The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-10-15
T1-,n:ehod 1S71-Volume A
eSSoNoesey 1gaan;
LEGISLATORS Getting
Down to Business

Columbia, October l2.-The
General assembly is facing the
real work for which it was con-
venea in extra session this It's
second week, that work being
reduction of the cotton acreage
in 1915 The house convened
today at. noon, and the senate
will reassemble tonight at ;
O'Clock. Acreage reduction will
at once be taken up IN ootn
In the house a special COM
mittee is ready to introduce a
bill providing for reduction N
cotton acreage next year and
limiting the planting to SIX
acres to the work animal. A
subcommittee of the special
committee which considered the
acreage reduction proposals
drafted the bill.
A bill favoring total elimina-
ton of the cotton crop for 1915
will also be introduced, but advo-
Gates of this drastic plan are
facing what is apparently a
hopeless fight. On e senate
side Senator John L. McLaurln
has a resolution declaring it to
be the sense of the upper cham
;ssthat no cotton should be
next year. The Mari
boro senator has already made
two speeches for his resolution.
Senator Alan Johnstone Of New
berry opened the debate against
total elimination. He warned
the general assembly against SO
revolutionary a step, but favored
a decrease in acreage Whlcn
would prevent a surplusage of
cotton. Senator Johnstone ap..
parently voiced the sentiment OF
the Overwhelming majority OF
the senate on acreage reduction,
and several senators compll-
mented his wise stand. He
pointed out that turning from
planting no cotton to planting
all grain was just as liable to
result in a surplusage of grain
next year as surplusage OF COT
ton, and he said the grain was
harder to handle. Then the
Newberry senator warned his
colleagues that forbidding the
planting of cotton might work
hardship on the poor white
farmers and cause some Of them
to emigrate. He pleaded for a
law which would meet with the
approval of the peoples judg-
ment and view and one in
which they would cooperate in
enforcing.
The quickness with which the
senate killed the proposals toi
postpone payment of taxes and
for a bond issue to complete the
asylum illustrated their inten,
ton of considering only sound
measures. Both bodies have
voted to limit activities to emer-
gency legislation affecting the
cotton situation and to such
local bills as are unopposed.
Had the scope of the session
not been limited the flood gates
would have been flung wide to
local legislation and the mem
bers would have been swamped.
AS it is, they are going to con-
slider and seem certain of pass
ing an act reducing cotton
acreage, and those who are well
posted say this is all that will
be done.
Senator McLaurin has a bill
to establish a state warehouse
system for storing and grading
cotton. It received a favorable
report from a senate committee,
and is now on third reading.
The house committee gave it an
unfavorable report, and reports
from that body make it's passage
extremely doubtful.
DR.. Wade Stackhouse, the
president of the State Cotton
congress, and several members
are waging an earnest fight for
total elimination of the cotton
crop for next year. There is a
cry going up that partial reduc-
ton will not accomplish the pur-
pose for which 1T is intended, the
financing of this years crop at a
figure which will save the cotton
producer and the business people
of the South from loss. But the
sentiment appears to be against
total elimination, not only be-
cause there is doubt Of the con- |
stitutionality of such radical
step, but fear that the people will !
not stand for it.
Freak" bills have already |
made their appearance. Mr.. |
Gray Of Anderson introduced
one forbidding anyone not in the
employ Of a corporation to hold |
Office in this state, but except
ing such as were worth at least
c100 000 or y-oro r,o11-cDo, NOV ,,,or