The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-02-06
MR.. KOHN REVIEWS
IECLSLATIVESESSl0N
MANIFEST PURPOSE OF ASSEM-
BLY, IS CONSTRUCTIVE WORK
Big Issues Changed.
Vital Issues Considered
Compulsory Education, Good Roads
and Taxation Three Vital
Questions.

6 Columbia, Feb. 1.-The legislative
session Of 1919 has progressed suffi-
ciently far to demonstrate several
things. First, it has clearly shown
that there is no symptom of partisan
feeling. For years and years the
General Assembly has been very
sharply divided into factions. Year
by year these lines have been grow
ing DINNER and DINNER until now
they are almost entirely obliterated,
and about all you hear is che used
to be- of this or that faction. There
has not been a single debate in
which there has been any mention of
partisan lines. On the contrary, the
effort has been to forget and forgive.
The manifest purpose of the General
Assembly is to do some constructive
work, pass the general appropriation
bill, discuss the conditions of the
State generally, enact all the local
legislation that is necessary, quit
and go home. In previous years there
have been the distractions of parti-
san politics, elections and trips. This
year there has been no partisan poll
tics, no elections to amount to any
thing, and no trips. There has been
the fear of influenza, but it has not
seriously interfered with the session,
and the work, it may be stated, is
well advanced. Members have their
views very we'll formulated with ref
erence to the pending legislation,
particularly that Of serious charac-
ter, and they are ready to act, and
the appropriation bill is about the
only thing that is now in the way,
and all Of the hearings on this have
been concluded. The House has dis
posed of two of it's most important
questions, compulsory education and
the overshadowing tax issue, wheth-
er or not the tax commission should
or should not be retained, and after
this is disposed of, then the collateral
remedial legislation will be under
taken. This however, is the real
crux of the tax situation in the eyes
OF the House, as to whether the tax
commission should or should not be
continued.
Things have changed very much in
the matter of legislation in recent
years. It has not been many years
ago that liquor was predominating
and oyershadowing ISSUE and then
came along the control of rail-
roads and other corporations, in
Guiding the effort to get the two
cent mileage rate. These important
questions, have all been disposed of
to a large extent by national under
taking. Instead Of liquor it is now
teducation. Instead of control of
corporations it is now taxation. In
stead of heated elections it is now
permanent road construction.
The three vital questions at this
session are, first, compulsory educa-
tion, then road improvement, and
finally taxation with it's various an
gles and incidental phases.
Compulsory Education.
Compulsory education in modifi-
ed form seems certain. The bill as
originally presented provides for the
full term, and the effort is to have a
minimum term of seven months for
all the schools in the State, and to
this end the Senate has passed what
is known as the Laney bill. The
House, by way of compromise, pass
ed the Statewide compulsory educa-
tion bill with an amendment that re-
Qnired attendance for only four
months, and in this shape there were
only five votes in the lower House
against the measure. The reduction
OF the term was not altogether sat-
isfactory to all of the advocates of
the measure, but it thought best to
let it stand at four months, first, to
get the system started and then,
probably, the Senate will increase
the term for which attendance is re-
quired, and if the system should
work, as it is expected, subsequent
legislatures can increase the term as
they have increased the age limit for
children or reduced the supply of
liquor. Governor Cooper is strongly
ior law with teeth in it, and the
teeth in, the present measure is that
each county and town is to have a
truant officer who is to be responsible.
It really looks as if we are going to
have statewide compulsory educa-