The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-11
HOUSE SUPPORTS
HIGHWAY BODY
KILLS MEASURE INTRODUCED
BY OWENS OF MARLBORO
Vote Against Bill Was to So. Held
to Be Camcuaaged Attack on
Commission.
The State, Z.

The State, 7.
! By the close vote of 50 to So the
house of representatives last night
struck out the enacting words OF a
bill introduced by Representative J..
X. Owens of Marlboro to regulate the
/ issuing Of motor vehicle licenses and
to provide for the collection and dis
position of the sama. The killing CT
this bill, which was held to be CAM
ouAaged attack on the state highway
commission and which opponents OF
the bill held was aimed to cripple the
highway department, was generally
taken last night as an indication OF
the attitude of the house toward the
state highway commission which came
! in for some sharp criticism during the
debate, which debate was 2nc IT the
most prolonged the house has heard
at this session of the legislature.
When the bill was introduced, Rep
resentative Owens said the bill would
enable owners of automobiles to get
the license plates for their machines
from their county court houses IN
stead of from the central office IN
Columbia. The bill, he explained, also
! provided that tax of two mills be
j levied on the taxable properly OF the
state and that the revenue thus pro-
! duced be retained by the counties and
used by them for highway york. Rep
resentative T. S. Mcmillan of Charles
ton in a lengthy speech against the
bill held that it was intended to de-
stroy the highway department, some
thing, he said, the state had been Tor
j; years trying to build up. Representa-
tive c, N. Sapp of Richland said the
bill was a camoufaged attack on the
highway department, and held that
if the house was opposed to the high
way commission that it should come
out openly and abolish it utterly. He
said that Representative Owens had
been trying to kill the highway COM
mission for years and that this bill
had such slaughter as it's ultimate OBJ
ject.
Favor of Bill.
Representative George W. Binnlck-
er of Orangeburg, who favored the
bill, said the highway commission
needed crippling and that If ne
thought such measure would pass
he would introduce bill to kill the
highway commission. R. B. Belser,
! Sumter, spoke against the bill and in
favor of the highway department,
while O. A. Hydrick of Orangeburg
was in favor Of! the bill and against
the commission. J. G. Wohling OF
Fairfield made speech in favor OF
the bill and took the highway COM
mission to task for its tactics. M. c.
Foster, Spartanburg, attacked the
measure sharply while E. R. Buck
inghang Aiken, was in favor OF its
passage.E. A.. Brown, Barnwell, held
the measure was not aiped at the
dissolution of the highway depart
ment, but was merely an attempt to
regulate it. F. G. Harris, Spartan
burg, was against the bill:
After long debate, which a large
/ gallery of spectators followed close
ly, the enacting words of the bill were
stricken out and the measure died.
Tobacco Warehouses.
The bill providing that license be
required to operate tobacco ware
house when selling or handling to-
bacco ungraded and united was pass
ed to a third reading. The license was
fixed at $4,000 which is to be turned
into the school funds of the county.
The act is not to apply to firms oper-
ating a warehouse where the sale OF
leaf tobacco on their floor is graded
and tied. The bill fixes penalty Of
a fine of not less than $1,000 nor
more than $4,000, or imprisonment
for not less than six months nor more
than twelve.
Speaker Atkinson last night ap-
pointed Representatives E. T. Hughes
of Marion, C. N. Sapp of Richland
and ]. J. Evans of Marlboro members
from the house on the free confer
ence committee to confer with the
committee from the senate with re-
gard to the postponement of the pay
ment of taxes.
Morning Session
At the morning session the house |