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Below is given a brief summary of : the doings of the law-makers of the South Carolina General Assembly day by day: . * MONDAY-Jam 17th. The Senate-The feature of Mon day night's session was Ot t's liquor s nuisance bijl, which created con siderable discussion. No action taken. Carlisle child labor bill passed third reading, which prohibit children un der 16 y.ears of age from working in cotton aad woolen mills^ between the hour of 7 p. m., and 6 a. m., . as .'amended by the' 'author permitting lost time to be made up at night. -..Hartrick proposed to make the age limit in this bill 14 years, but on an aye and nay vote of ll to 19 this amendment was killed. Hamrick ar gued that some of the South Carolina mills are situated so that they can run at night and a family applying for work at night on account of higher wages would be hurt by this . .bili if children were not allowed to work. Carlisle stated that he wish ed to see the time when all chil dren will -be out"' of the milk but did not think the time was quite ripe for this. A bill providing for the in creaing of the scholarships for nor mal, students in the University of South ' Carolina was passed to third reading. The bill increaes the schol arships in the department of educa tion to 124. The scholarships are beneficiary and gives the students free tuition and a small amount of ' money per month. Hardin introduced a bill providing for thc etablishment of four agricultural schools in this State; Carlisle introduced a bill pro viding that the city council of any city in this State of more than 5,000 inhabitants may appropriate the mon eys arising ffom fine in the muni cipal courts, if so much be neces sary, to eleemosynary,, educational or other purpose, tending to pro mote the public welfare; Senate will visit Clemson College on the ? 26th The House-House held no meeting Monday night. Excepted invitation to visit Citadel Academy on the 26th; Dixon's bill relating to railroad fares would require the railroads to fix the rates--at two and one half cents' "instead of three cents as at present. The ralroad commission and Gov. Ansel are now operating the lower rate and the bill was passed to third rading; Ashley's bill relat ing to amonia in commercial fertiliz er, went to third reding, the house accepting the substitute bill adopt ed by the committee; Foster's bill to require all insurance companies to pay a certain fee to attorneys in case of suit and Tecovery, passed. The bill is aimed at concerns that would by needless or frivolous de lays stop payments on just claims. bill declaring the duty of commissioners as to inter ?s went to third reding as '8 bill, requiring ?uco mo jes to be equipped with elec ilights. Hall's bill amend ?e so as to add a proviso 'recording of personal mort other States not situated in this State so as to 'orovide for re eordatice in this State, went to third reading. Bowman's bill making it a misdemeanor to violate a lease of, land also went to third reading with no discussion. Rucker's bill abolish ing capital punishment except in certain cases was made an adjourn ed debate bill. Sawyer's bill making the pay of solicitors for attendance upon the sessions of the engrossing department $4 per day passed to third reading. \ TUESDAY-Jan. 18th. The Senate-The Charleston trad ing stamp bill has received a favor able report; the University scb?lar ip bill passed increasing scholar ship in normal department to 124, ppr?priation is about $8,000; Car lisie/s bill providing that the term of office of the county superinten dent of Spartanburg shall be four years and the same for that of the countj' supervisor passed with the amendment that this'bill shall also refer to Laurens county; although several prohibitionists opposed the measure and apparently there was a disposition among a number of the senate members not to further the law of injunction, Graydon's bill which was drawn in thc office of the attorney general passed iii the sen ate. This is in,connection.lo enforc ing the dispensary law; Clifton suc ceeded in getting in ah amendment to the effect that no owner out of possession shall be punished by fine or imprisonment without actual no tice of the order of injunction; fav orable report was made oh Dillon connty, and the matter is now set tled. The,House-Consumed almost all of the session in the discusssion of the bill providing for a pension for firemen and after a hard fight it was ordered to a third reading. The bill provides that all insurance companies doing business in this State shall file with the comptroller general a certi fied statement they would provide the sum of $1 on every $100 written for premiums for firemen who were injur ed in the discharge of their duties. The bill was introduced, by Garris and Sei bel ss presented figures to show that the cost of establishing this pen sion found would fall upon the policy holders; Dear's sbill prohibiting the manufacture, sale or use of noiseless firearms; the report of the committee on free conference on the trip to Clemson college, fixing Friday, Janu ary 28, was adopted. THURSDAY, Jam 20th. The Senate-Senator Clifton suc ceeded in getting into the Graydon injunction bill an amendment doing away with that portion of the bil! that provides that the application for injunction may be made before a circuit judge, anywhere in the State. The affect is to leave lhe law as it now stands, practically, it being provided that the application shall be before the judge of the circuit or the. judge who may happen to be in the circuit at the time br the nearest judge in an adjoining county. The House-The State-wide prohi bition bills AW 3 introduced in the senate and house by Senator Carlisle. This year's measure has practically the same provisions as the bill of last; year except the compromise fea ture that was last session added in the senate in reference to the elec tions in the seyeral counties. There are several new features, however, in the bill introduced, the first sec tion provides. a prohibition for the manufacture, sale, etc., of liquors just as was provided in the former bill, which is in force now in prohi bition counties. This section also provides that wholesale druggists may lawfully sell in wholesale quantities pure alcohol. The retail druggist sec tion of the present prohibition law is inserted in the bill, and the other medicinal sections of the law. A sec tion that was probably'inspired by some debate ia the senate this year is: "That nothing in this act shall pre vent the sale of wood or'denatured alcohol or the social serving of such liquors or beverages in private resi dences in ordinary social intercourse, or the manufacture and keeping of wines made from berries and grapes for domestic purposes only." A drastic section of the new bill is that there is no alternative of fine in case of violation of the law. The violation section is : "That any person who violates any provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction - shall be imprisoned at hard labor for a period of not less than three months, nor-more than one year and "for the second or subse quent offense, upon conviction there of, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than one year, nor more than five years." ? The druggists' fine is the same as is now the case, viz.; a revoking of license for one vear for each offense. The bm'concludes:-"That nothing in this act shall be construed to pre vent the indictment, prosecution and .convicition of any person who has been guilty of a violation of any law now in force relating to the subject of alcoholic liquors ?nd beverages in this State or who may iolate said law at cy time prior to the time when this act shall take effect or to affect or abate any indictments, pro secutions or warrants now pending for a violation thereof." The act. if passed, would take ef fect April 1, 1910. - The bill also has a repealing clause. FRIDAY^J'an. 21st. The Senate.-The Dillon county bill passed third reading/ Dillon was placed in thc fourth circuit, Mont gomery, of Marion, wanted Dillon placed in the ' twelfth circuit ; the Otts' liquor bill and the bill chang ing the mileage basis in this State were the most important of the oth er measures considered. The Otts measure passed third reading and was* ordered sent to the house, while the railroad measure Went to third read ing, with notice of general amend ments; among the following bills passed third reading were: Gaydon: relating to certain public nuisances and the abatement thereof by in junction; to declare the duty of the railroad commission as to interstate rates, and provide for expenses; ^ade, to. amend section 2067 of vol ume 1 of the code of laws of South Carolina relating tb the powers of the railroad, commissioners. The House-Hydrick's bill, requir ing that crops be up and growing be fore a mortage be valid, was killed. The bill, might be termed a "follow up" of the repeal of the lien law at the last session and in most instances the same arguments were gone over. The bill was finally killed by a vote of 60 to 47; Rucker's bill abolishing capital punishment except in cases of criminal assault or attempted crimin-* al assault was killed; Dixon's bill making it a misdemeanor for any person to dispose of a white child to a negro, was passed after an amend ment had been inserted making an exception in cases where children had been temporarily placed in the cus tody of negroes in cases of emer gency; Mr. Foster's bill making it a misdemeanor to point a gun or pistol at. another person passed to third reading, without debate, as did Ed wards' bill authorizing magistrates to iudorse warrants issued by mayors or intendents. A bill has been introduced in the house and senate for a State board of lax assessors to take the place of the State board of equalization and the present State board of assessors. The measure provides that the board shall consist of five members, the comp troller general to be one of the mem bers. The board would have charge of the workings and administration of the tax laws and the assessment of the property of the State. SATUEDAY-Jan. 22d. The Senate-The first important engagement in the liquor fight in the Legislature . begins in the Senat' Thursday. Senator Carlisle having gotten his State-wide bill substitut ed for the Otts bill of last session so as to gain a high place for it on th? calendar; the Senate passed two out of-the-ordinary bills, one by Senator Sullivan prohibiting minors from plavins pool or billards and the oth er by Harmon prohibiting the manu facture or sale of any but safety matches. The bill, which has passed the House, getting through last ses sion, was amended so as to make it effective a vear hence; the Senate killed the bill to abolish the Confed erate infirmary; the bill allowing no taries public who are stockholders, directors or officers of banks or other corporations to take acknowledge ments if the papers do not affect the person taking the acknowledgements was passed. This is to allow the of ficers and others connected with banks if they be notaries public to fix np papers for others in the banks; the bill ta establish Dillon county passed third reading. The House-Among the hills pass ed to third reading: Riley's bill making it a misdemeanor for a bank officials to issue a false certificate;] Richard's bill amending the State law on thc militia in minor particu lars; Foster's bill providing for the introductin of records or bills in trials against common carriers. The members of the Legislature who made the majority report in the asylum investigation have prepared biils which will be introduced in both houses this week rp carry out their recommendations. One bill provides for an election at the general elec tion next fall on the proposition tn have the State malee a. $I;000,000 bond issue with which to erect twe new asylums for the separate care of white and negro patients. The oth er provides for a commission office to be selected by the Governor to get options for sites and plans for the new plants and report to the Legis lature convening a year hence. Un der the constitution the bond issue must have the vote of two-thirds thc elected members of the Legislature and its fate is extremely doubtful a? the minority's recommendation to re model the present plant has a strom: following in both houses. CONSIDERED STATE LAWS Flatform of Civis Federation is Stated in a Number of Resolu tions. Washington, Special. -Agreeing that there should be uniformity in State laws affecting not only com mercial matters but likewise those, that pertain to the well-being of the individual, the Civic Federation at its final session adopted a number of resolutions. Among them were those recommending. to the Governors the adoption of r.hiform laws for the protection of children employed in industries; favoring a uniform insur ance code for adoption by the several States; uniform legislation on the subject of . gathering and preserva tion of vital statistics; endorsing the conservation of American forests and referring the same to the committee on uniform State laws. The conference further adopted a resolution recommending to the Governors of the several States and to the States themselves that work men's compensation acts, fair to the employer and employe and just to the State, be uniformaly substituted for the present system of employers liability for injuries received in and arising out of the course of employ ment. A resolution was passed re commending to the respective States consideration of the development of water power and their regulation on non-navigable streams, with a view to bringing about uniformity of Stat? legislation looking to uniform co operation between each State, legis lation looking to uniform co-opera tion between each State and the Fed eral government in the development and control of water power. STRESS RIGHTS OF STATES. Addresses on Necessity for Retention of Power Feature. Washington, Special. - "State rights" was the burden of most of the addresses delivered at the con ference of governors with particular reference to the conservation of re sources and the regulation and super vision of public service corporations. An interchange of views on these two subjects showed a unanimity of opinion as to the necessity for State activity. A feature of the session was a speech by Ambassador Bryce, who believed the conference would emphasize the importance of the governorship" and that the chief ex ecutive of each State was coming more and more to be looked upon os the personal representative of the people of his State. After perfecting concrete plans for future conclaves ,the conference of governors adjourned to meet at one of the State capitals on a date be tween Thanksgiving and Christmas of the current 'year, the exact time and place to be determined b}* a com mittee which was appointed. HEALTH CONFERENCE. Officers Chosen From the Different States at Atlanta Meeting. Following are the officers elected at the Southern Health Conference at Atlanta, Ga., 'last week: President-Dr. H. F. Harris, At lanta. Secretary-W. G. Cooper, Atlanta. Vice Presidents. Alabama-Dr. H. G. Perry. Florida-Dr.* Hiram Byrd. Georgia-Wilmer L. Moore. Kentucky-Dr. J. B. Marvin. Tehnessee-Dr. J. A. Albright. Virginia-Dr. E. G. Williams. North Carolina-Dr. R. H. Lewis. Mississippi-Dr. S. H. McLain. Arkansas-Dr. E. H. Martin. South Carolina-Dr. Wm. Weston. Texas-Dr. W. M. Brumby. Louisiana-Dr. G. H. Dock. District of Columbia-Dr. W. C. Woodward. Oklahoma-Dr. J. L. Schular. United States Army-Maj. B. D. taylor. United States Navy-Past Assist ant Surgeon J. H. White. Hawaii-Dr. W. D. Baldwin. New Comet Visible-Not Halley's. Washington, Special.-A new comet, outshinging Venus in bril liancy, is visible in the sky. Along the Atlantic seaboard in- the South where the skies are not clouded it can be most clearly seen. Although unidentified by the scientists it is un misakably distinguished from Hal ley's comet and the astronomers at the naval ' observatory here have trained their telescopes upon it night and day for nearly a week. In North and South Carolina, be tween 6:30 and 7 p. m.. it was visible. No Chance for Morse. New York, Special.-Charles W. Morse has not a chance of getting out of the federal prison at Atlanta, where he is serving a 15-year sen tence for violation of the national banking laws, on the plea that there was a special accountant in the grand jury room when the indict ment was being prepared. So says United States District Attorney Wise. Col. Robt. Lowry Dead. Jackson, Miss., Special.-Ex-fiov. Lowry is dead, aged 78 years. He was twice governor of Mississippi, and a prominent Confederate vet eran. Cuba grows twenty-pound cabbage heads. PALMETTO HAPPENINGS News Notes of ' General Interest From All Ports of the State. TREATED WITH NEGLECT. Reign of Horror Reigns at Asylum According to Investigating Com mittee. Columbia, Special.-Charges of the grossest violations of the ordinary rules of sanitation and decency and a stinging arraignment of the board of regents of the State hospital for the insane are contained in the ma jority reports , of the commission ap pointed to investigate the hospital, recently made" public. The reeents of the institution^aro' WJ J. Good ing, Hampton; .J. Terry Glenn, An derson; W. Wv"Ray, Congaree; J. H. Taylor, Columbia.. This report shows that on December 13, last, there were in the institution 1,533 inmates 520 white women, 370 white men, 321 negro women, 322 negro men. Without placing the blame on any particular person, the committee's report states the evidence shows :-v That 15 patients of one'ward were bathed in the same water in a bath tub. That the foulest water closets, cen ters of wide soil pollution, are locat ed T. ith a few. feet of an outdoor kitcuen. Th^Pthere ar? no' screens about these closets. ' That the bodies of dead patients are buried one on top of another in the same lot, with as little con sideration as if they were so many dogs. 1 , That cholera hogs and the dead are kept in the same 'Jot: ' That the wards; even of the white women, are overrun with vermin and the patients are allowed to go un kept and ragged. The report also states that many attendants are reported illiterate and brutal, many cases of brutality be ing reported, and that the food serv ed the patients is badly prepared by persons who never learned to cook and is served in dirty, greasy tin dishes, and government ' reports are quoted to show that in the South* Carolina hospital the death rate is the highest' in "the United States, 21.54 per -cent, asf compared with a general average of ll per cent. It is estimated that it will require $350,000 to put the plant in proper shape and it is suggested the pres ent plant be soldr the land being worth $400,000, abd two plants, to cost $500,000 each to be erected hy , the state elsewhere. A minority report submitted by three members of the commission, disagrees with the main features of the majority report. It holds that the lack of funds, to put the institu tion on a modern; basis, due to the state's heavy indebtedness, is the principal source ofj trouble. It states that the patients, as a rule, are well cared for, that the food served is of good quality aod well cooked and that the manageme^?tf. the state's farm is systematic and efficient. The minority report states that it is unnecessary to create a great debt for the state in the purchase of new sites and that the expenditures of about $50,000 annually for several years, will meet the requirements of the situation. Murder Trial With Eleven Jnror?. Greenville, Special-With only ll jurors in the box court of general sessions last Thursday entered on the trial of the three negroes charg ed with thc murder of John McGaha, nephew of Joseph Ashley. At thc opening of the case, objections were made to all but the ll jurors, and both sides agreed to go to trial with this number. This is an unusual pro cedure, and there is much discussion among lawyers as to its regularity. Judge Wilson, however, ruled that there could be no objection to ll men hearing the case. Jailor Beaten, Prisoners Fi?e. Camden, Special.-After" beating, choking and stamping Jailor John Boone, five prisoners at the Camden county jail smothered the jailor in a blanket, threw him in a cell and made their escape. One of the prisoners was later recaptured by a citizen who joined in the hue raised after the miscreants. Eight prison ers did not take advantage of the chance to escape. Lumber Company Restrained. Asheville, Special.-On the appli cation of the Canton Lumber Com pany, a Delaware corporation, Judge Pritchard has issued an injunction. , restraining the Winyah Lumber Company, operating mills at George town, from cutting timber on a cer tain tract of land in Hoirry county, and requiring it to show cause before him January 29 why the injunction should not be continued until the 'hearing. The complainant is requir ed to give a $1,000 bond with the Federal court clerk at Charleston. Palmetto Leaflets. Jas. Reed committed suicide at Charleston. Near May es vi lie, at Boyle's saw mill, the boiler exploded injuring three and one probably'fatally. Rev. O. Y. Bonner, pastor of the A. R. P. church, at Due West, is dead. He was prominent in the" Synnod of this denomination. Gen. Lee's birthday was generally and appropriately observed on the 19th. The stockholders of the College for Women have authorized a bond issue of $75,000 for a new dormitory fer the college. A new cotton mill is to be organ ized at Greenwood, capital to be $300,000. Anderson citizens are planning for a "Home Coming Week" for the coming summer. The Rochester, N. Y., . base ball team of the Eastern League, will train at Anderson this season. Geo. W. Darwell, a Pennsylvania traveling man, was rescued from drowning at Charleston. Oldest Newspapefin South Carolina. EDGEFIELD, S. C., WE?NESDAY, JANUARY 26th, 1910 NO. 52 WEEK IN CONGRESS. Taft Gaining Support and Shows Tact in Avoiding Clashes. Washington, D. C., Special.-This week probably will see the begining of work by the joint special com mittee which has been named to in vestigate the subjects popularly grouped together under the title of "the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy," and from now on this affair will oc cupy an increasingly conspicuous position in the news of Congress. The President's Federal incorpor ation bill is expected to have the hardest sledding of any measure in his legislative program. Land bills and measures designed to carry on the work of conserving natural re sources will receive careful attention at the present1 session. Activity, such as has seldom if ever before been displayed by committees so early in the first regular session of a Congress, is now in evidence in both wings of the Capitol. Although there are practically thre~ parties the "regular" Republicans,, the "insurgent" Republicans and the Democrats-maneuvering for politi cal advantage, there are signs on every hand that President Taft by steering his characteristic "middle of-the-road" course, is daily gaining supporters for his 'legislative pro gram. When the House satisfies the selec tion of Representative' Graham the investigation of the Ballinger-Pin chot controversy will begin in earnest. The committee consists of the follow ing: Senators-Knute Nelson of Minne sota (chairman); Frank P. Flint of California, George Sutherland of Utah, Elihu Root of New York, Thomas H. Painter of Kentucky and Duncan H. Fletcher, of Florida, Representatives-Samuel W. Mc Call of Massachusetts, M. E. Olm stead of Pennsylvania, E. H. Madison of Kansas, Edwin Denby of Michi gan, Ollie James of Kentucky and James M. Graham of Illionis. TAX ON OLEOMARGARINE. House Committee on Agriculture to Hear Evidence February 9th. Washington, Special.-Representa tive Burleson of Texas, Saturday ap peared before the House committee on agriculture in behalf of his bill repealing the tax on oleomargarine, which tax, he asserted, was respon sible for the present high price of buttre throughout the country. Before this tax was imposed. Mr. Burleson said, there was manufactur ed annually 130,1)00,000 pounds of oleomargarine which he characteriz ed as a pure and wholesome food pro duct and which sold for from 12 tc 18 cents per pound. The price of butter was then 20 and 30 cents per pound. The production of oleomargarine has been diminished 66 per sent, he said, a? a result of the tax, and the price of butter has gone up from ?8 to 60 cents a pound. Passage ' of the law was secivred, Mr. Burleson charged, by the Na tional Dairy Union, and by a "stup endous lobby which, it is said, ex pended a vast sum of money." Mr. Burleson said that lie rep resented many associations of w.ttle growers, cotton seed crushers associa tions, national retail grocer? associa tions and Western and Southern chambers of commerce in demand ing the repeal of the fax and the lowerin:r of the price of butter. The House committee on agricul ture will hear evidence on February 9th. New Hope Given Morse. New York, Special.-By Judge Hough's ruling that the presence in the grand jury room of John P. Fernsier, an expert accountant, in any capacity except that of a witness was prejudicial to Heinze's legal rights. He guashes the indictment against him, thereby giving new hope to Morse for a new trial. Pinchot Chosen President Washington, Special.-The election of Gifford Pinchot to succeed Dr. Charles W. Eliot as president of the National Conservation Association, is announced. ? Secession Movement Falls. Atlanta, Ga., Special.-President Chas. S. Barrett, of thc National Farmers' Union, says the Texas and Oklahoma farmers'will remain. Can't Regulate Life Insurance. Washington, Special.-President Taft addressing the annual meeting of the Association of Life Insurance Presidents, held out no hope of the passage of a federal law to govern insurance, and advised the officers to secure legislation in thc States. Ashboro Fire-Swept. Asheboro, N. C., Special.-Fire Friday burned sixteen or more build ings here, entailing r. loss of $10,000. Most of the buildings were covered by insurance. Floods Threaten Paris. Paris, By Cable.-The .floods ex ceeded all records and are fast as suming the proportions of a national disaster. In the north, east and West are hundreds of homeless and ruined. Although it is impossible at thc present time to estimate thc damage it will he very great. Invitations have been issued to the conference of teachers which will be held at the University of South Caro lina on February otb. Diekema Wants Cannon's Place. Washington, D. C.,. Special.-Rep resentative Diekema, of Illinois, an nounces that he will bc a candidate for Speaker of the House. He de clares it to bc hie belief that the present incumbent -Cannon-will not oFer for the position. Mann, of Illinois, say? he is not a candidate; Champ Clark, in speaking of the an nouncement, ;;ays the Democrats will control the next ; House, and will choose the speak?r. Oldest Newspapefin South Carolina. EDGEFIELD, S. C., WE?NESDAY, JANUARY 26th, 1910 NO. 52