Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-02-11
Wednesday, February IL.
Our Columbia Letter.

Columbia, FsDy. lU.-1ne ISAo
session of the General Assembly
drags wearily on from day to day.
While we are now in the fifth week,
the end is not yet in sight-probabiy
two more after this week.
But for some interesting features,
which border at times on the spectac-
ular, the monotony of the sessions
would weight heavily upon one. 1t
affords novel entertainment at times
to analyze the forces that war
against each other. A striking exam
pie of this was afforded Monday
night when the resolution appropria-
ting $15O,000 to be expended in COM
batting the boil weevil, came over
from the senate, where it was passed
practically without dissenting vote.
For several days the fight on the res
olution had been brewing in the
House, consequently dozen or more
were primed and cooked for the fray.
Finally, their pent up thunder burst
forth and the peculiar and interest
ing part of the fight being that not
withstanding the fact that the meas
ure was primarily to promote the in
terest of the farmers of the State,
the opposition came almost altogeth-
er from the farmers in the House.
About the first to "go over the
top" with grim determination to
squelch the resolution was the Hon.
Hub Evans, who needs no introduc-
tion to the people of South Carolina.
You know Club" Notwithstanding
the fact that he is now well past six
ty, everybody calls him "Hub") is
something of farmer himself, own
ing five large plantations from which
he harvests some four or five hun
dred bales of cotton every year. He
told me day or two ago that he now
has two crops of cotton on hand and
that he was blank fool for not un-
loading when he could have gotten
40 cents.
Well, with the lawyers and some
others trying to pass the farmers
resolution and the farmers opposing
it tooth and toe the fight waxed and
waned with the result that by con-
siderable majority the resolution was
sent to the scrap heap.
Two matters of statewide interest
have passed in the House this week,
which will probably run safely the
gauntlet in the senate. l refer to a
bill making it unlawful for a child
IL years of age and under to operate
an automobile, and the other was in
troduced at the request of the South
Carolina Medical Association requir-
ing all persons who treat human ills,
whether engaged in the general prac-
.tice of medicine or practicing as
specialists, to be examined by the
medical board OF examiners. This
protects the public from incompetent
quacks who extract and exhort mon
ey from an over-credulous public.
Thebill fixing minimum age for
auto drivers as originally introduced
fixed the age at Ia but this was
changed to IL before final vote was
taken. The principal argument
against fourteen years was that it
would prevent children above II
years Of age who attend school in
automobiles from doing so without
an older attendant, which would work
d hardship upon many parents in ru-
raj sections.
Hereafter instead of publishing
his report quarterly, giving nearly
two columns of figures which many
people do not read because of the
length, the supervisor will publish his
report monthly, giving the people an
opportunity to see the amounts of
all claims paid while the transactions
are fresh in the minds of many OF
them. The cost of publication to the
county has not been increased. l IN
troduced bill several days ago pro-
viding for the change, the Dill
providing also that once every
three months the supervisor must ap-
pend to his regular statements a de-
tailed statement setting forth the In
debtedness of the county. Hereto
fore, the people have not been IN
formed as to what the Indebtedness
of the county was. Under the pro-
visions of the act above referred to
thew will be informed every quarter