The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1907-02-20
LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS
What Was Done by the Legislature
During the Session That Ended
Saturday Night.

During the Session That Ended
Saturday Night
The legislature of South Carolina
closed its session and adjourned sine
die on Saturday evening. 1t had
been a busy, but rather harmonious
body, and the tired members ere glad
to get away.
The Carey-Cothran bill was signed
by the governor at l:l Sunday
morning and this most important
piece of legislation was closed and by
the terms of the bill the entire State
was put under absolute prohibition
until the proper steps can be taken
to put the new law granting counties
the right to have dispensaries into
operation.
Through an official advertisement
Governor Ansel has ordered every
dispensary in the State closed at
once, and, under the order, they are
to remain closed until the new county
boards of control are appointed and
commissioned. This order was issued
Saturday night by the Governor.
There will be prohibited in South
Carolina until the new plan Of con-
trolling the whiskey traffic is in oper~
alton. This may take several weeks,
though in some counties it Will not
take. very long. In Orangeburg
county, for instance, the new county
board has already been selected and
recommended to the Governor, and as
soon as he Issues the commissions thu
board can take charge. If the new
administration decides to purchase
the stocks of present dispensaries, tha
dispensaries can be reopened with
very little delay. 1t is possible that In
some counties the present boards and
present dispensers may all be reap
pointed but in others there will be
radical changes.
The Carey Cothran bill is now IN
full force and effect, and it legislates
out of Office every dispensary official,
no matter what may be his position,
high or low. From the board Of di-
rectors and commissioners Of the State
dispensary down to county dispensary
clerks and bottle washers, they are all
out of Office. There 200 or 800
persons thus thrown out Of positions
and a large number Of these hold
positions in the big wholesale dis
pensary in Columbia. Some Of the
county dispensers and their clerks,
may retain their position under the
new law, but their jobs in the State
dispensary are gone.
In the positive column Of legisla~
ton perhaps the Frost bill, to inves-
tigate the railroads through an inter.
session commission of six members OF
! the General Assembly, should rank
next to the dispensary legislation.
This commission is intended to work
out the Charleston problem first, but
it's powers are great and it may take
up Interstate and intra-State rates,
schedules, equipment, freight, delays
and many other matters vitality at
| fecting the people of the State.
Also a far-reaching effect will be
the act outlawing dealing in futures
in this State. This is the Georgia law
on the subject and not only does
away with bucketshops but forbids
buying or selling except in legitl-
mate way. In this the House had its
! way, having substituted its bill for
the Sanders bill passed in the Senate.
Yet another very important act
passed was the johnson pure food
act, which prevents the sale or manu-
facture Of misbranded or deleterlous
or poisonous drugs or foods.
Of still more importance is the new
act limiting the hours Of labor IN
the cotton mills and other factories
to 81 a week, beginning next July,
and so hours a week after next Jan.
uary l, with the proviso that 60
hours lost time may be made up IN
the course of year. A companion
act is that amending the child labor
act so as to forbid women and child
rem under IA working after night.
The act looking to the establish
ment of high schools throughout the
State is of special importance to the
rural districts. 1t is limited to*towns
Of 1000 population or less. 1t pro-
vides for a special levy, not exceed
ing two mills in any school district
desiring such high school, and nd car
| ries an appropriation of S50,OOo for
aid through a State high school board
to poorer districts.
The present Legislature made ap-
preparation totalling nearly a million
and a half, about 100000 more than
can be raised by the reduced levy
combined with the other sources OF
income, in spite Of the fact that the
tax values have increased $4,000:
1t increased the pension appropla-
ton to $250,000, but refused to make
any other changes as to pensions, the
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