The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-03-28

The smoke of the legislative battle Of
1907 has cleared away leaving a clear
insight into the record made by the
men composing the law-making body
of this great state. Former predictions
relative to the wisdom displayed by
members of the recent General Assemb-
ly,have been justifedin q review of the
proceedings of that distinguished body
on file in the Department of State and
with the Public Printer. More than
three hundred pages Of the Public Laws
are already in type and 2S2 pages have
been.printed mt this writing. The long
delay in getting out the laws two years
ago viii not be experienced this time.
It will be remembered THAT the printing
ofthe reviSal of 1906 was on hand when
the Legislature of 1906 adjourned and
this necessarily prevented the prompt
printing and delivery of the laws and
journals as usual. $500 copies of Vol.
l and 1000 of Vol. 2 of the Revisal were
then in the hands of the printer and he
necessarily had to get that work out Of
the way before proper attention could
be given to Legislative proceedings.
AS suggested above, no such difficulty
will be met with in printing the pro-
ceedings of the recent session and the
public will soon be made aware OF what
their representative did at the recent
session of the legislature. The leRisla-
ture Of 1907 passed 1925 laws, or $50
more than the Legislature of 1906. A
large humber of these laws r of q
purely local nature, such az the appoint
mentso of justices Of the piece, the drain
age Of small streams, stock laws, bills
for the relief of public school teachers,
the amending of town charters and in
cooperating small towns, pensions for
confederate soldiers, and many unim-
portant matters Of various kinds and
character which should have been in
c~orporated in omnibus bills. There
were many new railroads chartered and
= large number of bills passed 1uthOriz-
ing counties and townships to vote bonds
for road improvements. Fewer resolu-
tions than usual we're passed, ZONE Of
them were as follows: Asking Congress
to establish an Appalachian Park, en-
dorsing the Hague Peace Tribunal, en-
dorsing the jamestown Exposition and
giving twenty thousand dollars more for
North Carolina's exhibit, donating
$1,000 for q silver service for the
Cruiser North Carolina, resolution urg-
ing Congress to improve the Cape Fear
River and requesting it to adopt the
plan Of electing U. s. Senators by the
direct vote Of the people.
One hundred and twenty Eve bills az
fecting railroads were introduced, yet
only a few of them were passed. The
new passenger rate law makes the rate
two and o quarter cents per mile, this
being a reduction of q cent q mile from
he present first class fare, or q saving
Of one dollar for every hundred miles
travelled. The freight bill regulates
rates and is intended to prevent many
determinations heretofore realized by
shippers in various sections of the State.
For instance, in the past you could
ship articles cheaper from places in
Va, and farther of than from N. G.
towns clOse by. The new freight rate
bill Ia intended to cure such evils and
gives the Corporation Commission pow
Dir TO regulate such matters. Other bills
are: To prohibits drinking 1n'passenGer
cars, TO require cleanliness in cars; to
allow agents and conductors to arrest
r0wdy passengers; to require one direct
or and one incorporation of all roads to
live in the state, to allow the corpora
ton Commission to require the con-
atrnction OF union depots in towns Of
1000 inhabitants; to require Jim-Crow
on street railways; to greatly en-
large the powers of the Corporation
Commission. There are several other
bills affecting railroads, but they are of
minor importance and a synopsis here
would be undressing. Suffice it TO
say that the people of N. G. are the
winners in their contest with the rail-
roads and other public carriers:
An act which will be of interest to
Benevolent societles IS contained in
chapter % Of the laws now in the hands
of the printer, which in effect is rs fol-
That Lodges of Masons, Odd
Fellows and knights of Phythiss, Camps
Of the WoodmOn of the World, Councils
Of the J. @; U. A.. NJ, Orders of the
Elks, and any other benevolent or fra
.ernal orders and societies, may appoint
rom time totime suitable persons trus-
;eeD Of their bodies or societies, in such
manner a. such body Or society may
leem proper, which trustees. and their
Inecessors, shall have power to receive,
purchase, take and hold property, real