Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-02-10
THE LEGISLATURE.
Compulsory Education and Pro.
hibition Referendum Are
Paramount Issues. Tax
Commission Bill.

Commission Bill.
/ Columbia, S. c., Feb. with
two-thirdS Of the session gone, the
general assembly is in the midst Of
one Of the most important measures
IN the program for constructive
legislation. This is the local OPP
ton compulsory education bill,
which is one of the administrative
measures, and which has behind it
the practically unanimous support
of educators, press, and apparently
the people, for it was one of the is
Sues of the campaign last summer,
aud probably the majority of the
Legislators who were elected had
This as one of the planks of their
platform.
The compulsory education bills
as they were introduced were based
on the reverse local option, that is
the law would be put into effect un-
less majority of the qualified cleo
Tors of the school district or county
should petition for its suspension,
in which case it was to be suspend
ed for two years by the county
hoard of education. This feature
could not command majority sup
port in the senate and it was strick-
en- from the bill and an amend
ment put in, which provides that
before the law can be put into ef-
feet in any school district it must
first be submitted to the vote of the
people, an election to be ordereM
for. this district when one-foufth ~
the qualified electors petition 1h
county superintendent for an eRlet
ton. This bill makes the sci Naoo
district unit. The senate has nov
under consideration an amendBnen
!; by Senator Padgett, which W7oul,
strike out the provision in thg ge bill
calling foran attendance ofieeN "A
ING BY ssnel S = asi issss:.. 50
fdefn1tely postpone the Padget
amendment will come up for con
sideration when debate on the bill
is resumed on Monday night at
O'Clock.
1t looked at one time as if th,
fight between those favoring til,
reverse local option and those ia
voring the referendum as a pre-
requisite to putting the law into
effect, was going to kill the whole
compulsory education matter in th.
house, but finally the two sides go
together and appointed specia
committee to redraft bill for 10
cal option compulsory education and
report it on Tuesday.
The chief interest centers in the
fight for prohibition referendum.
which has passed the house and is
now pending in the senate. This
matter comes up as soon as com
pulsory education is disposed of,
and debate on the bill should begin
not later than Tuesday. The pro-
hibition referendum would submit
to the people on September l4th,
the question of whether or not they
want liquor sold in South Carolina.
The anti-prohibitionists or local
optionists have put clause into
the bill SO as to broaden the referen-
DUN to include the question of high
license, and it is believed that the
local optionists will first center
their efforts on the getting Of high
license in the referendum.
A bill putting into effect the
Webb law, limiting the shipment
of liquor, will be considered along
with the prohibition referendum.
This bill has already passed the
house.
Another important administra-
tion measure is the tax commission
bill. This bill received a favorable
report in both the house and senate.
1t was,debated in the housefor few
minutes last night and will be Ia
kel up again on Monday night at
$40.
The ways and means committee
of the house will probably report
the annual appropriation bill to the
house daring the coming week. The
finance committee of the senate has
been meeting with the ways and
means committee of the house and
holding hearings on the requests
~