Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-09-15
WALHALLA, S. c., September 10, 1893. 4.

TAlliALl.A, .. Vi, SepConDer lU, 1875. :
TO G. M. Mold, Committee of the Grand
Jury:
AS directed by you I have examined
and ascortained tho condition of the iic-
counts of tho Office of tho Board of
County Commissioners and find that be-
tween the administration Of the of1ico
under Supervisor Crisp and that of his
successor, Lay, there existed some diff
ference of opinion as to whother certain
accounts woro chargeablo to tho Court"
fund or to tho "Ordinary County" fund
as for instance, whothor tho Sheriff's
fees worc a ''Court' expense or "Ordi-
nary County" expense. This is q ques-
ton as to which thero is room for honest
dit1oronCe of opinion, and it caused somo
friction at the time between tho outgoing
and incoming administrations of tho
Office. There was also some confusion
in the classification of somo of the
"Road' and other accounts. From these
differences and tho discussion of them
n report became curront in the county
that thore was shortage somewhere.
| can find no foundation at all for this
report Othor than as above stated.
Tho Treasuror's and County Commits
sioners' books, upon the settlement fol-
lowing those disputes, balance to cent,
and thcro is nc shortage anywhere, and,
finding nothing wrong, l doom it unnoc-
go into any "details, or make any item-
lied statement of the accounts in either
of these offices.
In tho course of my examination of
this Office some facts camo to my knowl-
edge, to which, think, your attention
should be called.
AS well as can be ascortained now (the
fiscal year not having yet endcd) thore
will be deficiency of some $1,000 to
~ rI 70 pf sc
this year. Already the Court fund is
exhausted, and tho jurors, witnesses and
others, whose attendance on tho Court
is compulsory, in attendance at tho pres
ent torn, viii 90 without their pay till
tho next tax is collected.
The Board of County Commissioners
cannot be to blanc for this, because they
have no control over tho expenditure.
There has been no extraordinary length
of term or expense in tho Courts. The
whole trouble has been an insufficient
levy on tho part of the Legislature. In
tho expenditure of the othor funds there
is no evidence in the Office of extrava-
CANT or unusual expenditure; yet the
deficiency will be about $1,000, as above
stated.
The taxes levied for this county for
noxt years expenses, instead of relieving
the situation, will add to it. For instance,
is only IL mills. This will raise approx
matoly 81, 400. The salaries of tho county
officials, all Of which are paid out of this
fund, will amount to about 81, 600, leay-
ing deficiency of 5000. These salaries
are fixed by law, and hence cannot be
reduced or controlled by tho Board Of
County Commissioners. They can be
calculated in advance with approximate
accuracy-only tho fees of constables and
N{1 1,n TO-, l. .ol>
Out of this fund also must be paid tho
accounts for building bridges, for tho
support of tho county poor, for tho
stationery for all tho county officials,
and, in faot, all other accounts against
the county except those against tho
special funds such aB "Court", Especial
Road', &c. Those accounts, in addition
to tho salaries of officials, amounted last
year to somo $4,000 Add this amount
to the $500 deficiency in salaries of
officials and you have total deficiency
in this ono fund alone for next yoar of
nearly four thousand dollars, which
can bc absolutely ascertained before
tho tax is collected or tho expenses in
Cured. I havo not taken tho trouble
to calculate what tho deficiency for next
year will probably bo in the othor funds.
This alone, whom added to tho $4,000 of
deficiency to bo carried over from this
year, is disgracoful enough. l find
amongst the records of tho Supervisory
oflico that IN estimate of q mills was
furnished by that Office to tho Legisla-
turo to bo levied for "ordinary county,
purposes for noXt yoar.
This would have raised some $G,50Oto
1000 and loft little, if any, doficioncy
think your jury should uso what powor
and influence it may havo to proYont o
recurrence of such results.
Respectfully submitted,
VIM. j. SrRrBLINa.