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

more than ordinary significance. Other interest
represented is one OF the main ~arteries in tho adj.
ministration. The salient features Of the report fol.
ANNUAL SETTLEMENTS.
AS required by law l have personally attended to
and made The annual settlements In each county,
except In u few counties where 1 secured the services
OF u competent agent to make such settlement Tor
me.
These settlements in many respects. in several Of
the counties, have not proved satisfactory. Nu-
mcrous errors Were detected, and In some cases in
Irregularities were found, and In others q
of accounts OF treasurers; and In one coun-
~ (Union) cmbczzlcmen,s of the school funds were
discovered. This case has been turned over to the
courts as required by law for strict investigation and
action; The errors detected have been corrected,
az anl monies placed in the public treasury, except
$iSOS35. from county taxes Si,9l2,76, and scho"l and
poll s2,s92ls a total of ~sS,iG3,29; and in Sumter
ty taxes, and from school aud poll 1902. %, a total Of
s99SSs; and In Union s"umay $1,000 from State
tive funds nom the three counties named.
The balance from union county grows out of the
w Jhu"iy n u1 y" rn r1esgni'h ~ q receipt rs a voucher
In the settlement for lSSS-S0.
Information comes to me that county treasurers
In s"mc cases deposit county and school funds
in bank and receive thereof n snail rate Of interest
on such deposit, and often parties holding claims
hand to pay them.
CHANGE SUGGESTED.
nv hiteuluii llco tHNl HNNc DctU tnuS revealed
suggest to my mind that some changes should be
made in our sy stem OF county collections and dis
features am now of the opinion that one dis
bursting officer for the State would remedy tho cx-
istiag, difficulties and irregularities.
"A slight increase OF the force electrically in tho Office
OF comptroller general would enable tho work to
be done and nearly every county in tho State hav.
ing State repositories In them tho general pub lie
would not be Inconvenience nor additional expenses
be Incurred by such q system OF county aud school
disbursements.
The penitcnriary, Sinking Fund commission and
other institutions oi the State under the law collect
and disbmrse money. The a~djutant and inspector
uisburses the money apron rated for the
MALTA when he is not u bonded officer. The habit
of extending the time for the payment of taxes
operates tnJuriously upon tho annual settlements
required BY law. The time should DO fixed ut about
the first Of January for the payment of taxes with
out penalty aud not Inferred with except IN ex-
tra0rdinury cases.
Tho system of one disbursing Office would save
The expenses and time necessary to send Tho comp.
trollcr general to the thirty five counties in the
State and make his oversight continuous or daily in.
stead Of as now only 1T the annual settlements.
There is also an old balance due in Kershaw Coun-
W, coming over, however, from q compromise Of
matters there in the settlement for the preceding
year. rhe grand Jury of this county has taken the
matter in hand under order of court and q speedy adj.
iustmcnt Is hoped for.
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT..
beg to call your attention to the fact that the
revenues from this source are far less than the same
source in other States coming under our observation.
The laws Of this State now require an annual license
iS " - "hfNi tiouhtSu thio yNtt W c,DOO
Also, each company doing business in the State is
required by law to return gross premiums for tax
alton, from which source the State received taxes on
about 100000. This year the return Of premiums
nninunt to near 800, 600.
The three largest life insurance companies doing
business in this State paid into tho treasury of Gror-
gia, as reported by the comptroller general OF that
State, near $4,000, into the treasury Of South Car
olinu, as far ms the facts have bccn ascertained, Sl50.
The gross receipts have not been returned regular
~ by any class Of companies doing business in the
State except fire insurunc companies, and these have
LARGELY returned only ETOSS rpCr1DtS sent DY agents
to the home Office, and thus o large ainoun. .eSe.. IS
taxation. There is another class of companies which
slip into the State without complying with It's laws
in any way and do more Or less business.
The law should be made more stringent along this
line, with II view to prohibiting such business. AS
it now stands the law affords no adequate protection
to the assured in cases of losses where contested and
is owned in this State sniect to the process Of law
necessary to compel payment. The only remedy
row is for tho, comptroller general to revoke the
license OF such companies, which prohibit further
lawful business, but does not afford relief to the
citizen of the State who took risks with such COM
panics.
a small deposit from each company admitted into
the State, IN south Carolina bonds, made with the
State Treasurer. would remedy this difficulty, but
should not be SO large rs to be ut all burdcnsome to
The insurance companies.
This requirement would also aid in obviating an
other difficulty with wild cat companies, by prevent
Ing their entering the State ut all, aud imposing upon
her citizens rs now is sometimes done.
All companies admitted into South Carolina sh5ITr"",,d
be charged at least the same fees and charges that q
south Carolina coH pamy would, by the State incor-
torating| such company to 10 business in such State
or county. In other words tho comptroller ge neral
or insurance commissioner should be given authority
to grade the charges against u company by those
made by the company's. own State so us to make our
insurance law reciprocal ms between the State or Of
other counties.
The Comptroller General can discharge the duties
OF insurance commissioner, but, with his present
experience, inclines to the opinion that IN insurance
department., either separate or sublect to the control
OF the Comptroller General, would be u matter OF
economy to the State, and properly guarded by law,
with efficient management, would increase The rev.
enues to the State prOporlionately to that OF other
states from this source.
II the one. disbursting-onice idea advanced under
another head should prevail, then there would he Mood
of a subeXanincr, and the insurance commissioner
could be gwen snch authority as this Interest may
require. Then n large number Of interests and bus
mess in, and seeking to come into this State, that
now pay-nOthing or comparatively nothing, under our
laws, for the surpor. OF the government.
Building and loan associations, foreign land and
loan associations cannot be reached udvantagously
except by some system OF license, and should be
classed with insurance companies and made to con-
tribute their portion OF taxes toward the support OF
the government whose protection they enjoy.
There Is also n large interest that now comes under
the law known as that affecting hawkers and %peddlers,
which should be placed under the same condition
OF law and made to do their duty rs to taxation.
In concluding this subject, tho law shonld be so
amended that any and every class of business in, or
seeking to enter the State, can be reached and made
to pay n tribute to the government whose citizens the
business seek to make money out OF or investments
among, This cannot be done except by some system
OF business which will force payment Thereof in ad.
vance, MS many are ephemcrai IN character and vanish
DN'N'S f"S wa "''NNhO N"i "
around.
Let every interest, individual and business be forced
to pay II Just, fair and equitable percentage of the ex-
pchses necessary to guarantee protection to such
interest, individual or business by the govern.
ment under whose jurisdiction tho Individual may
live or tho interest may lie or business DO done.
TAXABLE PROPERTY.
The total taxable property Of the State for tho nsical
year ending 3lst October, 1871, is $lGS, 1863, against
$50 COZ i2l for tho last fiscal year. An Increase OF
$lItlO,2le over last year. About 80 per cent. OF
this increase Is due to the Increased assessments upon
railroads, banks and other corporate property In the
State.
Some complaints have been made us to this special
class OF Increased assessments but IL is not belle we'd
nor has 1t been shown that these assessments
are above the true value In money of tho property
assessed.
No complaints have reached this Office from tho
increases on other classes Of personal property. 1t
Is known that tho increase comes almost entirely
from taxable property other than real estate.
ms Legislature, In my judgement shunld order
o rea~ssesSment Of real estate In south Carolina, as IL
IS known That the average assessment upon this class
of taxable property is not much above 30 per cent
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