The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-02-12

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it six months, but under the bill
referred to the freight can be
disposed of in 30 days after the
consignor, and the consignee if
found, has been notified; this will
relieve a congestion at many de-
pots and aid in the prompt de-
livery Of freight. We gave this
bill a favorable report and [
think it will easily pass.
Then we have another bill
which I am not so much Impress
ed with, it is "a bill to prohibit
the collection of freight charges
upon any and all undelivered
shipments of freight or por-
tions thereof by any railroad
company operating in this State,
and to compel the delivery of
any portion of a shipment or
shipments of freight upon the
payment Of actual freight
charges upon the portion de-
livered." "
The title of this measure
sounds plausible enough, and it
really looks as if the roads
should not collect for auy more
than is delivered, but if the
legislature undertook to regu-
late this matter there would be
a conflict with the rulings of the
interstate commerce commission
and involve litigation in the fed
eral courts. Had the bill pro
posed to regulate shipment
which were of intra state ship
ments we might be able to do
something, but when we under
take to come in conflict with the
federal powers it is another
proposition. Suppose a ship
ment is made from New York
and there happens to be some
articles short, the road receiving
the shipment nearest the desti-
nation must pay to the long car
rier the freight, then how can it
get it's money back if not from
the consignee? Under the law
now if the consignee pays the
freight, and the short freight is
not delivered within a specified
time the consignee can recover
from the receiving road with a
penalty, in my opinion there is
law adequate now for the pro-
lection of the shippers and re-
ceivers of freight. The DILL has
a majority and a. minority report
but when the entire question is
fully presented to the Senate I
think that body will see it is i'm
practical on account of the regu.
iations of the Interstate Com
mission.
There is a resolution intro
duced by Mr.. Stevenson Of the
House providing $4,000 to EN-
ploy attorneys to defend the
suit now in the supreme court
relating to the proposition of
funding the State debt. An Act
was passed last year appropriat-
ing $8OO0-to defray this expense,
since then the attorney general
and the chairman of the Ways
and Means committee both of
whom were members Of the
Sinking Fund Commission were
not reelected. therefore they
are not members of this commits.
sion now, and it is contended
they have no legal right to have
any part in the bonding transac.
tion. The resolution came be-
fore the Senate and 1 objected
to it's consideration, later it was
ascertained that it was improp
erly before the Senate. I
am opposed to the proposition
of paying lawyers in this case
as we have an attorney general
whose business is to attend to
this matter, if he needs help, he
alone has the authority to EN-
ploy counsel. Mr.. PEBBLES did
not employ those who have
a dummy case into the court to
raise the question of whether or
not the former members of the
commission have right to act
now, and so far as I am con.
cerned I do not see how they
can have right inasmuch as
they are not now officers of the
State, and the bonds would not
be valid unless they were sign
ed by the Governor and a major
ity of the other members Of the
commission. The law with re-
gard to the employment of law
vers is clear. Volumn I Code
of Laws 1912 says: "The At
torney General shall conduct all
litigation which may be neces-
sarv for any department of the
State Government or any of the
boards connected Herewith, and
all such boards or departments
are hereby forbiddin to employ
any codnsel for any purposes
except through the attorney
general and upon his advice"
I have received the sugges-
tions from the county auditor
for Township Assessors and
with but three changes the list
has been recommended to the
Governor for appointment.
There was one change made at
Nour Tim of tho ror,1oSt of Mr.