The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-24


Quite number of bills we're passed
relative to the railroad interests of
South Carolina, but the only bills that
will become laws that will in any way
affect the railroad interests are:
First, the bill to require the railroads
to transport baby carriages free as
baggage; second the bill to require the
hauling of 900 pounds of baggage
free; third, the Coggshall 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 a whole string of
bills proposed, but out of all of them
these were all that passed Of concern
to the railroads.
There we're quite number Of meas
ures proposed relative to cotton mill
Interests, but there was no disposition
to affect injuriously the cotton mill
interests Of the State. and if there had
been any proposition which would have
given encouragement to. them it would
probably have passed. Among the
measures killed that were regarded as
being against cotton mill interests
were the McMaster liability bill, the
Davis seat bill, the johnson anti-strike
bill, the Toele ten-hour labor law
measure, and some others more remote
sy connected with this large interest.
Che only bill that was passed that
could in any way be regarded as affect
ing injuriously the cotton mill interest
was thatsof Mr.. Irhy, which provided
For the redemption Of checks issued to-
employees. It is understood that most
cotton mills do not use this check
system, but pay in cash every two
weeks. -
The dispensary had everything its
own way this time. The only bill
passed that in any way affects the dis
pensary situaSionsis the bill to which
is attached the name Of Senator Brice.
It is net his bill as it was passed. The
dispensary forces managed to have the
Till amended SO as to suit them In.
every way and the law, as it will so
on the statute books, is not what Mr..
Brice wished for, but is rather in line
with the policy of the dispensary,
which is that if any community does
not want a dispensary that it will have
to pay for that privilege. In other
words, the bill provides that a COM
munity can rote an established dispen-
sary out of its limits, but if it does
so it must at the same time provide for
a tax o.. one-half of one mill upon all
of the property in the county for the
purpose of maintaining force to see
that the dispensary law is enforced in
that county, and at the same time it
must forego the advantages of getting
any portion of the surplus fund for its
schools that would ordinarily 60 to
them from the dispersary profits. The
Law says that county can get rid of
dispensary if its people vote to that
effect. But it must at the same time
provide annually by direct taxation a
fund for whatever expenses might be
imposed in the enforcement Of the law,
and also be deprived Of it's share Of the
surplus school fund from the dispen-
sary.
Quite a number of new crimes, so
to speak, we're created by the General
Assembly this year. For instance, it
was made crime to operate gambling
slot machines: to Improperly brand
foods ]; to give false names to horses
that entered races, and to ship shad,
oysters and CLANS out Of the State, and
to decline to fill unused wells. Of
course, the General Assembly had to
do something and it was just as we'll to
take rap at the slot machines and the
fling of horses teeth and the filling
of wells as anything else.
This General Assembly has certainly
broken record, in that it has passed
a law that provides for scapitation q
taS OF fifty cents on dogs. AS long as
Citizen Josh Ashley remained in the
General Assembly the "yallsr dog"
was safe, but now that he is in private
life the 'tyaller dog seems to be
getting it. and if this law of provid-
ing fifty. cent tax upon each and
every dog in the State is enforced, as
it ought to be, it should result in
great deal of good in eliminating
worthless ours and at the same time
in raising fund for educational pur-
poses.
The jar of the session wasSincident
to the State House work. 1t seems to
be very much of a mess and will not
undertake. to irstifv or criticise any.