The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-11-24
CHANGE IN sTATE Jaws.
s.,sral SUBSECTION. Contained in Annual

Reports.
COLUMBIA, S. O.. Nov. 18.-lThe AM
nual report of the sinking fpfsd com.
mission for the fiscal j9st ended
contains 9 propose$5 lhwf the protec.
in this3tstate. IL says the supply can
|be&&IniosS indefinitely increased by
Eeafefhl culture under wise laws, aud
|$y<aS the Legislature to take some ac-
Et31n as to the States rights and the I'M
|EerestS of her citizens a shell and seed
oysters r being exported to other
States.
The act proposed provides that the
State shall have absolute control of ali
fisheries, that the governor appoint q
fish commissioner at a salary of $2,1OO,
holding Office for two years; that rules
be made for issuing franchises of lands
for she'll fish cultivation, which fran
chises shall be sold at not less than
the grantee or his successors forever,
provided he plant them within two
years.
The report OF the comptroller general
makes some radical suggestions for
changing the insurance laws. 1t says
the revenues from insurance are far
less here than from the same source in
other States. The report instances
where a large amount of business es-
capes taxation. The remedy suggested
for the present non.protection to the
assured In cases of losses when contest
ed and judgments obtained. is that
small deposits of South Carolina bonds
be made by each company. This would
ing the State. The suggestion is made
that all companies be charged the same
fees that a South Carolina company
would be by the State Incorporating
such companies. A separate insurance
department. is advocated, an insurance
commissioner to be appointed, with the
power of a bank examiner. Building
and loan associations and foreign land
and loan associations should be classed
with insurance companies and made to
contribute their portion of the taxes.
The law should be so amended that every
class of business entering the State can
be made to pay tribute.
The comptroller says in several in
stances the settlements of county treas
urers have not proved satisfactory.
and in some cases inaccuracies and
Interpretations were found, and in
others shortages OF treasurers, and in
one county embeZzlements OF school
funds were discovered. This case has
been turned over to the courts for strict
investigation and action. The errors
detected have been rsctifed and all the
moneys placed in the public treasury,
except in Charleston where there is due
the State the sum SO, 105 80, and in
Sumter $9,608.91. The balance from
Union grows out of the county treas
urer presenting a receipt as a voucher
which properly belonged to and had
been allowed in the settlement for the
previous year.
Information comes to me-" he says,
"that county treasurers In some cases
deposit the county and school funds in
bank and receive therefor a small rate
of interest on the same, and often par
ties holding claims against these funds
are told No money on hand to pay
tn EN-. The remedy suggested for these
irregularities is having n disbursing
office for the State, by having a slight
increase in the clerical force of the
comptroller general.
The custom of extending the time for
the payment of taxes operates inju-
riously upon the annual settlements re-
quired by law. The time should be
fixed ut January 1st, and not interfered
with except in extraordinary cases.
Greenville News.