Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-02-26
"THE WAYS" COMING TOGETHER
Indications that Representatives and
Senator May Agree.
Columbia, Feb %, 1919.


My colleague, Mr.. Orr, and Sena-
tor Sheior went home Friday to
be with their families until the Con-
eral Assembly convenes again. The
House adjourned from Friday until
S o'clock Tuesday night The Sem
ate adjourned Friday until o'clock
Monday night. would have gone
| home, too, but | have my wife and
Two children down here with me.
You might recall, Mr.. Editor, that
when was member Of the Legisla-
ture before became acquainted with
a young lady down here who after
'.ards became my wife. We are,
therefore, boarding at her old home
down here.
Forty days have gone by, and still
we remain down here. Most Of the
important bills have passed the
House and are now in the Senate
for action. We are confident, how
ever, that this week will wind the
thing up, and we will be at home
after Saturday.
I desire in this letter to write
mostly about bills of Statewide i'm
portance. We have passed through
the House compulsory education
bill. Only five members voted
against 1t. 1t seems certain to pass
the Senate and become a law.
A big effort Is being ilade to pass
some law that will provide State
system Of good roads. The plan is
to have a paved road from every
Court House to every Court House
III South Carolina, and If the county
be border county, like Oconee is,
fl,0
county to the adjoining State. The
road we would get in Oconee, from
this system, would be from Clemson
College, by Seneca and Walhalla, to
Mountain Rest, and another one
would be from Madison, by West
minister, Richland and Seneca ~ to
Calhoun. Then the county could
| bond itself to pave all the other
important roads. This Is one rea-,
| son why I have not yet agreed to:
! MI, Shelor's bill stoa bond the ScOunty.
te d. TO syaf tatitl see what the
lStatekwotild do. %'It seems now that
no bill at all, along this line, will
he passed at this session of the
Legislature, because we can't agree
on plan as to how to raise this
| money for State system Of ravcd
r. ads Some want to bond tt z State
for twenty-five million dollars and
others want to pay for it as ine
paving is done. by pnttii.g levy Of
GO many mills on all the property
OF ,!' State. think the best plan
would he to raise the license tax
on a:iomobilas, and "lso to raise
Il like amount by levying so many
mills on all taxable property.
rather think this matter will be
Of III" Legislature, giving the NOM
ers opportunity to confer with tee
tcorln back home. y county can
only FOND itself for eigh. per cent
OF the assessed valuation Of al, its
property. That would permit Oco-
nee to bond herself for four hundred
and sixty-six thousand dollars, and
this would cost the taxpayers only
small amount each year What do
you think about it.?
| have introduced only two bills
VI Statewide importance, and both
Of them have passed the House. One
OF them Is that the chief game ward
en- by elected by the General Assem-
bly, instead Of being appointed upon
the recommendation Of the Audubon
Society The other one relates to
forfeitures Of automobiles and other
vehicles while transporting contra
band liquor. The way the law Is
now, II an automobile or buggy or
wagon transports contraband liquor,
the same may be seized and for
feited to the State, and if it's worth
more than $1,000, same may be re-
deemed by paying the thousand dol
lars into the county treasury. My
bill gives man the right to redeem
his car Or buggy or wagon and get
1t back by paying it's actual value
into the treasury of the county. This
bill will pass all right.
A bill passed the House allowing
cotton mill children between the
ages Of 12 and 16 to work in the
mills during June, July and August.
! succeeded in amending the bill so
as to permit them to work in the
mills when school is not in session.
AS the law was, no child under 16
years Of age could work in a cot
ton mill or knitting mill That law
caused children to be idle and use
less In the summer time. The now
law will stop that.
Most Of my work down here has
/ cen in making speeches against bad |
h:'ls and helping to kill them. We
Ie%d but little new law.
] think your Representatives and |
Senator will get together in the end |
all right-at least on the appropria-
tion for more money for good roads.
Maybe 1t might be best to be some.
what divided SO as to keep down |
bad bills. 1t would not do for us |
tn agree on everything. That might |
min our county.
Very truly,
M. r. Mcdonald.