The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-02-23
LEGISLATIYE SESSION
ENDS SUNDAY AT DAWN
lCNntinnnd from Papn Ono


No child under the age of ii years
shall be employed in any factory, mine
or textile establishment OF this State
after January |. 1917"
There was no need to say more.
Another suggestion Of Governor
Manning's that will be studied from
legislative standpoint is how rural
credits might be introduced to advan.,
tage in this State There were sever
al proposition offered. all of them hay
ing merit, but too detailed to be alb
sorbed and the General Assembly ap
pointed commission to make care
full study Of the situation, and if in the
meanwhile something practical can be
worked out and the people can be edu-
Gated to the possibilities Of the rural
credits system, a beginning might be
made at the next session Of the Gen
eral Assembly as a result of the pres
ent agitation.
Another step forward was made in
the extension of support for the rural
graded school by taking into the fold
schools in the towns and cities that
consent to accept children as pupils
otherti-: :o,E S nw-yt
from the rural districts. An appro-
priation of 100000 is carried this year
for the purpose of subsidizing these
schools.
There can be no question Of the
hold that the State warehouse system
had upon the members Of the General
Assembly. Whatever Commissioner
McLaurin asked for was granted.
Whether this be tribute OF Mr.. Nc
Laurin, as an individual. or whether it
is to his administration as warehouse
commissioner, or to the system itself
and its possibilities. remains TO be de-
vclopcd. One thing is certain, and that
is that the warehouse system has a
Gotch hold on the political situation
in this State today
One Of the essential constructive
measure that failed looked towards the
establishment Of a State highway com
mission or some other method Of har-
monizing and developing the road
building Of this State. The majority
OF the members apparently favored
some state system. but they could not
agree upon any one method of hand
ling this situation. were afraid OF the
name commission" and had to en-
counter the desire of each county to
hold the revenue from the proposed
automobile license and thereby for the
time being a Statewide system failed
This will come in time.
Constitutional amendments had
rough skating, and all Of them fell
down the first time they tried to roll
round. There were three proposed
amendments to the fundamental law
OF State wide Importance: First, he
one looking to womans suffrage; sec
ond one looking towards biennial ses-
Sions. and third the Wolfe PROPOSE
ton. which contcmplates the granting
nf foi ~,
Neither of these three ideas cot by
first base.
One of the measures that excited
considerable debate and in which
there was the only suggestion Of a fill
buster. was on the bill which excom-
municatcs the Southeastern Tariff AS
Sociation from South Carolina This
action it is suggested is a sequel to
the contention of the warehouse COM
missioner on the matter Of fire inSur-
ance rates. This, added to the al
legged arbitrarineSs of the rate ma king
bureau, persuaded the majority Of the
legislators 10 chase the Tariff Associa-
ton out Of the State and South Caro-
lima is for a second time going to try
some method OF handling fire insuI
ance rates without central rate-mak-
ing bureau in this State. Under the
terms OF the Act as amended in the
House the insurance commissioner Is
given the right to review all fire in
Surance rates, subject to summary
Court review; mill mutuals and the
Factory Insurance Association are cX-
cmptcd; and ii is provided that moth |
ing contained in the Act shall be held
10 interfere With any insurance placed ,
by or through the warehouse commits |
SiOncr.
There was keen interest in the liza |
bility bill which, after an intense |
contest, was approved. Under the pro-
visions OF this Act as passed, what is |
known as the doctrine Of contributors !
negligence as applied to railroad en-
ployees was abandoned. and to a large !
extent the federal statute with refer |
enc to railroad liability was accept
ed as the statute law Of South Caro-
lima. The opponens OF the bill Sc
cured an amendment by which it was
made plain that the damages to be
collected should not include what is
known as punitive damages.
At the outset OF the session. it looked |
as if the counties that were not clever |
enough to dispose Of all Of their liquor
by the first Of January last were go
ing to be left with souvenirs. Some Of
the prohibition leaders began to urge |
that the counties that had not sold |
their liquor were to blame and that
if they lost that they would have to |
censure the county boards and not
the General Assembly. One by one
the counties secured the consent Of |
the House to the adoption Of bills |
which allowed the individual counties
to dispose Of their stocks Of unsold |
liquors outside Of the State. This |
might have been accomplished In a |