Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-05-27
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

from the 18th of June, 50 for the next q
days, and after that time IS.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
There was a meeting Of the county
board of commissioners in the Office o.
the supervisor last Friday, called for the
purpose Of considering contingency tha
has arisen in connection with the county
advertising. All of the members Of the
board were present except Messrs. Brict
and Moore.
The contract for the county advertising
was let out In January last to Mr.. j. 8
Drakeford at is cents per square of lO(
words. 1t has since developed, however
that there is law on the statute books
forbidding payment out of the county
funds for the publication of the itemized
report of the county treasurer. In view
of the fact that this report was sup
posed to be part of the county ad-
vertising at the time the contract was lei
out, it was question in the mind of the
supervisor as to whether or not it should
be printed anyway, and it was for the
purpose of considering the matter that the
meeting Of the full board was called by
the supervisor.
It seems that the act forbidding the
publication Of the report slipped into the
statutes inadvertently. 1t was passed ir
1894. Governor Evans neglected to sigr
it but at the same time he failed to veto
it. Another act to the same effect wa.
passed at the last session Of the legislature
This act the governor vetoed; but the
first act, which had been overlooked, be-
came law under provision Of the con-
stitution, and hence the trouble.
In behalf of Mr.. Brice, who was away
Mr.. Culp said that this act forbidding the
publication of the report Of the treasurer
became law on the 18th or 18th Of Janu.
ary. The contract with Mr.. Drakeford
was made on the 3Oth of January.
Treasurer Neely explained that he had
given out the copy for his report some
time ago. Shortly afterward, he had seer
a statement in the newspapers to the
effect that the act requiring the printing
of the report in York county had beer
repealed, and he Immediately wrote tc
the attorney general. The attorney gen
eral confirmed the newspaper report in 6
letter which Mr.. Neely exhibited. Mr.
Neely went on to say that after receiving
the letter from the attorney general, he
went to Mr.. Drakeford, who had not ye
set any type, and countermanded the
publication of the report. Supervisor
Stew enson read letter from the attorney
general to Mr.. Drakeford on the subject
in which the attorney general expressed
the opinion that the matter Of carrying
out the advertising contract was in the
discretion of the county board of commits.
sioners. The letter did not seem to be
sufficiently explicit in its terms to fully
satisfy the commissioners as to proper
action.
Mr.. Drakeford requested the reading Of
another act bearing on the same subject. II
wes an act fixing the price to be paid fol
public advertising at $l.OO per 100 words
and 5 cents word for caption. The act ap.
peared to be mandatory, and Mr.. Drake
ford suggested that it probably repealed
the special act under which the advertis.
ing contract was let. He said, however
that he had entered into his contract in
good faith, and was willing to carry il
out but in order to print the report of the
treasurer he had already made an outlay
of something like $50. This, it was true
would not be lost; but had this work moi
been in view, he would not have made the
investment just at this time.
1t seemed to be the general opinion that
there was no authority under the law to
publish the report of the county treasurer,
and Mr.. Porter made motion to the ef-
feet that inasmuch as Mr.. Drakeford has
made this outlay on the strength of bis
contract, that he thought it would be right
to give him the advertising for the bal
ance of the year at the rate prescribed by
law. The proposition was seconded by
Messrs. Miller and Hall.
Mr.. w. D Grist, on being granted per-
mission 10 make few remarks, said that
he was interested as a publisher. There
had been laws regulating the price OF
dofOieioibB IVA AAa"hJ
Under the old law the price was $l.OO a
square" etc. A square was an indefi-
mite quantity. Publishers could charge
varying amounts and still comply with
the law. The new law evidently seeks to
correct this by making definite unit OF
measurement-lO0 words. 1t is merely a
substitute for the old law, and, therefore,
not in conflict with the special act under
which the present contract was let. This
contract, it should be remembered, was
let "for such advertisements as might be
required by law" The withdrawal of the
treasurer's report did not affect it in the
least. He was perfectly willing to see the
contract carried out on the original basis.
He did not doubt that Mr.. Drakeford had
found it necessary to invest something
lik $50 to be in position to do this work.
His concern, which had also originally
put in bid in good faith, had something
like $500 invested in material that was fit
for but little else than to do this work,
and undar tho ciroumata noea he thon pht