The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1908-02-05
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, February 8. 1908.
Legislative.


The principal work in the house of
representatives last week was the
passage of the labor contract law,
without debate, and the killing of the
prohibition bill, fathered by Repre-
sentative Nash, and fought for by a
number of the leaders who are against
county dispensaries. A large number
of local measures were passed or sent
to third reading, but it seemed to be
the unanimous desire of the members
to postpone hard work until this week
when night sessions will commence
and something done toward clearing
the calendar.
There are now about 25O bills on the
SO pages to be worked on and the
committees have about 300 yet to be
reported upon. The practice of the
members in allowing unfavorably re-
ported bills to 60 upon the calendars,
even though they will never be reach
ed, has resulted in the lengthy list.
The committees have been very busy
and there are still many bills to come
up, although time limit will be fixed
this week.
The question of biennial sessions
will come up III the general assembly
again, Senator Efrd having introduce
ed a series of resolutions proposing
the necessary amendments to the con-
stitution.
The bill providing for the establish
ment of Calhoun county will be intro
duced and referred to a committee
when the house meets. The bill is
similar to the one introduced for the
creating of Lee county, except the
election of officers which is provided
for at once, instead of a government
by commission for several months.
The bill will give the county auditor,
when elected, authority to copy from
the tax books of Orangeburg and Lex
ington counties the properties in Cal
houn territory. One of the possibili-
ties for debate in the creation Of this
county is its position in the judicial
circuits of the State. With a bill to
make an eleventh circuit, in which
Richland is particularly interested, it
is probable that Calhoun will be
grouped with either the fifth or the
eleventh circuits.
The house has before it a number
Of special order bills, including those
relating to compulsory education, the
bill creating State health officer, the
bill providing for the erection Of a
dormitory at Winthrop college, and
several others. Mr.. Aull has for an
adjourned bill lis measure creating a
rural police force to which very little
opposition has developed.
BY vote OF 81. to 81 the house
struck out the enacting words of the
prohibition bill. Despite the claim of
those who favored the county dispen-
sary system that the measurs was
certain of defeat the vote surprised a
number of the leaders, although it
was conceded that many Of the State
dispensary supporters would now vote
for prohibition.
The Senate has passed to third read
ing Mr.. Tools passenger rate bill.
The commission on State House and
grounds asks S25,000 to carry on the
| work of improvement. That the COM
| mission has done excellent work is
evident to any one who has seen the
| grounds recently.
A favorable report has been render
ed by the house and senate commit
tees on the joint resolution which
would exempt from liability former
| State treasurers, DR.. w. T. @. Bates
and DR.. W. H. Timmeran, and the
present treasurer, R. H. Jennings, or
account of the loss of certain State
bonds being stolen by a clerk in the
! Office.
This bill was before the house last
year and favorable report was ren
dered by the house committee, bu1
the promoter did not succeed in get
ting the measure through.
Attorney General Lyon has flee
suit against Messrs. Zimmerman ane
Bates and their bondsmen for the
amount involved and State Treasurer
Jennings has paid every dollar of his
liability, amounting to about S1,400
Should the State relieve the bondsmer
it will be necessary to replace The
money out of the sinking fund.
| Good Roads Association.
rTLo,o will J,o q ,,,ooA;,,cc of tho So,1tl Y