The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-01-08

assembly OF 1910 cOnFeHSo oli |SoNS'y
it will be confronted with requests from
the heads OF the executive departments
of the State government and State in
stitutions for appropriations of more
than a half million dollars in excess o.
the appropriation bill of 1917, which
does not take into account such extraor-
dinary appropriations as the $4,000 to
be asked for by the State council Of
defense, the: 100000 to be asked for to
establish home For the feeble-minded,
and other extraordinary appropriations;
with the various war measures which
have been and will be outlined; with a
program Of tax reform to be proposed
by the tax commission of the State; with
a heavy calendar in each house of bills
carried over from the last session; with
several important elections; with num-
Der Of new propositions by legislators,
and with demand from the people that
the session be concluded as speedily as
possible, and that appropriations be
held down to a minimum consistent with
efficiency in the administration Of the
affairs of state.
1t may safely be predicted that the
session will go thirty days. The usual
length of session is forty days. There
is no limit The pay of the members is
5000 each per session. In former years
it was so much per day for forty days,
and after the expiration of the forty
days there was no pay, except for the
clerks and attaches. Hence the preva-
lent idea that forty days is the legal
length of a session. AS matter of
fact, the legislature can stay in session
the whole year round if it wants to, but
the pay of member, remains stationary
at 5000 per session. The session may
go the customary forty days, or it may
% longer, but it will be possible to con-
clude it within thirty days, and there
seems to be a well-defned sentiment in
favor of getting down to work and get
ting through within a month. Repre-
sentative Junius T. Lilies of Orangeburg,
chairman Of the ways and means COM
mittee~of the house, has stated that he
is determined that the appropriation bill
shall be ready for introduction in the
house two weeks after the beginning of
the session, and this will materially ex-
pedite matters.
Immediate Legislation Demanded.
The suggestion has been made that the
legislature convene and Immediately re-
cess until later date in order to con-
serve coal. The proposition is absurd
on it's face. Even if the members Of the
general assembly had to suffer little
inconvenience from lack of fuel-which
viii not be the case-it IS absolutely i'm
perative that an appropriation bill be
passed as speedily as possible. There
is not a department of government
which has had any funds since the close
eff the fiscal year on December 81, and
there will be no funds available for any
of these departments until the appro-
priation bill for 1918 is passed. The
State, under its fiscal policy, is now run
ming on borrowed money. If the general
assembly should convene and recess until
summer time, without passing an appro-
priation bill and county supply bill,
such institutions as the State Hospital
for the Insane, the county chain gangs.
and others, which require constant care
and attention, would be helpless, to say
nothing of the various departments OF
government being at a standstill, the
State colleges without money, and the
whole machinery of the State financial
ly paralyzed. There will be 100 tons OF
coal on hand for the legislature, but the
people want to see the members set an
example in the conservation program;
enact the necessary legislation, and con
elude the session within thirty days, il
possible. The shorter the session the
greater the saving, of course, in the mat
ter of clerk hire and expenses of that
kind, which is a big item. There are
some big problems before the Legislature
and some of them will take some time
brit that one-fourth of the customary
forty days consumed can be Topped of
this year, if the members should be 81
disposed, is the opinion of a great many
who have thoroughly studied the sit
uation.
Tax Reform.
The State tax commission is going tc
ask the legislature for flexible levy
This is in line with program which thF
commission has mapped out of requiring