Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-02-02
LOBBY AT STATE CAPITOL
Powerful Combination Is Fighting
Proposed Legislation.
INVESTIGATION IS ASKED FOR
Sensational Charges Made Against Of
ficiaIs OF Experiment Station at
Moreantown.

Morgantown.
Charleston, w. Va, January Sl.-No
such lobby has ever before gathered
here as now finds shelter in the city.
The trains come loaded with the rep.
resentatives of interests called to arms
by the threatening attitude of certain
measures of legislation. The coal peo-
pie, the railroads, the whiskey men
and the county officials all are here in
such numbers that the hotels are
crowded and there is 40 room for any
body else
The men have come to appear be-
fore the committees and to combat
the commission bill and the bills fix
ing the two cent rate as the maximum
to be charged passengers. The coal
men are especially Interested in de-
feating the bill making employers OF
private police responsible for damages
done by such police while in the dis,
charge of the duty for which they
were employed, the oil to prevent
blacklisting and the bill to prohibit
the importation of workmen by mis-
representation.
The whiskey men are here to lobby
against anything looking like extra
taxation upon their business, and the
county officials are present to protect
their fees from the knife whetted by
the administration.
The judiciary and finance commit
tees of the two houses held joint ses
sion to consider the matter of appro-
priating money TO defend the suit
brought by Virginia against West Vir'
ginia to compel this state to pay part
of the debt of the old state before di-
vision. bill appropriating $4,000
had been prepared and was laid be
fore the committee. It was discussed
at some length, but no definite action
was taken The attorney general stat
ed that John G. Carlisle had been re-
tanned for this state.
Wants an Investigation.
Delegate billiard created sensation
in the house by introducing joint
resolution to investigate the agricultu-
raj experiment station at Morgan
town. The resolution stated that
charges had been made against the
management of the station and stated
among other things that cows were
maintained at the expense OF the
state and that butter is made from
their milk and the same sold and the
proceeds not turned over to the state
nor any accounting made of them.
The resolution was introduced at
request of ]. H. McDermott, president
of the senate who lives at Morgan
town, where the experiment station is
located The resolution was referred
to the committee on judiciary
Senator Campbell sought to get a
resolution through the senate calling
for report from the committee ap-
pointed two years ago to investigate
state institutions and in discussing II
made a rather sensational speech on
the matter He referred 10 the charges
of cruelty that had been made against
the penitentiary officials and said he
was loath to believe that such things
could have taken place there. The
only way he could account for 1t was
that they had occurred while Warden
Haddox, whom he knew to be hui
name man, was absent stamping the
state for Dawson. His resolution was
defeated.
The joint resolution tc amend the
constitution so as to make the limit
of the legislative session 80 days and
the pay Of members $500 year was
adopted in the senate.
The bill to raise the salaries of state
officers and judges came up and Mr.
billiard offered substitute, making
the raise only apply to judges of the
supreme and circuit courts, their sal
aries to be $4,000 and $4,000, respect
lively.
The bill and substitute were re-
ferred to the judiciary committee.