Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
BIG ARRAY OF BILLS
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATORS
READY FOR BUSINESS.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

WHEELING, w Va January 5-The
West Virginia legislature. which opens
next Wednesday, is threatened with an
avalanche of bills the like of which would
| give the old-timer bad dreams Almost
every conceivable subject is to be regulated
| and reformed Purity in this and that is
demanded at an unprecedented rate.
The State Sheep Growers Association, for
| instance, wants law that will require
every dog in West Virginia to wear a col
lar bearing the name of it's owner. This
protective measure is clamored for by the
ruralists owing to the havoc played among
their sheep by CANNES. Already there are
| municipal enactments in several towns call
| ing for dog collars, but the grangers believe
| better enforcement will come with state
| law.
Pure food bills by the score will be in
| troduced and State Auditor Scherr and half
| of the legislative membership have bills up
theis sleeves to regulate both fire and life
! insurance companies to a more rigid degree.
| Good roads bills and good roads commits
/ sions, likewise state forestry commissions
| and various other commissions to cope with
sundry evils, will be pressed with a ven-
| geance
The state board of trade has taken
| hand and will urge the passage of laws to
| regulator rather to restrict-the export
| ing of West Virginia gas to Pittsburg,
Cleveland and other cities and states, not
| to speak of bills regulating the shipment
| into the state and out Of it in bulk of mer-
! landise with intent to defraud.
Others With Reform Bills.
| The mine workers, the stationary engi-
neers and the railroaders want legislation
! protective and elevating to their respective
| callings. The special mining commission
| appointed by Gov. Dawson will make ma
| jority. minority and duaf reports, for this
commission was composed of three elements,
m nd tot m
department.
Then there will be solons who will rise
| up In their seats with simple Mr.. Speaker
declaration and a bill they will send to the
desk by page. calling for the wiping out
of the fee system relating to county Of
fees. They will invariably speak Of it as
the inquitous fee system" There viii be
divers bills providing for a state railroad
commission, as well emphatic demands
on the railroads to furnish more cars for
coal and coke shippers.
Taxation bills galore will pop up. Some
will be inten~ed to improve the tax system
now getting out of it's swaddling clothes
and some will seek to trim it down a few
pegs by topping o. the coal and oil lease
hold assessment feature, and there will be
| a scrap over the question of division of ex-
penses as to the maintenance of criminal
and lunacy charges between the state and
counties.
Anti-Saloon Men Active.
But above all. the Anti-Saloon League
promises to minimize the stature of the
| rum demon. The league for the first time
| has opened headquarters in the capital and
| will keep open house throughout the ses-
| sion High license will be demanded, with
| the Aiken law of Ohio as model, the state
license fee to be 81 600 instead of the pres
ent 500. The liquor men will resent this
| since the license was increased from $3.50
only two years ago.
| The Anti-Saloon League will push coun-
| NyNfin al. 10 T,.I
they will try to have it the Brannock
| order, that affair which indirectly elected
| the late Gov. Pattison of Ohio High license
| and a higher class of saloons will be the
slogans and war will be waged against the
| so-called whisky rings which are said to
| dominate the politics of coal counties in
l southern West Virginia.
Just now it looks like every one of the
| 116 members is going to Charleston bent on
| having bill passed and to make a record
| on the strength of adding another bunch Of
pages to the bulky statutes. But the senate
Is expected confidently to stem the tide. It's
personnel so indicates. Many bills will be
presented but few wiz go through.
The populace has been satiated with re-
| ports of the portentous possibilities depend
ing on the organization of the senate and
| is turning now to consideration of the tre-
| mendous influx of new laws in store. The
proud announcements of the soons that
| they intend to add more laws for regulation
of Sundry activities seem to foreShadoW
the coming of large and well-groomed lob
bies to take up positions among the de-
lenses. AS the announcements go out on
the breezes and time for converting draws
| near the people are beginning to realize
that too much may be attempted and that
nothing may be gained. Incidentally 1t de-
velops that there are sufficient laws now
to cover the subjects green statesmen who
haven't taken the time to investigate want
penalties prescribed for.
Senate Presidency.
Nothing much is considered regarding the
legislative organization except the senate
presidency and the house clerkship. For the
higher office four candidates remain in the
field.
.enator Forman insists he is a candidate,
although the state administration people talk
only of McDermott as the man to beat Mar
shall. The latter will have trouble appar-
emily from White C Mingo, who figures on
being picked up in the grand finale Secre-
tary of State Swisher, who is managing
McDermott's campaign, is working like a
beaver The batteries of the regular" army
are trained on Marshall, whose victory, his
opponents proclaim will not be a victory
for orthodox repu. licanism but for the in
surgent school with which Marshall has
trained. To date Marshall has his fight
we'll in hand, .ut it is extremely doubtful
if he can hold his -orces.
1t is believed that Senator Scott wants
the Dawson-Swisher candidate beaten, and
that he favors Marshall or White. Senator
Elkins insists that he is neutral, but the
Marshall men profess some little skepti-
cism Harry Shaw of Marion has Repre-
sentative w P. Hubbard's support for the
| house clerkship against Topping. Hodges
and Douglass Hughes, the latter Represen-
tative Hughes brother