The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-01-12
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NOW IN SESSION
CALENDAR OF 1877 BILLS AND
RESOLUTIONS FOR HOUSE
AND 1o1 FOR SENATE.

AND 101 FOR SENATE.
Columbia, January 8.-Special:
When the General Assembly meets
on Tuesday there will be presented to
the members on the House side a
Calendar with one hundred and thir-
ty-seven bills and resolutions, and
the Senate Calendar will show one
hundred and one measures pending
for immediate consideration. AS
this is the second session of the AS
sembly, there will be no occasion for
the expenditure of time in perfecting
an organization, all of that machin-
cry having previously been provided
for. Both branches can get to- work
without delay, but as general rule
week or ten days is taken in get
ting matters adjusted and talking
over conditions in general. Many
of the bills that are pending will be
the bills that are pending will be re-
placed by new measures; others are
unnecessary on account of the lapse
of time and some are out of date.
The general rule is that bills are re-
assigned to committees with view
of readjusting them to new condi-
tions and to have the measures print
ed.
There are, of course, many of the
bills that will no longer be necessary.
For instance, a bill that last year ex-
cited a great deal of discussion was
one by Mr.. Charles, relative to the
establishment of dispensaries in small
communities. The abolition of the
dispensary has made such legislation
unnecessary at this time. In the
same way Mr.. Hutto's bill relative
to the management of the dispensary
in Dorchester County is no longer
necessary. Mr.. Christensen's bill,
which is on the Legislative Calendar,
relative to the reorganization of the
historical commission, will be drop
ped, as the scope of his measure has
been provided for in the present law,
and so there are other unnecessary
propositions on both the House and
Senate Calendars.
Unsold Liquor.
Conditions generally change from
year to year. Last year the dispen-
sary legislation figured to some ex-
tent; this year it ought to be of mi
nor Importance. The most important
phase of the liquor situation will be,
first, how to dispose of the stock of
unsold liquor; second, whether there
should be State tax to provide for
the enforcement of the prohibition
laws, or whether each county should
pay the expenses of enforcement in
the immediate county; third, whether
there will be any further tightening
of the prohibition laws with respect
to the violation of the present statute
and the reduction of the amount of
liquor that an Individual can bring
into the State.
The tax commission statute prom
ises to offer the most interesting con-
sideration of the session. There are
going to be various angles to this
contest all the way from repeal of
the statute to the non-confirmation
of the present board. From the
present outlook this promises to be
the most intense contest of the ses-
sion; although there is some likeli-
hood of compromise on the whole
proposition.
Another question that is likely to
attract considerable interest is rela-
tive to defining the position of the
State in connection with tha develop
ment of State Park, which is the out
of-town section of the State Hospi-
tai for the Insane. At present there
are those who advocate the policy of
concentrating all of the development
of the Hospital for the Insane, at
State Park, and not spending any
money except that which is absolute
ly necessary for the upkeep on the
plant in the city of Columbia And
then there are those who think that
it is best to have two well developed
plants, one in the country for the
colored, and one in the city of Col
umbia for the white patients.
Economy Ahead.
Although the State is regarded as
being in most prosperous and heal
thy financial condition, there is going
to be an extreme effort to hold ap-
preparations within the present levy,
and the ways and means committee
and finance committee are going to
have to exercise considerable care in
view of the increasing demands and
growth of the State to keep the ap-
preparations within the present levy,
and at the same time properly re-
spond to the legitimate demands of
the public.
The matter of good roads at this
time is likely to be one of consider
alton at the approaching session.
There have from time to time been
various measures considered relative
to the establishment of central
road commission. Unfortunately