Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-01-16
MATTERS IN Ipt SENATE CHAMBER.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION AND io.HouR
LABOR BILLS ARE UP AGAIN.

Columbia, Jan. 15.--Editors Courier:
The first week Of the session of the
General Assembly is gone and very little
work done.
The weather has been unusually favor
able; in fact, do not think that we have
ever had prettier week during ses.
sion. We have not needed any fire yet.
IL it should continue for month as
warm as 1t Is the trees would be putting
out. The warm weather., has tended to
relieve the coal famine more than any
thing.
went through the penitentiary the
other day and spoke to those convicts
from Oconee county. They are all in
good health, and not more dissatisfied
than would be expected.
The Board of Pardons recommended
the full pardon Of w. X. Powers few
days ago, and the Governor has signed
the pardon.
There have been more bills introduced
for the time than usual. The Solici'o 'ors
have been very hard worked to wait on
inc members. si
have introduced bill providing for
for writing bills aud acts, which viii
facilitate the work OF that department
and reduce the cost at least one half.
The paper that is now used for enrolling
acts is 20x28 inches and is very unwieldy,
and no better than that used for ordinary
documents Besides, 1t Is inconvenient
and difficult to keep as q record. All
cases are made fer the usual document
size paper and cannot be used.
There have been about fifteen or
twenty bills introduced to stop the deal
ing in futures Of agricultural products.
There seems to be q spontaneous demand
throughout the Stats that this method Of
gambling be stopped. I had prepared q
measure on this line, but there have
been 30 many others that will support
some of them and not offer any.
The 10-hour bill for laborers in facto-
ries is in and will likely claim good
deal of the time of tho session. This
measure is introduced every year in some
form and brings in large representation
of the mill people on either side.
The compulsory education bill is also
on its way, but it is in milder form
than heretofore. 1t requires children to
be sent to school for at least twelve
weeks in scholastic year.
The annual fight to repeal the lien law
will come up in few days. Bills have
been introduced in both houses for this
purpose. This law was great disad-
vantage to landowners when it was put
in force on account of the radical changes
that it made in the settled methods of
doing business, but 1t has now been in
force for about forty years, and condi-
tions have adjusted themselves to the
law. Besides, 1t would do little or no
good to repeal the lien law and leave the
mortgage law as it now is. The seizures
| under mortgages might be more oppres-
sive than under the lien.
have introduced bill providing for
the inspection OF oils that are sold for
| lighting purposes. 1t is strange that
almost every State has some kind of in.
spection law to prevent the sale of oil
unfit for use in lamps. The rejected oil
from the other States around us may be
dumped here with impunity.. We ought
to have some means of protection.
| A bill has been introduced requiring
the publication of the names of persons
to whom railroad passes were issued.
The law at present forbids the use OF
free passes by officers, and it is rumored
that many of the officers are disregard.
ing this law.
The inauguration Of Hon. M. r. Ansol
as Governor takes place to-day at IL m
Oconee is peculiarly interested In this
| as he Is native Of our county and man
of whom no evil can be said. It il or.
tremely sad that our fellow-townsman
and brother was not spared tho pleasure
of seeing him inducted into office. he
looked forward to that time with great
anxiety and often expressed his inten-
/ lion of being present. His life has
proven his faith and he has reaped the
reward of the just. It is q pleasure to
speak Of him, for never knew him OK.
cept as wise counsellor and just Judge.
Respectfully, j. r. Earle.