The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-01-24
NO WAR LEGISLATION YET
SOUTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS
PATRIOAIC, HOWEVER.
Few Things Are Achieved.-Col
Kohn Reviews the Session of the
Legislature So Far.

AluSl ID LII LllC Al1uot VI wa ~'NN~
fact is hardly recognizable in legis-
lation for the current year. Things
are jogging along very much as here
tofore; up to the present practically
no legislation involving the war has
been enacted. Governor Manning in
his address to the General Assembly,
stressed the necessity of war legisla-
tion and invoked the General Assem-
bly, to consider such matters largely
in the present emergency. =
About the only bills along this
line are those providing for machin-
cry for the National Council of De-
fense, and fund of $4,000, with
which to operate, and incidentally a
bill by Mr.. Rector. providing
home for young women who
have been banished from their
former immoral lives. The
more important legislation that was
suggested has not yet been framed.
The promise is that it will be pre-
sented during the coming week and
the focus seems to be /on the pro-
posed authority to suspend labor laws
The Columbia labor unions have
risen in arms, protesting against any
authority being lodged with any one
in this State to suspend labor laws.
Of course, the idea is, that because
of the drafting of many men to the
army and navy activities-that those
men who are left in the manufacture
ing or industrial plants be allowed
to work over time for pay, if State
authority can be secured. There are
now laws to restrict labor to certain
number of hours per week, and one
of the intended authorizations is to
suspend this law in certain cases and
emergencies. during the progress of
the war. This is one Of the con-
tested points. The bill has not yet
been introduced and the promise is
that when it does show itself, that
there will be considerable fight on
it. Governor Manning has made it
perfectly plain that the inspiration
for this suggestion comes from the
federal authorities, who feel that
such legislation may be necessary
during the war.
On all occasions there has been
manifest, the most ardent patriotism; !;
and only on Saturday the General
Assembly showed this spirit by re-
fusing to make any comment, except
patriotic, on the recent Garfield five
day closing down order, and for fear
of possibly being misunderstood, a
resolution suggesting suspension OF
this order was defeated.
Taxes and Prohibition.
Thus far things have been very
much the same as they have been for
the last twenty years. Taxes and
prohibition; and prohibition and
taxes, with little interlarding OF
personal questions. This time it has
not been Tillmanism and Bleaseisp
or any of the other isms; but the
personal equation has revolved
around the position of game warden
and this may be because the legisla-
tors want something with a little
snap to it.
The tax commission, from legis-
lative standpoint, made a "break'
when it suggested that property be
assessed upon so per cent. basis OF
its valuation, particularly so as this
IS the year for the reassessment OF
lands. Both branches of the Gen
eral Assembly have objected to this
| 50 per cent. basis, and the protest
has gone On file, so to speak. There
are perhaps half dozen bills pro-
| posed looking to the abolishing OF
the tax commission; and this has
been largely due to the psycholog-
ical affect of the so per cent resolu-
ton. The house seems to have had
lit in for the tax commission, more
so than the senate, and now that the
first impulse of crushing it is over
with, the chances are that the senate
will do nothing with reference to the
tax commission. This means that the
senate will not pass bill to abolish
the tax commission, and it also means
that the series of bills introduced last
! year voting larger and certain addi-
tional authority in the tax commits
sion, will be defeated. The whole
matter of taxation will eventually get
back into the hands of the tax COM
mission, for it is to do the best that
it can; and there seems to be a gen.
| eral desire to reduce the basis below
what is now in vogue, on the part OF