Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-03-13
OATES, BILL CREATED STIR.
Seven Members of 100000 Water Pow
er Corporation Went to Raleigh to
Head OF Legislation.
and Observer March 81

eof seven hundred thousand dollar
corporation and their attorneys look
ed on in anxiety last night. events of
dramatic interest happened in the
General Assembly of North Carolina,
lie effect of which was to save a small
company furnishing light to the city of
HendersonYille from being forced to
sell or give away its property to the
big corporation that, the circumstances
show, had decided to condemn and take
the property it desired. had not the Law
interfered.
What happened in the open was that
lon motion Representative Stewart,
OF Mecklenburg, secured an order by
tie House to recall a bill from the SEN
ate, a bill to amend the revisal rela-
ting to the right of eminent domain as
it applied to water power companies
the Senate refused to return the bill
until it had amended it so as to take
away the right Of condemnation that
the big corporation desired and to save
which a powerful lobby was on hand,
and the House ignored Mr.. Stewards
dramatic charge that it had been in
suited by the Senate and ~concurred in
the amendment.
The seven members of the seven
hO00A GU LAOUSdAu uO14dI COIpOIdIQOA
with their counsel, forthwith betook
themselves to their Pullman car under
the union shed and took stock of their
"loss" and talked about North Caro-
lina's shortsighted legislators and the
hardships the State imposes upon
wealthy corporations. These seven
were the stockholders of the Manufac-
~turers' Power Company, that has large
water power sites on Green River near
HendersonvilIe and has been anxious
to secure the property that belongs to
r. M. Oates. who is the owner of the
plant that furnishes lights to the town
of Hendersonville, One of the seven
is a director in the Southern Power
company sometimes called a trust
and the others are bankers and man
ufactures.
Mr.. Stewart made a desperate effort
but in vain to get the bill back to
the House before the Senate could
adopt the amendment recommended
by the committee, which amendment
the whole big corporation was here to
kill. Then Mr.. Stewart made a IRA
matte speech in which he displayed
much feeling, n characterized the
action of the Senate as an insult to the
House.
Representative Justice plunged into
the. fray and with a brief but pow
erful speech throwing the limelight on
the situation, secured h adoption by
the House of the Senate amendment,
to the great chagrin of the corpora
ton and other big water power com
panies.
History of the Bill.
The bill to amend the act of 1907,
chapter 302, was introduced some
days ago. The act of 1907 gave to
interrurban electric railway companies
the power to condemn any water pow
ers. The new bill had the effect tc
limit the power Of these companies sc
that they could not condemn water
powers which belonged to other com.
panies that were using all or part Of
the power. The bill was introduced
in the House and referred to judiciary
committee No. 1, of which Represent
alive e. r. Wooten is chairman, and
which reported the bill favorably. The
m bill passed the House and was sem
- to the Senate, where it was referred
to the judiciary committee and giveI
nh a favorable report. At the insistancC
C. of some parties in Charlotte it was re
- referred to the same committee. so tina
certain interests of parties might b.
h. heard. At the second hearing T. c
~ Gurrhrie of the Charlotte bar, attor
he ney for the Manufacturers Power
or company, appeared and opposed thu
=; bill. The committee recommended al
amendment to the effect that water
powers which are in use or held IL
- connection with other powers in u.s.
t1v for the purpose of development coult
not be condemned. This amendmen
cd limited the scope of the bill so tina
on it was not so broad as when it passet
~ the House. The bill and the commit
tee amendment were placed on tn,
~ Senate calendar.
What Happened to it Last Night.
rs Early in the House session last nigh
De- Representative Stewart, of Mecklen
M burg, made a motion, which carried
practically unanimously and without
re- any special attention on the part o
Try the members, recalling the bill from
ay the Senate, for the purpose, it wa
ed understood, of having it again referre'
to House committee. This would hav,
,u- had the effect, to say the least, of de
M laying the passage of the measure
w possibly until after adjournment OF tn
legislature. When the special mes
ms senger reached the Senate, the amend
ce. them had been adopted, it was sait
he last night by hose present. and Presi
be dent Daughtridge held it could no
then be recalled by the House. bu
gn under parliamentary procedure, tn
M Senate had to act on it before return
les ing it. So the Senate passed the bill
and returned it to the House for con
to currence in the Senate amendment.
tor The Tempest in the House.
llo When it reached the House, MI
Stewart arouse and said, slowly, in
.ay manner that evidenced unusual feel
ing, that a thing had just occurre'
'nu that, so far as he knew, was uprece
dented in the history of the Genera
Assembly, in that the Senate had re
fused to recognize the order Of tn
House for the recall of a House bill
Inc which was on the Senate calendar an