Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-14
DOINGS In COLUMBIA
Gossip and RumOr Of Things Mostly
Political.
PROBABLE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR

Street Car Company in Bad Way
Suggestion That Sinking Fund is Be.
ing Conserved for Future GobbIins--
Board Of Health Expenditures OF
Doubtful Wisdom.
A. M. Grist.
What is the legislature going to do
about the insurance of the rural
schools in the mutual insurance COM
panies?" asked a gentleman from a
rural district of representative the
other evening in Columbia.
''Well, think It is going to be just
like 1t has been," replied the represen-
tative. "You know that the sinking
fund commission claims that If they
are left alone as the law now stands
requiring rural schools to insure with
the sinking fund commission for ten
years, I believe, then after that the
commission will be able to insure rural
school property for nothing. But I do
not believe a word Of 1t.
my belief is," continued the law
maker that these sinking fund COM
mission fellows have an entirely diff
ferent idea, but to be sure I might be
mistaken. believe however, that the
scheme is something like this: YOU
know those fellows down there in Col
umbia have been making a demand for
an office building for number Of
years past for state offices. Well l
feel sure this sinking fund commission
is helping the thing along and when it
gets a million dollars in the sinking
fund then We'll begin to hear propa-
ganda to the effect that such a build
ing would save quite large item Of
expense to the state in rents and that
pose. and Of course the insurance on
rural school property to be paid for
will go in just the same, and Columbia
will pat itself on the back and laugh
in It's sleeve at the way it has out
generated the boys in the sticks. You
know Columbia works on the theory
that the rest Of the state owes every
thing to 1t and the only thing rieces-
sary for 1t to do Is to collect just what
is coming to it and she pretty near
ly does the collecting
Poor old Columbia. She is just begin
ming to wake up-that is some Colum-
bians-to the fact that she is in the
grip of an octopus of the genus
monopolus trustus doziplesus, the more
common appelatIon Of which Is the
Columbia street car system, mostly
owned by one Mr.. Edward Robinson.
There hasn't a street car run on the
streets of the Capital city for some
three weeks or more. The stoppage
was originally brought about by a
strike of protest by the Garments union
over the fact that Mr.. Robinson or
some of his understudys had peremp-
torily fired some twenty men, on the
ground that the company wasn't max
ing expenses and that retrenchment
was vitally necessary. The carmen
claimed and yet claim that the firing
of the men was due to the fact that
Robinson and his understudys were
trying to disrupt and break up the
Garments union and a large part of
Columbia's thinking people think this
explanation Is the correct one. How
ever the cars run not and the people
walk and they are getting tired walk
ing. Many Columbians who work for
a salary have built homes in the su-
burbs on property developed by the
street car people and the cars are the
only means they have Of getting to and
from their jobs every day, except the
taxis, which charge so cents each way
for the riding. That means Sc week
or about s26 a month, which knocks
quite dent in the pay for the work.
ing folks who are facing declining
wages. These have naturally protested
to the city authorities, and they are
powerless. They have appealed to the
legislature and it is powerless or at
least seems to be and so Mr.. Robinson
Is holding his grip; but 1t is suggested
that the city might take a hand yet by
refusing a continuance Of the franchise,
which is believed to be nearing it's end,
and Mr.. Attorney General. Wolfe has
given his opinion to the effect that the
railroad commission has authority to
act, and it may. But whatever may
be the final outcome it Is now plainly
evident that up to this time Mr.. Robin
son has proved himself bigger than the
city government, the legislature, and
the general public; but he might find
it profitable to remember that the
canal was taken away from him after
he had said it couldn't be done.
I was talking to a representative in
Columbia, the other night and scme-
thing was said about the huge apprC.
priation asked for by the health board.
It was evidently sore spot with him
and he was ready to talk about it and
he talked pretty plain. In effect he
said that about 95 per cent. of it was
an unadulterated farce and fragt. He
said:
Il wanted some facts about this
venereal disease department or office
that is maintained here in Columbia,