The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-01-14
LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS
BEGAN YESTERDAY
Many important Matters to
Come Up.
PRIMARY REFORM
OF CHIEF CONCERN
Aany Progressive Measures to be Pre-
sented though it is Expected that a
Division Along Fractional Lines Will
Hinder Progressive Legislation.

Columbia, January 11.-The General
Assembly meets Tuesday. Many Nom
bers are already in the city The ap..
proach of the session finds the State
in exceptional condition and there la
no especial occasion to anticipate any
thing unusual as a result Of the gath
ering Of the lawmakers.
In previous years the liquor gues-
ton largely overshadowed other mat
ters, but for some reason this issue
is in allegiance and will hardly be ono
OF the absorbing questions. That peo-
pic are not satisfied with existing con
dltions is patent, but what to do in
the circumstances is the problem. Pro-
hibition Was tried out in certain sec
tons and proved unsatisfactory on tho
ground that public sentiment would
not enforce prohibition laws; then
many counties went back TO the coun-
ty option system and THIS is not al
together satisfactory, but is apparent
~ more satisfactory than would be
Statcw wide prohibition or the State
dispcnsary system. The chances arc
that nothing will be done with regard
to the liquor question. The most like
ly measure is the Rittenberg bill,
which has special reference to the con-
ditions in Charleston.
Education and Roads
The educational situation in the
state promises to be the ovcrwhclm-
ing question that will be taken up by
the General Assembly. 1t Is becoming
more and more appreciated every day
that the best money the State spends
is in cducation-educatiOn of any kind.
The question now is how to best
spend it. The common schools need
more money and the General Assem-
bly, is likely to pass an Act that will
raise the revenue and provide for its
distribution.
Good roads will be an absorbing is
sue. The people want better roads
and arc going to have them. Just now
it appears that the question will be
whether or not it would not be a good
vcts in the building Of main arteries
from end to end Of the State. The
suggestion is that at first, with con-
vict labor the State build main ar
terry from the upper part to the lower
part OF the State and then one east
and west. These would be used as
types and in time other lines would
be run to and from these main ar
teries. The suggestion is to tax the
people who use such roads. An Act
mobiles SO much per horse power and
using the money on such roads, but
the hitch came over the use Of the
fund. Some wanted the revenue raised
from an automobile tax used in the
counties where the tax was derived
and others wished it used in the con
struction Of the proposed main ar
teries and the result was that moth
ing has been done up to the present
time. but something is likely to be
done at this session if these two points
can be agreed upon-how the revenue
Is to be distributed and how the work
is to be handled, that is, whether by
an Independent commission, by the
commissioner Of agriculture and COM
mercc or by the State educational in
stitutions with engineering depart
ments.
Leftover from 1918.
When the Assembly meets on Tues
day 1t will find a considerable calen-
dar Of work that was left over from
the last session. OF course, it is recog-
nized that, under the rules that this
mass Of previously proposed lcgisla-
ton is up for consideration. COndi-
tions have changed and n new schcd-
ulc Of work may be arranged
1t is generally admitted that one Of
(Continucd on Page Ten ~