The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-02-20
LEGISLATIVE SESSION GOES
INTO SEVENTH WEEK
Tie Liquor Question a Bone OF Con-
acknowledgements OH the Ap-
preparations Between Senate and
H0use.-Canal Matter in Free Con-
ference.

HOuSe.-Candl MaLteE Ill FREE COn-
ference.
Columbia, Feb. 18.-Contrary 20 the
expectations of those who have watch
ed legislative assemblies in South
Carolina for a good many ears, the
session of 1917 did not come to am
end last night. Both houses will re-
convene tomorrow morning at 10:30
O'Clock, entering upon the seventh
week of the session. There is a pos
sibility of final adjournment some
time tomorrow night, but the session
may go over into Tuesday.
The free conference committee on
the appropriation bill will meet to-
morrow morning at 9 o'clock. ~,
two houses have disagreed upon i
number of items AS the bill was
passed by the lower branch, it car
ried an appropriation Of $2,6S5, ,46O.3o-
The senate amendments increase the
total to S2,951,619.78. The senate
proposition is for eight and one-hait
mills, as against eight mills PROPOSE
ed by the house. Among the increas-
es by the senate are $4,000 for q
.1aw enforcement" fund, and $4,000
for maintenance of the militia, instead
OF $4,000 as fixed by the house. The
senate put in $4,000 for the enlarge
ment of the Florence reformatory}
The salary of the mill school super-l
visor is fixed by the senate at $4,000,
instead of $1,000, to which it was re-
duced by the house, and the senate;
would allow this official $500 travelling
expenses. The senate proposes an
increase in the salary of the assistant
adjutant general from s1,500 to $1,000:
The senate raised the item for help
to high schools from s60,000 to $50. {;
coo, but reduced tie item Of $20o,000l
fixed by the house for consolidated
and graded schools to $175,000. There
were a good many other changes
made in various items in the house
measure. s
The free conference committee,
which will meet tomorrow morning
and submit report reconciling the
differences between the two houses,
is composed Of Senator Niels Chris
tensen, chairman of the finance COM;
mittee of the senate; Senator Alan
Johnstone; Senator J. W. McCown,'
and Representatives J. T. Lilies. chair
man of the ways and means commit
tee of the house; T. P. Cothran and
Victor E. Rector.
What is going to be done upon the
liquor question, nobody knows. Any:
thing may happen, and it may hap
pen at any moment The house has
stuck by its guns, and has put square
Ry, Up to the senate the most drastic
sone-dry" prohibition measure which
has ever been proposed in this State.
Thna house first passed the Richey
k'b8Me-dry'' bill, with provisions al
flowing wine for sacramental purposes
and alcohol to be used by druggists
in the preparation of medicines. The
Richey bill went to the senate, where
it was continued until the next ses-'
sion, under the blanket motion which
cleared the calendar looking towards
final adjournment. The senate pass.
ed the DuRant BILL providing for a
quart per month, for medicinal pur-
poses, the monthly "pittance" being
permitted only upon the prescription
of a physician. The house took up
1.-THE DuRant bill and discussed it at
&ength, riddling it with amendments,
Ind then suddenly adopted a substi-
9ute proposed by Mr.. J. w. Boyd, Of
Spartanburg, providing for bomb
proof prohibition. Under this action
of the house, the measure which went,
koack to the senate bore the name Of
&enator DuRant, but that was about
#ne only one of the original features
(which it retained. The action of the
mouse was in the nature of bomb
#hell thrown into the prohibition
ranks in the senate, where pig
tight prohibition had already been
Nat down upon. Senator DuRant i'm
# ediately secured recall to the SEN
Kite of the Richey house measure, IN
Brder that it might be substituted as
"a compromise, if necessary. Last
might the senate refused to concur
I'm the action of the house in the mat
ter of the Boyd substitute, and the
whole liquor proposition is now in, the
hands of a free conference commit
tee, The house has declared itself
in favor of absolute prohibition. The
senate has killed absolute prohibition
substitutes, and put itself on record
as favoring quart to each Individual
per month upon the prescription OF
physician. The test vote in the house
in favor of absolute prohibition was
II to 42. The test vote in the SEN
ate against absolute prohibition mo-
6ioa of Senator Purdy, of Jasper, to
RECONSIDER the action Of the senate
whereby it had refused to concur in
&Ae house amendment embody-
g the Boyd "anti-alcohol-of-all-
kds" substitute. Senator Purdy's