Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-12-02

Dcducting from this amount all suoh items
az mny be called extraordinary, amounting
to S375,000, there remains as the cost of
printing for three years the sum of S543,-
629 S6, or an average annual cost ofSl81,-
209 95. Public printing last year $l2,.-
I'll 40; difference S1G9,99S SIS. There
was collected from the public in the years
1873, 1874 aud 1875 the sun OF 50 2,349,s
16l. Of this amount treasurcrs were paid
commissions for collection 81 ,O7O; county
trcasurers defaultod for S109,9S8 total
s26l ,O5S; leaving paid in to the treasury
$4,0SS,403. Amount collected from tho
people in 1876, 1877 aud 1878, Sl,9O3,.
572. OF this amount trcasurcrs wcro paid
commissions for collection S85, 500. Amount
unpaid but secured by Judgment or thor
oughly solvent surctcs S505; total $685.
sos leaving paid into the treasury S1,S73,
OCT. The saving in money taken from
the people S2,44O,SS9. In money paid
treasurcrs for collection S116,O7O. Ip
money fraudulcntly or ncgligcntly lost
Sl09,0S Total S2,GG6,044. Poll taxes
for the common school collected in 1878,
1874, 1875, Sl77,3lG; collected in 1876,
1877, 1878, s3lI,942.
TIE FINANCIAL INTERESTS or THE STATE
will, Of course, claim your opecial attention,
aud in tho consideration of this matter |
would call your attention to careful peru
sal of the able and lucid report of Comp
trollcr General Hagood. In connection
with this matter I think the State adopted
the wisest course in submitting to the
courts, instead of the uncertain arena of
poIics, tho decision of the vcxcd qaestious
of what was her debt 1t was very im-
portnnt that the matter should be settled
definitely and certainly, aud rs Que Lcgis.
lnture might undo the ucts Of the previous
one, the question has been submitted TO the
same tribunal that settles and decides mat.
tcrs of dispute aud debt between citizens.
The following is
A STATEMENT OF TIE PUBLIC DEBT
Total cousols, s5,2lO,793 80; total def
cieucics, S5G4,S55 9S; State scrip, (Agri.
cultural College, Sl91,SOO; total funded
debt, $500, ,446 so. 10 oe funded for
ante bcllum principal and interest, say
sl06,57O 81; to be funded for post bcIum
principal and interest, say S30G,3l6; to be
funded for fundablc interest, say Sl46,-
GS9 OF; to be funded for tho BILLS Of the
Bank of tho State, say $22, l45 total
bonded debt, sG,63o,17O 7S. After all
the expenses and appropriations of the last
fiscal year are paid off there will remain
as q surplus to be carried to the year 1880
and 1881 the amount of $4,000.
1t appears from the ComptroIcr's csti-
matc that levy of Il mills will raise
sum sufficient to pay the current expenses
of the government and the interest
If the Legislature continues the mode of
collecting taxes at two periods Of the year
there will he Of course great uncertainty
as to the amount in the treasury on the lst
of July 1t is important that the interest
OF the debt be met more punctnnly. and 10
order to sustain the credit of the State, 7
therefore recommend, if the present mode
OF collecting taxes is to continue, that you
authorize the Governor, Comptroller Gen.
era nnd treasurer to borrow on temporary
loan, if there be not sufficient funds in the
treasury, so much as may be necessary to
pay the interest falling due.
ask your attention to tho remarks of
the comptroller on the subject of
TIE POLL TAX,
and suggest the Importance of divising somo
law by which the tax may be moro generally
collected
will have occasion to speak of forfeited
lands and phosphate mining, in bringing
to your attention the report Of tho commits
sioner Of agriculture. The questions, how
ever, OF the taxation Of phosphate mines,
which were brought to the attention of the
Legislature at its last session by tho comp
trollcr general, have not all been settled,
but remain ior your decision.
The report of the superintendent of cdu.
to the condition of
TIE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The school fund, the school attendance.
number of schools and the number of teach
crs employed were greater during the last
year than at any previous time in the history
Of this State. ln proportion to her wealth
South Carolina is making as liberal provision
for education rs any other Southern State.
During the political canvass of 1876 it
was repeatedly charged that if tho Demo
cratic party obtained control of the govern.
ment educational facilities in general and cs
pecia!ly those of the colored race would be
diminished. Tho followed tabular statement
of the work of tho last four years furnishes
the best answer to those charges: Number Of
schools 1876-T7, 2,483; 1S77.7S, 1922;
1878 70, 1901, IS79-80, 1913. Incroaro
in number Of schools since 187G-77, 400;
teachers employed 1S7G-77, whitc 1,725;
coIorca 049-total 2,674; 1S77-7S, white
2,001; coiored ,02G-total 3,l17; IS78.70,
white 1000, colorcd l,076--t total 3,1GG;
1879-SO, whites 204S, colored LIB