The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-24
snecIal session Almost Sure.

Close students OF the states ne
cessities, OF political situations and OF
existing conditions along various lines,
and among them men who are sup
posed to be on visiting relations with
the several branches of the admins
tration, feel sure that special ses-
sion of the state legislature will be
held within the next sixty days and
are predicting that calls for special
elections to fill vacancies where they
exist in both House and Senate viii
shortly be made by Governor Hat
field. 1t is generally believed that the
governor would prefer not to cali
speciaI session, but the state OF the
governments finances and the abso-
lutte necessity of raising revenues 10
take the place of the loss that Will be
met with when the prohibition amend
ment goes into effect July /, as well as
the Great desire of the government
for primary election, corrupt prac-
tees and additional hydro-eIectric
legislation, it is surmised, has FINALLY
caused him to make up his mind to
call the session.
should the session be called, 1t IS
generally surmised that the call viii
specify only such requested legisla-
ton as is of non-polit1cal nature.
Naturally, a special session would pro-
vide ways and means of creating ad-
Iditional revenues for the state. This
&c measure in which all would be
Interested. Also, all three of the po-
IliticaI parties represented in the leg
Iislature as now composed having
pledged themselves to primary cleo
ton legislation, there could be little,
If any, objection to legislation OF TINS
nature. And the laws relating to the
granting OF powers to hydro-electrlc
companies in the Development OF the
great water power OF the state, known
to be imperfect, constitute a matter
of serious moment to every man,
woman and child now living in West
Virginia. These laws, the demand
now is, must be made perfect before
amy of the companies who have made
application for the erection OF dams
are granted their desires.
Just the other day the law firm OF
Conley & Johnson, of Charleston, ap-
pearing in behalf of the Elkins Coal
& Coke Company, protested before the
Public Service Commission against the
granting of the application OF the
Company of West Vlr-
ginia for the erection of the proposed
!state-line dam in Cheat river, arguing
that the hydro-e1ectric act is uncon-
stitutional, owing to the fact that 1T
lis attempted classification, that 1t in
terferes with interstate commerce,
that it would deprive persons of prop
erty without due process OF law, that
lit denies to persons within the 1ur1s-
diction of the state equal protection
of law, and that the legislature has no
authority to give away control of these
streams and that the state only holds
in trust for all the people of the state.
BY numerous persons who have made
study of the hydro-electrfc act the
contention Of Messrs. Conley & John
son are considered well founded.
All of this legislation-and more
Governor Hatfield Is determined to
have given to the people of the state
If il is possible to do it. And, while
other matters may be considered in a
special session, it is absolutely sure
that If the call is issued it will con-