The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-10-14
ADVOCATES OF ELIMINATION OF
ENTIRE COTTON CROP NEXT
YEAR GAINING CONVERTS.
CAPITOL NEWS
General News Of South Carolina Col.
lected and Condensed From The
State Capital That viii Prove Of
Interest to All Our Readers.
Columbia.
General Assembly.

IleSSule Is DcluS UIUuSuL W UGdT
upon the special committee from the
house appointed to consider bills re-
lating to the curtailment of cotton
production to report a measure pro-
viding for the elimination Of the
staple entirely in 1915. 1t is impos-
sible to judge with any degree of &C
curacy at this stage Of the session
what Roadway the total elimination
idea is making among the members
Of the house at large, but there are
indications that converts are being
rapidly made to the plan Of produc.
Ing no cotton next year.
The select committee from the
house held two meetings, one in the
afternoon and the other at night.
At the afternoon session Of the Sc
lect committee, four advocates of the
entire elimination of cotton as a crop
in 1915 made arguments before the
committee. They were: J. G.. Ander-
son Of Rock Hill. Wade Stackhouse
Of Dillon, J.. ]. M. Graham of Williams
burg and ]. A. Rhame of Lee. Last
might W. F. Stevenson of Cheraw and
other members Of the house who have
introduced bills intended to reduce
the production of cotton in 1915 were
heard by the committee.
The revolutionary idea Of elimi-
mating cotton as a crop in 1915 Is
being opposed on the ground that the
general assembly has a right to regu-
late the amount Of the crop produced,
but that the police power of the
state does not give scope for the de-
struction Of the crop in it's entirety.
The question of the unconstitutional
ity Of a law prohibiting the growing
of cotton would have to be threshed
out in the courts.
} The members Of the select commit
tee from the house now engaged in
holding a series of hearings on the
question Of curtailment ire:
Mr.. Lee, Darlington, chairman; Mr..
Belser, Sumter: Mr.. Pegues, Marl-
boro; Mr.. Atkinson, Chester; Mr..
Blackwell, Laurens; Mr.. Bethea, Dill
lon; Mr.. Mower, Newberry; Mr..
Wyche, Spartanburg; Mr.. Welch,
Richland; MI. Epps, Sumter, and Mr..
Riley, Saluda.
AS with n accord both houses Of
the South Carolina general assembly
rejected resolution looking to reduc-
ton of the 5000 pay and mileage to
which each member is in law entitled
for attendance on the current extra
session.
|. The senate in a ~three-hour session
during the forenoon. defined the limits
Of its action at this session. Emer-
gent legislation has preference, but
uncontested local bills may be consid-
cred. ~ ....
Unfavorable reports were made in
the senate on the McLaurin bill de-
ferring collection Of taxes and the
joint resolution, also by Senator Nc
Laurin, to bond the asylum property
in the sum Of 81, 500, O00. A favorable
report was made in the senate on\the
bill by Senator Beamguard to exempt
from taxation this year citizens of
Bethel, Ebenezer and Catawba town
ships in York county, which districts
suffered severely by hail recently.
The lower house elected a select
committee of IL members, to which
will be referred all emergent measures
relating to cotton acreage.
R. I. Manning of Sumter, governor.
nominee, was introduced to the house
and wished it success in solving the
problems it has before it.
Bills providing for submission to
referendum vote the elimination Of
cotton planting in this state in 1915,
in a special election to be held Novem-
Der 8, and to limit cotton planting in
1e75 to four acres to the working ami