non-renewable violations are
made n1isdemeanors.
May Kill Ballot Reform Bill.
Unless there is a decided change in
sentiment of the members of the Sen
ate it is very probable that the Aus
tralian ballot bill will be killed. It
is possible that a compromise may be
reached by which the Senate will pass
the bill, provided it applies only to
primary elections.
Considerable opposition has develop
ed to the measure on the ground that
in many counties in Georgia the Aus
tralian ballot would give the Republi-
cans and the negro voters control of
the county, whereas at present the
Democrats will always remain in pow
err
The measure has been made the
special order in the Senate for next
Tuesday morning.
Bills Passed or offered.
The Senate did little to-day but pass
bills, most of them of local nature.
The session was devoid of debate.
Among the bills passed were the fol-
lowing:
BY Senator McLean-To protect the
owners of live stock in Mcintosh by
requiring the butchers to register the
marks on all cattle
BY Senator Stevens-To allow certain
parties to construct a dam across the
savannah river north Oh Augusta.
BY Mr.. Calvin of Richmond-To
amend Section 50 of the Code so as to
establish a reformatory in Richmond
county.
BY Mr.. Cam of Chatham and Mr..
Folder of Bibb-To increase the salary
Of the judge of the City Court of Ma
con-
The following new bills were intro
duced:
BY Senator Hopkins-To carry into
effect Paragraph /. Section /, of Arti-
Gle of the constitution with reference
70 creating a debt, other than a bonded
oeht, by counties and municipalities.
BY Mr.. Skelton-To amend an act
70 establish. organize and maintain a
state normal school at the State Uni
Fetsity so as to have a board of trus-
tees, to be composed of one member
from each congressional district of the
state and two from the city of Athens,
70 he appointed by the Governor for
term of two years.
BY Mr.. Hopkins-To amend Para
graph of Section / of Article of the
constitution of the state. so as TO pro-
vide that in cases of rape or assault
with intent to rape, the person as
taulted may testify by deposition.
by Mr.. Symons-To abolish the town
o. Everett in Glynn county.
H2s.4O savannah 20 Washington and