The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-01-24
HARD WORK FOR THE
NEXT FOUR WEEKS
ABOUT $50 MEASURES TO BE
DEALT WITH.
Important Work of Ratification
What the Newberry Dele
CATION is Doing.


Columbia, Jan. 23.-Two weeks of
the legislative session have gone.
There remain only four more weeks,
giving the body the full forty days,
which of course will be taken. The
members have. all. about adjusted
themselves to their new duties and
committees have gotten down to
work and reports are coming in.
There will be Some hard work for
the next four weeks, discussing and
amending, rejecting and passing the
three hundred and fifty odd new
measures proposed. 1t is reasonable
to suppose that majority of the new
measures will meet the fate they de-
serve and never go on the statute
books as laws of South Carolina.
There are great many, Of course,
that deserve better fate.
. The most important work for this
general assembly is properly to rati-
>iy several amendments to the consti-
tuition adopted at the last general
election and have the statutes so
amended as to conform to the consti-
tuition. If the biennial session amend
rnenti is ratified there will necessarily
follow some legislation to conform to
the new provision of the constitution.
understand that there is going to be
considerable opposition to this amend
nent and no one has seemed anxious
to take up the fight, though one or
TWO bills have been prepared along
this line but they have not yet come
I'D for debate in either branch of the
general assembly.
The provision as TO roads and
county government will be adopted
without opposition but will lead to
about forty one new laws on the
subject Of road duty. almost every
county wanting a different provision
as to the age limit, the commutatlon
tax and so on. Already of number
of such measures have been proposed.
The new ideas as to the dlspen-
sary still come in and there are now
a number of new propositions as to
the amendment of the law. There
are so many divergent views that l
scarcely expect to see any material
change made in the law at this ses-
sion. I base that opinion on what
seems to me to be almost an impos-
sibility to harmonic all the diver
gent views on what is best to be done.
1t is a symptom, however, Of very
great interest throughout the state
with the system I'D a desire tor
change of some sort. Even the friends
of the system realize that there is
necessity :or SOM th:':g: Just what
that something IS It seems difficult to
get all agreement Mr. Brice has not
,ntroducci his "r,2,nai bill but haS
one to have it to incorporated towns
or cities to say whether they shall
operate a dispensary or not. This
idea, do not believe will prevail in
this legislature. Mr.. Morgan of
Greenville has a proposition to give
local option by counties as o dispen-
pensary, prohibition or high license.
I believe his bill makes the license
about $1,000 year. Then Mr.. lay
1or of Newberry has bill prepared
to wind up the state dispensary and
abolish the state board and let the
counties regulate the sale, buy ano
Sell and take the profits. Then I un-
derstand tha some one will suggest
a change in the manner Of receiving
bids and making purchases, provld-
iae that samples be sent to the state
treasurer as at present but marked
by members instead Of the names OF
the seller and that after an analysis
by the state chemist these samples
are to be put in other bottles with