The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-01-14
Education, Good Roads, Public
Health and Taxation Chief
Topics for Discussion.
LIKELY MAKE AN EFFORT
ABOLISH TAX COMMISSION
But the Friends of the System
are Expected to Put Up a
Strong Fight for Its Reten-
siOn-COnstitutional Conven-
ti0n Likely.
Especial Correspondence }

Especial Correspondence
Columbia, S. c., Jan. 13.-Much
constructive legislation is expected
at the session of the general assembly
which convenes tomorrow at noon
Education, good roads, public health
and taxation are expected to be the
topics around which will center the
greatest interest of the session.
Both houses will be called to or
der at noon tomorrow. j. Wilson
Gibbes, clerk of the last house, will
call the new house to order. If he is
in the state at the time, Lieut.. Gov
Andrew j. Bethea will call the sem
ate to order. Should he not be able
to be present. Senator LeGrand
Walker. of Georgetown, will call
that body to order.
Thomas T. CothTan, c: Green
Vile, will be reelected speaker of
the house and j. Wilson Gibbes clerk.
There Is a contest on for reading
clerk between A. E. Hutchinson, the
incumbent, and S. MCGOWAN Simp-
kins. OF Edgefield, a former reading
clerk. ]. S. Wilson, OF Lancaster.
will be reelected sergeant-at-arms
without opposition and so far as is
known Rev. L. JE. Virgins will be
unopposed for chaplain.
In the senate none of the old Of
ficials will be opposed for reelection
and that body will organize very
quickly.
The governors message will prob
ably be read Immediately after the
organization of the two houses.
Educational Legislation.
There seems little room to doubt
that a strict compulsory education
law viii be passed at this session. 1t
is understood that Governor Man
ming is going to ask for 1t in his an
nual message and it is known that
Governor Cooper in his inaugural is
going to stress the necessity OF such
legislation. Mr.. Cooper is going to
ask the passage of a law without
any loopholes in IL, one that will
COmpel every cn1l0 10 attend ScnOol
Good Roads Legislation.
1t seems pretty generally agreed
around Columbia that the good roads
Legislative program agreed upon by
the central good roads campaign
committee following conference
with the state highway commission
hnr uin ha mt
through by the general assembly.
This committee is asking for legis-
lation paving the way for big bond
issue in 1920 to construct a perma-
nent state highway system. The leg
isiature Is asked this year to change
the state highway commission so
that IL shall be composed OF one re-
preventative from each congressional
district. and the three senior profess
sors OF civil engineering in the state
colleges. the Citadel. the University
Of South Carolina, and Clemson col
lege.
This commission would be given
the power to appoint and fix the
compensation of its engineers and
employees, and the power to lay out.
construct. regulate and maintain a
system of state highways connecting
every county seat in South Carolina: /:
such highways to be so constructed
and surfaced as to take care of the
traffic which may be developed upon
them.
The commission would further be
instructed to investigate the cost OF
the construction of such system OF
highways and to report 20 the newt
session OF the Legislature what state
bonds would be necessary therefor,