The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-22


results to come from this course. The
interest of this section is 80 antago-
nistio to ours, and their greed for
bonds so great, that I fear we could
expect nothing save financial bondage.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
The system of County government
which was inaugurated il the year
1894 was regarded'as on experiment,
and in order to see with what success
the law had met had prepared and
forwarded to the various Counties OF
the State the following circular letter,
the answers to which are herewith
given for your information.
The following questions were sent tc
each of the County Supervisors:
1. By what system are the public
roads of your County worked, convict,
contract or otherwise?
2. What is the condition of your
highways, bridges, etc., as compared
to the old system? how does the cost
compare?
8. On an average, how many con-
yicts do you work?
4. Does the chain gang tend to
decrease crime?
s. Are the public funds as econ
moically and as assatisfactorily expended
under the County government law as
under the old system? If possible,
give statistics. :.
6. Are county affairs in general
satisfactorily administered under this
law?
z. Have you any suggestions tending
to strengthen and perfect the system!
The following answere were received
from the Supervisors of the counties
enumerated:
Z ABBEvILlE.
/, The convicts have been employed
in going over the county macadamiz-
ing marshes or soft places, blasting
rock, grading down steep hills. filing
in low places, repairing small brides
and such other work as the county has
been paying for previous to this.
Other work has been done by ordinary
road hands in the old way.
2. There has been considerable I'M
proyement with reduced expense.
8. On an average, nine.
4. Has good effect If petty crimi-
nails could have speedy trial, sent
direct to the chain-gang and not al:
lowed to remain in JUL and grow fat
at the county expense, crime would
be decreased.
S. Yes, expenditures are $1,000 less
than last year.
6. Yes, so far as I am able to learn.
q. Have criminals sent direct to
chain-gang from the trial justice court:
He can be fed and worked at a cost ofS3
per month. It costs $40 per month to
feed him in jail Have only one man
in each township to look after the
roads and be member of the county
board Employ one good overseer for
each township; give him o set OF good
tools Tor road working. Give him
list of all the hands who have not paid
the communication tax. Let him warn
tbs hands and work the roads. Hire
hands with Communication tax to work
under the same sman. This is the
only plan to make each one do his
share of the work.
BERKELEY.
/. We work our roads under the old
system. We have chain gang which
we work on the new and worst roads.
9s 2. Our roads and bridges are in
beitsr condition than ever before, and
the cost of keeping them up has been
very much reduced owing to the fact
that we work great many places that
formerly had to be kept up by con-
tract. We build some bridges with
the chain gang and the work done is'
much more substantial than contract
work.
8. Our chain gang began in Februa-
ry with seven convicts, aud at the close
OF October we had 18, making an aver
age of about 13.
4. The chain gang tends to decrease
crime, as our lest term of court lasted
little more than two days and the
previous session from 10 to - days.
5. The public funds are certainly
more satisfactorily and economically
administered under the new law than
under the old.
6. The county affairs are satisfacto-
rily administered.
Z. In my opinion the system is near
ly perfect. I suggest that trial JUS
tices be allowed to sentence their prls-
oners direct to the chain gang. A
prisoner should be punished by in
creasing his sentence five times for es'
Gaping from the chain gang.
CHESTER.
l. BY the old methodand by chain
gang.
2. Highways are admitted to be in
better condition than ever before.
This has been accomplished at cost
of more labor and money than in the
past.