The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-03-01
HIGHWAY BILL
KILLED in SENATE
UPPER HOUSE UNWILLING TO
DISRUPT ROAD SYSTEM
Wants All Counties on Same Foot.
ing-Continues Plantation
Truck Bill
The State, 25


session in the senate was spent in
discussing the highway commission,
the two mill highway tax, the motor
vehicle license fund, and automobiles
and trucks, during which time two
measures said to ..e liable to disrupt
the system of roads and the work Of
the highway commission were killed
one outright and anotheS in effect.
A third bill with somewhat the
same provisions as the two that met
death was discussed at length last
night, but no vote was reached. The
measures meeting defeat were the
bills by Senators Ragsdale and Wells,
the first to allow counties having no
state maintained road, no state high
way, no road on which federal aid
had been expended or on which actual
construction work had been begun to
retain the two mill tax and the 80
per cent license fund for exclusively
county purposes, and the other to
allow. Edgefeld county to use the two
mill tax and the motor vehicle license
fund on the roads of the county as
the county authorities saw fit. The
third bill of the day, the one by Sen
ator Moore, to allow Abbeville county
to use as it. saw fit the same funds
will be taken up again today.
BY vote of II to Is the senate
struck out the enacting words of the
bill by Senator Ragsdale that pro-
vided Cor the rstasaing of all the two
mill highway tax and the motor We
hicle license fund by the county road
authorities in counties where there
was no state road, state maintained
road 81 : f6aa 5H which federal aid
had been expended, or road on
which the highway commission had
not begun actual construction.
: This measure, opponents said, would
practically disrupt the state system
Of roads and interrupt the wo'k OF
the highway commission in its efforts
to build system Of highways from
county seat to: county seat. Senator
Ragsdale said Fairfield county mad no
state roads and he saw no chance
to build any at the present time, and
explained that the bill was to let the
county use the funds on the roads OF
the county.
The general argument against the
measure was that it would seriously
upset the system of state roads, and
for this reason was not desirable.
Speaking for the bill were Senators
Ragsdale and Wightman and against
it were Senators Young and Watkins.
Senator Young moved to strike out
the enacting words and by vote OF
II to Is the enacting words were
stricken out.
The senate continued until next
session the bill by Senator Johnstone
to provide for reduced license fee
for motor trucks used exclusively for
plantation purposes. This measure
met with considerable opposition and
was continued on vote Of l5 to lo
after the senate had earlier in the
morning refused to strike out the
enacting words by vote of IL to 25.
Afraid Of Bill
The bill was originally framed SO
as to provide for license of one
third the regular fee for motor
trucks, but the committee on roads,
bridges and ferries amended the
measure so as to make the fee one
half, and Senator Johnstone accepted
the amendment. Mr.. Johnstone ex-
planned that ample provision was con-
tanned in the measure to prevent vlo-
lations and made an able and earnest
plea for the passage of the bill.
Several senators objected to the
measure on the grounds that it would
open the way for other exemptions
for trucks used exclusively on city
streets and other purposes. Several
amendments went under with the bill.
The bill had the recommendation of
the committee on roads, bridges and
ferries, but the senate decided that
the time was not propitious for it's
passage and continued it for a year.
Senator Christensen asked that the
two revenue bills from the house, one
levying a tax on gasoline and oils
and the other on inheritance and