The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-10-08
COUNTY CLAIMS AND HOW THEY,
SHOULD BIZ PAID.

\ citizen of the county. holding Il
claim against the County Commissioners
for building n bridge, amounting to
Sl7O.N, trampcd all over town one day
last week offering the claim for sale. A
ncighbor had offered him ci2htv-fivc
cents on the dollar for it. and after try
ing all the 'brokcrS" around town he
failed to get an advance on this offer and
carried it back homo with him. Ii the
claim had brrn less than 500 he could
cents on the dollar for it. The county
Of .Abbcville can certainly pay more
than cishty-tivc cents on the dollar
upon its Indebtedness, and the pride and
position of our county juS,ifics its citi-
zcns in demanding Of its financial agents
that this matter be improved.
Really it is not as much rs IS per
cent. Every nan who bids upon Il on
tract FOR any work LET out by the County
commissioners, i! he is a man of ordin-
AIRY shrcwducss, adds to his bid The Is
per cent. that he will have to pay to the
broker whu buys his claim at Il discount,
and at least . or 10 per cent. in addition
10 cover all the Incidental risks attach
ing to the collection Of the amount due.
So that upon these contracts there is
almost invariably Il discount Of at least
20 per cent, and this the county must
nav ~ said fhut f,u- imam ,an Ir,
under u debt drawing ten per cent,
then what becomes Of them when they
pay twenty or more! In the case OF
those whose remuneration for services
TO the county is regulated by laws.
Trial Justices. CunStablcS, SheriltS,
Clerks, Coroncr,< etc, if they are unable
to hold the accounts until taxes are
collected they arc obliged to pay
this cNllurbitaut interest imposed
upon them by the financial pol
icy OF the county. The law allows
them ono hundred cents upon the dol
lar and yet tE y are compelled to accept
riYhty-mcn who are least able to bear
such a burden.
After the first of January the pro-
kcrS pay 80 crnts On the dollar
hat tn" fall in discount is equal
izcd in their favor Ivy the ShortncSs of
time. On June 18th, for instance the
claim is discounted at ten per cent, and
the full amoun is paid in four months.
The laborcr who is worthy Of his hire
in this case pays interest ut the rate Of
nearly MiIfy-thrce per cent? These
things ought not SO to be. and if there is
Il remedy the people, or this county
have Il right to demand it. 1t is II great
deal better that the county should pay
its Indebtedness, dollar for dollar. 1t
would be economy and justice. If the
County Commissioners would make az
engagements at the beginning Of each IFS
cal year for money during that year at
Scvcn or even ten per cent, and pay off
every claim as it Was approved they
would get better work. they would have
it done cheaper, and they would he deal
ing out even handed and exact Justice.
IL the County contracts to pay IL certain
amour for services. it is better that the
people as a whole should pay the inter-
est upon the money necessary to meet
these demands. than that the loss should
be conferred upon him who performs the
services. Not that the broker is to
blame. Tor it Is Il money transaction
with him. subject to considerable risk,
but the financial policy Of the county
entrusted to the most important ofi &c in
the county, should be conducted on bu-
si4ess principles. Who would expect a
Bank President or the Directors of a
cotton factory to pursue II policy similar
TO that upon which the County is con-
ductcd