The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-12-01

beg leave to call your attention. and that
o. ine Legislature especially. 70 the iact that
~. S2Il.S@OgW OF past due interest alone, be
sides unpaid appropriation s as set forth above,
Treasury Reserve Fund is practically amyIh
representing for the most part debts and not
ton OF what constituted the original Treas
dry Reserve Fund,' amounting 10 si8,6i7.ls
when the Act was passed In 1885. has since
been expended, as L understand, under lave
governing the Sinking Fund. in puyment OF
warrants drawn against ~ by tie Board OF
rect tax fund portion under Act OF 1884.
amounting originally TO S39.aI.3 SO, (tie amount
RECEIVED from Congress,) has been reduced to
siSJb3.Ub by payments upon the warrants OF
the governor TO parties to whom IL belonged
under the law.
The Interest on the unfunded bonds has
been reduced gradually, as the funding in
Brown onsols progressed, 10 92,s9|AY, as es-
these are In u sense debts the State owes, ana
do not constitute fund practically held IN
"The only available way to create q reserve
iund Is TO ralse actual money by taxation or
by the sale OF State securities and then old
IL In reserve for The special purposes Ior which
IT. was created. A reserve fund.- really need
ed TO meet the really large floating debt OF n
uncalled Tor, interest, and interest on unIund-
ed bonds, estimated TO be s27l 5000, besides
unpaid appropriations. IL would perhaps bet
ter satisfy the people OF the Stale il the Legis-
lature would have this reserve fund investi-
ee TSa 5y a Gompetenu committee
Reserve FUND.- has long puzzled many be-
sides the State Treasurer.
Treasury Reserve Fund, sci apart SZIZ, ri 80,
and required "That said fund shall be held By
the Treasurer OF the state of South Carolina,
to be used In payment OF all interest due up.
on the bonded debt of the State and appropri-
atoms made by the General Assembly: Pro.
rided, There be no other funds in the Treas
ury applicable thereto. Aud when taxes are
collected and paid into the Stale Treasury y,
the treasurer shall at once, from said COilec.
lions. replace the amount OF said Reserve
fuhu Which mas been used. said
fund TO be used and replaced as hereinbefore
C irected In each succeeding fiscal year"
NOW, these figures either represented cash
or they did not; and II the money was there.
has been since spent in excess OF the receipts
from taxation, IL should appear. III the money
can be honestly accounted Tor, IL will be Il
source or satisfaction TO know 1t. Therefore i
cordially join in the recommendation that
steps DC taken TO thoroughly investigate the
this mythical fund on the books OF the
treasury, and the Act creating IL should be
a $ will be seen by the Comptroller Gener-
ais Report, there is an Increase on the assess
ca value OF properly this year over last OF Sl7,-
tion for the jealous and unniuching manner
In which he has cpdeavoreu TO ferret out tax
dodgers and make them share the burdens OF
supporting the government. the law pro-
. y.rdes maj property shall be assessed at It's
cult of accomplishment, the Comptroller and
his subordinates are none the less bound by
their paths to carry IL out, as far as pructicH
ON. ht'O W ooiiO vi oiC csNI Ut III HNe
and there Is neither sense nor law for the
claim that IL must be done all IN one year.
walk before IL crawls, or remain forever in the
cradle. There Is, and always will be, great in.
equality In aaXation; MnGn property; will al
SHOWN That any one species of property is
placed on the tax books at its selling fva.4e,"
all up TO that standard. We have begun on
the railroads and banks. Justice demands
that we go through the whole list, and / Join
the Comptrollcr In asking that provision be
made iora renssessment of land next year.
IN this connection would urge the necessity
for n change In the County governments ana
the mode of assessing property.
County Governments.
The office OF County Commissioner sbouid
be abolished. and In place OF ia government
ny townships substituted. Three Intelligent
thereof, should hc aLp1tu life niyrT.
ageh@ehtUI the roads and bridges, schoUis,
ana the assessment OF property la the same.
constitute II County Board to manage the
County hnances,a audit accounts aud order en-
penuiturcs. The salaries, If any, paid these
Township commissioners, or Seiectmcn, can
be determined by the voters or fixed by law.
The Constitution can be changed TO abolish
the Office OF County School Commissioners,
and these charges Will inevitably result In a
great saving TO each County, while there will
De n corresponding increase In efficiency.
property will be assessed at It's real value. and
millions now hidden will be made to pay IT.,
share of taxes. This County Board should al
so constitute the COUNTY Board of iEomnIizn-
ION, Instead of being appointed rs at present
In this connection 1 suggest the propriety
OF requiring all notes, &C., TO be stamped by
The County Auditor and placed on tax books
10 make them cOllcctible by law. Nuke the
note shaver or lender pay taxes as well as the
ianu owner whose property stands In his
name while he perhaps owes ms much as 1t Is
worth. Equity would require that a man de.
duct his debts from his property and pay tax
on the remainder. This Is impracticable. but
ed, both debtor and creditor pay ~ Than that
the debtor must pay double, as he is obliged
10 do and the creditor pay nothing, as is too
DeTnultcrs.
The Investigations by different officers dur
lng the year have brought to light the fact
that the "incipient rottenness'' charged last
year as existing In the government was not Il
1MTss%i = sn1rssEs 2. ~ sn w"T in nlIsSTort Gem m
eral, n like deficit Of 5000 In iFesAcc9Int Oh me
clerk OF the Pcnitentiary, and the ComFe'cnI
the Trensu,ers' offices of Charleston, sumter
and Union. ngsregating S0,G0S. That officer
says In his Report that there had been n good
deal OF money made good of which no men.
ton is made, and that In nearly every County
irregularities and errors existed, the amounts
nggregating upwards OF $50, 1000, which he col
lected and turned into the Treasury. These
are tne fruits OF an SXaninaiion OF the books
II the Investigations were carried back sever
al years, Is lett to conjecture.
The Asylum.
At your last session n special
was appointed to investigate the affairs OF
this institution. This began its
labors In April. and, after taking voluntary
testimony from some of the employees OF the
institution, adjourned without completing its
work. They found, as | learned,
that one of the inmates had been allowed to
retain n pistol In his possession, and other re-
prehensible Irregularities. Shortly after
wards this Same patient made q murderous
assault on one OF the attendants. and the mat
ter being called to my attention / Immediate
~ summoned the Committee to come back
and conclude It's labors. Two of the mem
bers, DR.. strait, Senator from Lancaster, and
DR.. Goodwin, member OF the House from
Greenville, responded and as 1 am, under
the Constitution, charged with the appoint
ment OF all officers and employees Of The in
stitutlon, L went with the Committee and We
made a thorough and searching investigation