Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-03-04
WITH N. G. LAWMAKERS

vAAhA I've Oe lnVIlWHnlN0
Doinss Of the State Legislature Con-
densed- Interesting Items from
Day TO Day.
With the unlucky number Of ID
votes cast in it's favor to 80 against
It, subsection "a" Of the proposed
anti-trust legislation, went down in
defeat Thursday afternoon in the
State Senate after the biggest argu-
mentative contest that has character
lied this session of the Assembly and
not inferior to that Of the famous
contest in the 1907 Legislature when,
under the leadership of Hon. Reuben
Reid, of Rockingham, subsection
ga" was expunged from the anti
| trust legislation on the narrow mar
gin of one vote.
The Senate passed on final reading
the genral educational bill, carrying
machinery for special tax in all coun-
ties, with increased State appropria-
ton for maintaining four-mouths
school in every school district in the
State.
The House on Thursday cleared the
! calendar of goodly number of local
bills on third reading. The two fol-
lowing are of public interest
The House Thursday night passed
the firemen's relief fund bill on final
| reading, after discussion
The bill to issue bonds in the sum
Of $500, 900 for carrying out the pur-
poses Of !, the Beckett act Of 1907 to
enlarge and equip the State hospitals
| for the insane was laid before the
House. Several members of the mi
nority began to- ask questions about
! it and DIR. Gordon for thA, committee
explained That It would include $25o,-
600 obligation already incurred in en-
larging the hospitals at Morganton
and Raleigh, and leave enough for
some appropriations to the other in
stitutions for permanent improve
ments; then no further sums would
be needed for improvements for the
next ten years.
| There were some questions by way
Of objections asked that brought out
most forceful defense of the bill
by Senator Doughton. The bill pas.
sed its second reading
In both branches Of the Legisla
ture Friday was read the report o1
the select committee appointed to
consider the sensational report of the
auditing committee Of the last Legis
lature that investigated the Offices o1
State Treasurer, Auditor and Insur
ance Commissioner. The report /!
signed by all the members Of th'
joint committee, including the Repub
licans, and is Of great length. /
finds that all the Auditors warrant
criticized by the auditing committe
were fully authorized by law, and a
to the voucher for the Goldsboro Hos
pital for money to repair building, /
states that no such warrant and NJ
such voucher number can be found o.
the Treasurer's and Auditors books
that the hospital owes nothing fo
furniture or repairs, but does owe fo
supplies authorized by the Governo
and Council of State. In the matte
Of Fish Commissioner Meekins moth
:. ing secret dishonest or disadvantag
ious to the State was done.
AS to the Insurance COMMISSIONS
the report finds as a fact the state
ment Of the auditing committee tha
no evidence Of any character of di;
honesty is disclosed on the part Q
any one handling the funds or secur
| ties, and that there is no suggestio
Of any such.
The statement Of the expert a.
countant that he could not make a
absolutely correct statement of tn
account without going back an
checking up the entire business sine
the establishment of the office is. e
roneous in it's belief; that the stat
ment of the expert that no cash boo
: had been kept showing accurate r
ceipts and disbursements Of funds
very misleading, as the commission
does keep day book in which is
record of all receipts in detail whi
his bank book as Insurance Comm
sioner shows all disbursements and
separate ledger account shows dl
bursements of the fund for the inv<
tigation Of fires.
The Senate consumed some time
a bill to change the county seat
Mitchell and on the Blow education
bill and passed number of bills
local interest. -.
The House, in committee Of t
whole, on the revenue act, decided
increase the pension ad. valorem t
from 4 to 5 cents. and the poll t
from $1.29 to $1.32 so as to be a