Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-02-19
SESSION COMING TO A CLOSE.
Work Progressing Preparatory to
the Final Adjournment.

Columbia, Feb 1S.-Special: The
Legislative session of 1908 is fast
drawing to close. The net results
OF the session are, in several par
ticulars, not satisfactory. The lien
law will live for another year. The
tactics of those who opposed the re-
peal have won out. 1t will most
likely be left to the voters in the
primary election this year to deter
mine whether or not it will be re-
pealed.
The increase OF appropriations by
the House OF Representatives La;
made it necessary to increase the
State tax levy from " to 8 " mills.
The bill to build new dormitory
It Winthrop has passed, and that
means an appropriation of $4,000
Year for the next three years The
Citacel and South Carolina Univer-
sity set similar increase. The sal
aries of the State officers have been
raised again-sUme of them even
higher than they were before they
were reduced in 1894. The Cover
nor is raised from S2,50O to $4,000,
and other State officers are raised
from $1,000 to $2,5OO. The assist
ants and clerks are given a similar
raise all along the line. l tried to
defeat this but there were only seven
Of us to oppose it. The total appro-
priations, as they appear now, will
be about $1,80O,000. This Is an
increase in the running expenses Of
the State Government of about
$1,0O0,00O within the past ten
years.
There are to be two additional
judicial circuits this year, and it
looks as though the increase will go
merrily on until many more Of the
good lawyers are provided with nice
salaried places. l have opposed
every one of the bills to make new
places and to increase the appropri-
ations.
There have been many efforts to
change the liquor law, but very few
OF these changes have any chance of
getting through. All the prohibition
bills have been killed.
Inc labor contract law will get
through in some shape. but 1t Is
not yet settled what that will be.
There Is considerable difference
between the two houses on this,
question. The Senate bill only ap-
plies to farm contracts, while the
house bill applies to all contracts
tended that 1t will take a half dozen
magistrates in every mill town to
try the cases of violations Of con-
tracts under the house bill, and be-
sides, the cooks and house servants
would come In for a, liberal share
of the prosecutions.
The winding up commission of
the State dispensary have been at
work for year at IS a day, and
have not yet reached the end, and
it looks now as though they will not
in another year. The real estate
belonging to the State dispensary
has been put in the hands of the
Sinking Fund Commission to be sold
for not less than$75,000. 1t Is ex-
pected that on the block it will bring
great deal more than that amount.
lhe department Of immigration
will survive for another year. 1t is
claimed that this department Is for
the benefit Of the farmers of the
State, but 1t Is not run by farmers,
and in fact the farmers OF the State
are clamoring for its abolition.
The efforts to change the pistol
law have all failed, and he who
wants to carry a lawful gun must
have one not less than three pounds
in weight and eighteen inches in
length.
An effort was made to change the
penalty on taxes so that 1t would be
two per cent until March, but this
has failed, and the penalties stand
as before.
The bill to ratify the election In
Walhalla has passed both houses,
and will be law in a day or two.
The Audubon Society Is getting
through several criminal bills for the
protection Of birds, and the boys
with one-barrel shotguns must needs
look out or they will find themselves
in limbo. These men appear to or
dinary men as cranks, though they
claim that these birds are worth
thousands Of dollars to the farmers.
The season for turkey, pheasant and
quail is November Is to March IS;
dove and summer ducks, August l
to February l; blackbirds, October
1 to March /; squirrel, June ID to
April I. Each bird killed brings
down a fine Of IS, to go to the Au-
dobon Society. Respectfully,
j. Il. Earle.
DIR. Thornton's Easy Tcether pass.