Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-12-04
RY THoMlPsoN, sMIrH = JAMES.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

lNNI-
sets forth the financial condition 3.of
the State in q simple, clear and oon-
9ise way. WIee, copy a,fal synopsis
of the message from the Columbia
Register as follows:
The total receipts In State Trea.
siry for the past year were $1,,I129,-
893.41; the cash balance on October
81, 1889, $80,142.82;t total amount to
be accounted for $1,~190,088.28. The
total expenditures were $1,112,O92,
which left a balance on October 81,
1890, Of s77,948.93.
The public debt funded and funda-
BILE under consolidation Act Of 1873
is stated at $~5,841,OOO. Adding to
this amount the Agricultural College
script Of $191,8OO, the deficiency
stock Of s769.95, and the blue
lcr cents Of 100000, the total valid
debt Of the State is stated at $6,438,-
559.95. Of this amount $5,841,00O,
representing the old fundable bonds,
will be due in 1893, for tho funding
of which the present Legislature
Unjust provide. &. j Il /
The Governor submits an explana-
ton of the Treasurer, showing the
reason why no action. has been taken
towards funding the debt as author
lied by the Act Of the last Assembly.
1t seems that the Treasurer was
Instructed by the Attorney General,
on his attention being called to the
same, that the Act was not constitu-
tional, and that in his opinion moth
ing could be legally and effeotually
done without further legislation.
As to. the forfeited and delinquent
land, the Governor says the Act
passed at the last session of the Leg
islature touching the collection. of
these taxes has proven an effective
remedy, and that suits brought under
it have invariably brought hitherto
Indifferent and reluctant parties to
q speedy settlement of the States
claims. The amount due IT,. State
on account of old forfeited lands,
the Governor states on, the authority
of the report Of the Sinking Fund
Commission, to be over 100000.
An effective law for the collection Of
these dues seems to have been at last
devised and is now in operation.
As to the abandoned lands not
returned for taxation, the Governor
says the Act of December last,
authorizing the Sinking Fund Com
mission, wherever land was found to
have been absent from the tax books
for ten or more immo diatelypreceding
years, to have the ame surveyed and
sold for the cost of survey, 81 per
cent penalty additional thereto, and
for five years. back taxes, has operated
well. Its execution has cost the
State nothing, and under it q con-
iderable area has been sold at a net
profit to the State and restored &c
the tax books. Its beneficial effects
have, however, reached beyond the
cases to which it has been applied,
because much land which has hereto.
fore escaped taxation has been re-
turned by owners to prevent the sur
vey and sale of their land under this
Act.
The Governor reports a marvellous
increase in the number and efficiency
of the public schools of the State
in the last four years. The summary
given by His Excellenoy shows an
increase from 1886 to 1890 of I5O
school districts, 288 schools, 1924
enrolled p'.pils, q ,10a in attendance,
279 school houses, and besides the
school houses owned by the State
there r 1876 school houses rented.
The valuation of school buildings
in 1886 was 1898 ,903, and in 1890
$487 1862, showing an increase of
$98,349 in tho four years. The esti-
mated value of graded school build
ings now under construction is $780,
900.
The Governor tells lis encourage
ingly: The towns OF the State have
erected costly school buildings with
every modern convenience. In many
OF the counties there is a good build
ing in every neighborhood. The past
four years may we'll be termed the
era of building school houses in the
State. And yet all this has been
accomplished without shortening the
school term, though the State con-
tributions to the public schools
remain the same. All of which, the
Governor thinks, clearly show that
with the same fund . very much
greater amount Of work has boan