The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-03-09

CHe legislative session OF lS2O pass
ed into history at about 7:45 o'clock
this morning. Officially it was Satur-
day night. Actually it was Sunday
morning, by some seven hours and
more.
For several days the two houses
have been marking time waiting on
the final adjudication of the appro-
priation bill. There were some 9TH
er important measures, but, camo-
flauge as they may, everybody knows
that the appropriation bill is what
was holding the members here.
AS it finally passed this morning,
with the approval of Governor Coop
er, the bill carries somewhere in the
neighborhood of $6,100,000. The
governor, as chairman Of the budget
commission, had recommended be-
tween FIVE and six million dollars
nearer the smaller figure. The house
raised him something like three hun
dred thousand dollars. Then the bill
went over to the senate, and the sem
ate finance committee wrote in nine
hundred and three thousand dollars
over and above what the house had
agreed upon, making the bill total
six million seven hundred thousand
dollars.
AS the measure came to it from
the finance committee it was adopted
by the senate without-@sa. a. dissenting
vote, within something like five or
ten minutes. Mr.. Moore, of Able
vile, raised a protest, but he said he
knew it, would do no good to kich
and the bill went back to the house.
The house refused to concur in the
amendments, and the measure on
Thursday went to committee of
conference. After midnight last
night the committee report was re-
ceived, and it was adopted by both
and with the governors sig
nature afsisedd, the, bill BECAME law,
and the members went home today:
The house got belligerent, and by
it's attitude probably held something
in the neighborheod Of s6oD, 900 out
of the bill. On Thursday morning
Speaker Cothran announced that he
had not favored the bill as it left
the house, and that he ceuldnot stand
for it as the senate had increased it,
and that unless the conference COM
mittee brought it within bounds he
was going to refuse to -afix his sig
nature to it as speaker Of the house.
This had it's effect. OF course Mr..
Cothran even as speaker could not
have held up the bill by refusing to
sign it. Every measure before it
goes to the governor must be signed
by the president of the senate and
the speaker of the house, but this is
a clerical duty, and only the COVER
nor under the constitution has the
right of veto. However, it would
have taken an order of the court to
change Mr.. Cothran's position, and
it had it's effect upon the bill.
In the meantime, however, the
house had got. together and had de-
termined that if the senate bill was
net reduced by the conference COM
nlittee, that the house would refuse
to adopt the report, and that would
have meant an extra session. There
had also been rumors from down
stairs that the governor was not 60
ing to stand for the bill as big as it
was.
Anyway, carrying ss,1o0,O0o, it is
big enough as it is-and in its bigress
there is glory enough to 60 round.
The State highway measure got
through, carrying a direct levy of
two mills upon all property, and
graduated license upon motor vehi-
cles. 1t is a good start. towards a
real good roads measure, and, aided
by the counties, it will 60 far to-
wards bringing about good roads IN
South Carolina-or, at least, start
ing the movement.
Many of the counties will this
summer and fall pass upon special
bond issues for improving their own
roads, with federal aid. Among these
is Newberry, which will vote upon a
bond issue of 100000, under spe-
cial act passed by the legislature.
The Newberry election, as has been
heretofore stated, will be held in the
primary, when all the people will
get a chance to vote-and if New
berry keeps in line with the march