The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-04-13
THE COUNTY TAX LEVY.
WHAT HONORABLE REPRESENTATIVES
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT 1T.
Their Gums nre Loaded and They
Fire IL BrOn,,side OF Figures ut the
Public.

Their Guns nre Loaded and They
! Public.
The following letters are in reply. to Mr..
! McGowan's letter, and are in good temper.
They are commcndable examples Of dignity
and respectful prcSen ntation of their side Of
| the question. The tone and temper of these
letters are worthy examples, from which 1t Is
hoped other correspondents may learn les-
son.
Letter OF lIOn. 7. TOwncs Robertson.
Editor Press and Banner:
| In the reply OF Mr.. MCGOWAN in yonr issue
of last week, to Mr.. T. A. Graham, he re-iter-
ateS the assertion which he made in his
speech on the 18th ultimo, that the Abbeville
delegation had Intentionally placed The tax
| levy for this County too low, and alludes 10 a
correspondence between the County Commits
sloner> and the Chairman of the delegation
In the house of Represen tatives IN reference
hsc Il years 1SgO-9l, for AbbevilIe County.
| held the position of Chairman and be.
!leve II to he my duty 10 make Il plain state
meat of the lacts from the records in the
case.
Before going to Columbia to attend the ses.
sion Of 1890 made an effort to inform myself
ns to the true condition of the finances or our
| County, my, conclusion was that with the sur
plus then on hand, and the probable rev.
enue from fines. licenses, ETC., together with
a levy Of 3 mills upon the taxable property,
you'd 1s so6 ample to run the rio GGon'y ITr tns
| leave small balance. The delegation had
hefore them the itemiZed estimate of the
| County commissioners which amounted in
| the aggregate ID S2i,245. Among the items was
s6, 900 for roads and bridges. and $1,000 for past
| Indebtedness.
But accepting it all as It is, we made the
levy of 3 mills. New let US see the result:
The County Commissioners eXpend-
ed for all urpoSeS..................S q, 1924
And they realized from all sources. 25.9lOOJ
Deficiency 1,54200
This deficiency will be paid, with Interest,
out Of levy Of 4 mill to he collected this
single creditor TO carry this debt until the COL
| lection Is made.
Again the County Comm issloners
| ........"-.-...".........S 2o,9l0C0
| And their estimates for all purposes
2i,2430O
s1,GS .OO
1t will thus he seen that the levy made by
the delegation exceeded the estimates or the
County Commissioners In the sum of sixteen
hundred and sixty-fve dollars.
| You will observe Mr.. Editor the County
| Com nmiSSOners asked for SB,00D for roads and
bridges and the records show that they have
| spent Sl3,G0O
| 1ncluulnS Tile uOouS, the account IL uS lol-
| lows:
For the ordinary expenses on roads
and bridges rs acknowledgements 100000
For the bridge near Lowndesvlle,
which was completed few weeks
after the fiscal year begun,
and some other contracts, made
the previous year which was paid
out of this levy.....-.-.............. $500. 90
Extraordinary expenses TO replace
bridges washed away, about...... 35Oo.C0
S 10 0DO.OG
Mr. MCGOWAN says that 1t might happen
from excessive floods and the washing away
OF bI idges, in which case no one could blaine
either The County Com mmissioners or The DEL
egatOn. Now, If Mr.. McGowan had consult
ed the records he would have found that the
large amount expended in excess Of the eS-
timaies OF the County Commissioners In the
Items, roads and bridges was exactly the con-
dition he had described.
| think no blame should attach TO the del
egaticn. neithershUuld the County Commis-
sloneIS be cepSured. II was their duty 10 re.
place the bridges when washed away; and
hut for the "unforseen floods there would
have been surplus OF about 81 900, instead OF
deficiency Of about 81 500.