The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-03-05
Declares State Senator Arthur
K. Thorn in a Very In
teresting Interview.
SAVES THE STATE MONEY
Even in. the First Year of Their
Operation Hundreds Of
Thousands of Dollars.

The legislative enactments plac-
ed on the statute books this year win
save the State the first year they are
put in operation, nearly quarter OF
a million dollars." said Senator Ar
thur K Thorn. who has. just return
ed from the extra session Of the legis-
latpre. to a Telegram man today.
The county compensation bill, or
as 1t is generally called. the county
salary bill, viii ultimately save $780,
600 during the first year OF its OPP
Grafton.
THE uniform accounting bill,
which passed both houses and has
been signed by the governor, was
acknowledged by one of the leading
Democrats in the House Of Delegates,
to be the most important piece OF
legislation enacted in quarter of a
century.
';while l regret exceedingly the
failure of the resolution to pass
which provided for a prohibitory
amendment to the constitution, yet
I think that the State has occasion
to be proud that the legislature enact
ed some effective liquor laws that
will properly place restrictions upon
that business.
sThe concensus of opinion among
both Democratic and Republican
members of the legislature is that the
special session was justified in its be,
ling called. 1t would have been an
impossibility to have enacted SO
much valuable and constructive leg
islation at a regular session as was
enacted at the session which has just
now closed.
THE governor, in communica-
ton to us a short time before we
adjourned, said that he was very
well pleased with the work accomp-
lished.
"The joint investigating commit
tee appointed to investigate mines
and mining at the session of 1907
did not have the time to present a
full and complete report. The pre-
iiminary report they submitted was
one that we felt did not Justify us
in taking any steps to enact any new
Legislation at this time. The min
Ing legislation enacted in past years,
coupled with that enacted at the ses-
sion of 1907, in the judgment OF the
legislature, seemed fairly adequate
to cover existing conditions. The
prevailing impression is that 1t would
be best to give the present laws a
thorough test and the present joint
investigating committee additional
time to obtain more data so that
when the regular session convenes
in January, 1909. they viii then
have the required information to
make any changes in existing laws,
or to enact new laws. The charac-
ter Of the accidents that have occur
red in the mining districts of the
state during the last year were such
that a great diversity of opinion on
the part OF experts existed therefore
making it almost an impossibility to
amend intelligenay the existing laws
or enact new laws with the preven-
tion Of such accidents in view.
"one of the most important pieces
of legislation enacted at the session
was what is R6own as the McDer-
mott railroad bill preventing one
railroad company from occupying
both sides of a navigable stream.
The enactment of this law VIII give
great deal of encouragement to
other railroads coming into our state
and developing the same.
"other important legislation pass
ed was the registration law, ballot
law and corrupt practices in cleo
tions law.
I'm fact, regard this session as
having done the most important work
of a constructive character for sew
eral years.