Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1919-02-12
DR., DREHlR in
|. IIYEL DEBRlE
WouId Restrict Power of Swes.gingeR
Asks Tnyestigation-Disn
of Brown and Stokes Bring
Sharp Issue In House OF
Representative

The Davis bill to remove the regis
State department of education was
sent to the third reading in the house
of representatives last night.This bill
created IL lively i:cl>a:e on the fiJIr OK
the house. Representative
Dreher Of Lexington, in cha. a.apioning
the measure, said the house ought to
call for an investigation of the office
of John e Swearingen, State Superin-
tendent of education and to summons
George w. Brown of prosperity, form
er State mill school supervisor under
Mr.. Swearingen and put Mr.. Brown,
Mr. Swearisen, w August Shealy, the
assistant State superintendent Of edu-
cation and Lueco Gunter inspector OF
elementary schools on the stand. 1t
was charged that Mr. Swearigen is au,
tocratic in his direction OF the office
and that the bureau should be remov
ed to limit Mr.. Swearingenss power.
Representative Orr Of Pickens Coun
ty argued for the continuance Of the
bureau under Mr.. Swearingn, refer
ring to. the recent dismissal of DR.. w
S Stokes by the State superintendent
Of education, it being charged that DR..
Stokes approved Of teachers changing
places for Better salaries even after
having accepted other positions. These
charges We're substantiated by afhda-
Wits submitted to Mr. Swearingen. Mr.
Orr. took the position that to pass the
lneaSGre Which was introduced at Dr.
Stokes. request was slapping Mr.
swearingen in the face and was an
effort of a man who. had been fired to
"fire the boss. The bill went to
third reading by an Overwhelming ma
jjority The house adjourned at 10 o.
clock until Il O'Clock this morning.
Members of the house returned to-
Columbia Yesterday with sharp axe.
and last night engaged in a somewhat
ruthless slaughter of pending meas
ures.
The first to meet the forces of annf
hilation was the bill by w. w. john
son to require ginners to keep sepa-
rate and to gin and to- deliver to each
person his own individual cotton.
Another bill of Statewide interest to
be lost was the Lide measure to pro-
vide for the introduction of courses OF
, physical education in all public
schools. This was killed by a vote OF
SO to 25.
A third bill about which much irl-
terest centered was that by Represen-
tative Mears of Fairfield to put alt
male conticts II years old under the
control Of the directors Of the state
penitentiary. The bill was compan-
ion measure To the somewhat comprs-
!! kensive scheme for Statewide system
| Of permanent highways, in that It was
the purpose in abelishing the county
haingang plan to create State roaa
! h,i;lding force to build these hard snF
! faced roads. !
{! The Noise bill to increase the sal
!; aries Of supreme and circuit cofaTt
!. judges, solicitors and court stenogra-
; pliers, the superintendent of the State
penitentiary and the State game War~
den, received its third reading and
was sent to the senate.
Two important measures received
second reading. One Of these which
| will in all likelihood be enacted into
law restricts textile plants and cotton
mills in deducting from the wages OF
! employees by system of docking.