The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-08
Only Two Weeks For Bills.
Other Than Appro.
priations.
BOTH HOUSES m HURRY
NUMBER OF IMPORTANT MEAS.
uREs ARE WELL ON THEIR
r WAY.

GftAhLESION, w. Va, Feb. S.
With only two full weeks remaining
In which to pass bills other than the
appropriation budget and those of an
emergency nature, the legislature has
a vast amount Of wSrk yet to be ac.
complished. Under the rules adopted
at the beginning OF the present ses-
sion. at the instance Of Governor Hat
held. no bills except emergency bills
will be considered after the fortieth
day Of the session. This leaves five
days In which the bills excepted in
the rules may be carefully considered.
Though this. the twenty-ffth day
OF the sessions, finds only a few bills
enacted into law, the legislature can.
not be accused Of the sin of %procrasti.
nation. The calendar In each house
Is being advanced rapidly, though not
without due elaboration being given
each and every bill. The large cal.
endars are evidence Of the fact that
the committees have been very &C.
tive during the past few days.
The resolution authorizing the sub
mission of the woman's suffrage
amendment and the revision of the
Yost prohibition law are probably the
most important pieces OF legislation
which have gone the full route. "A
bill providing the legislature machin.
cry for submitting the amendment to
q vote Of the electorate OF the state
at the next general election is now
pending before Doth the house and
the senate. having been introduced
Saturday. What is regarded as the
most stringent prohibition measure
ever written will be come operative
March l. 1t was signed Saturday by
the governor.
Important Measures Pending.
While only comparatively few bills
have been enacted, and possibly only
two of a very important nature, sew
eral measures of considerable moment
are well Of their way through the
Legislative mill. The general primary
election law, the White bill. which
passed the senate unanimously early
last week, after slight amendments
which were agreed upon at a recent
Republican caucus, isEnow before the
house, as Is also its sister measure,
Senator Parrish's corrupt practices
act, which met with but little OPPOSE
ton In the upper branch.
On the other hand, the house last
week passed Swiger's county salaries
bill without an opposing vote. That
measure Is now before the judiciary
committee of the senate. which has
had 1t underconsideration, and. 1t Is
believed, will report y out today
with recommendation that It do pass.
The Steed act, revising the mining
laws Of the state, has passed both
branches, as has also the bill relat-
ing to weights and measures. Those
r considered among the very i'm
portant measures advocated by the
administration. They were amended
only slightly from the form in which
they were reported out OF the COM
mittee.
Public Service Commission.
Interest at present centers in the
bill proposing. the revision OF the
workmen's compensation act and the
recreation Of the Public Service Com
mission. The bill proposing the re-
creation Of the Public Service Com
mission was introduced In the senate
by Senator Cooley, of Kanawha. and
is now being considered by the SEN
ate, while a bill identical in every
respect, introduced in the house by
Delegate Wolfe, is in the hands Of
the railroad committee. 1t is proposed
to reduce the membership Of the
commission to three members, and
to place the administration OF the
workmen's compensation fund under
a separate and distinct department.
The powers and duties of the COM
mission would be- greatly enlarged,
under the proposed bill.
Tho revision OF the workmen.s com.
pensation act has occupied the atten-
ton OF the insurance committee of
the house during the greater part OF
the past two weeks. Public hearings
have been granted almost daily, and
among persons appearing before the
committee were delegations repre-
senting the laboring bodies of the
state and almost every great industry,
notably the coal and manufacturing
classes.
Five bills relating to the subject
have been submitted to the com
mitfee All ara befnp enuafaeraa whi1n