The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-01-19

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county treasurer. THIS seems to
be a general statute, but in the
third section of the act 1t Is provided
that the act shall apply to no counties
in the State except Colleton and Berke-
lev. This disregard of constitutional
provisions if not checked will open the
wav to an increasing mass OF this kind
of Ieoislstion, and must result IN the
practical defeat of the objects OF the
Constitutional inhibition.
PROMPT action should be taken by
your honorable bodies to enforce OBJ
saryance of the provisions of the con-
st1tution on this subject, and to contne
LEGISLATION as nearly as practicable
within the limits prescribed by the con-
stitution. would respectfully recon-
mend for your earnest consideration the
creation, by q joint resolution, OF ]oict
committee of the two houses who shall
be specially charged with the duty OF
supervising all bills introduced, and re-
norting such as come within the proprl-
etory provisions of the constitution, re-
latinc to local and special legislation.
With such safeguard the General As
sembly can successfully avoid the en-
actment of laws forbidden by the con-
stitution and insure the faithful OBJ
servance of its wise and salutary pro-
visions.
State Colleges.
The attendance at the State colleges
is fully mp to the average. They all ap.
pear to, be doing satisfactory and careful
work. During the past year DR.. Frank
G.. Woodward was elected president OF
the Souto Carolina College, and Prof.
Henry s. Hartzog president of Clemson
College. They were elected to fill va
cancies occasioned by the designations
of DR.. James Woodrow, president OF
the South Carolina College, and Prof.
E. B. Craighead, president of Clemson
College. Results are proving the Wis
dom of the trustees in making these e1'
cellent selections.
Phosphate Industry.
Only $40, 700. 25 have been paid dur
ing the year into the State treasury
from the phosphate mining industry.
This amount. under the law. mnst be
devoted to a sinking fund for the To-
aemption of State bonds. You may e3-
pect still smaller revenue from thus
source next year. Competition with Al
giers and Florida has so reduced the
price of phosphate rock that some OF
our miners have been forced to suspend
cperstions. Those who are engaged IN
the business are mining at loss, not
withstanding the fact that the board OF
phosphate commissioners reduced the
ROYALTY from so cents to % cents per
ton.
The Sinking Fund Commission.
The total value Of the assets of the
cumulative phosphate royalty sinking
fund is S263, ,O07, 56. Of this amount
S37. 532. 90 was loaned to counties at
rate of 5 per cent. interest per annum.
The sinking fund has permanently In
vested in State stocks S35, 72S. Sc. There
is invested in temporary loans, under
the act of February %, 1896, and Feb
ruary IS, 1897, S5s, 4S4. %. This leaves
q balance of $131, ,262.7S, which has
been deposited in bank. bearing 4
per cent. payable monthly. You can
see from the above statement that
under the act of 1897 only a small
amount was lent to counties; while the
greater part of the fund has been de-
posted in banks and is unsecured, e1'
cept by the credit of these banks. II
will also be seen that on the 91st OF
December, 1896, there was then loaned
to the banks at A. per cent. interest,
snd secured by deposit with the State
treasurer as collateral security OF State
Brown A per cent. stock, S173, 9S4. 22,
leaving only SO, S16. 03 cash deposited in
bank.
Confederate Records.
It has been particularly unfortunate
that the Office of State historian has
been made vacant by the death OF two
worthy incumbents. Since the ad'
journment of the General Assembly
the grand old Confederate soldier,
General Hugh L. Farley. has passed
away, before he had completed the
work to which he had been assigned.
I appointed Col. John P. Thomas Con
federate historian, to carry on the
task. You will find in the report OF
Colonel Thomas detailed statement
of the work already done, togethe,
with what remains to be finished, !,
especially as to the completion OF the
Confederate rolls. 1t is the duty OF
tho State to prepare an historical ac'
count of the part taken by the com.
mands from this State in the great
civil war and to complete the rolls. /
therefore urge that provision be made
for carrying ON this work. 10 insure
completion I recommend that sum
be appropriated sufficient for carrying
out this undertaking; and I suggest as
an inducement to its early completion
that while sufficient money be allowed
monthly for current expenses, the
major portion be paid only upon the
completion and acceptance Of the work
as now mapped out.
County Government.
The General Assembly should give
careful consideration to the matter OF
expenditures by county governments.
The system now in force is very cum
bersome, and in many counties leads to
extravaganza. From the representa-
ton bv townships arises tendency to
reciprocate favors. and this leads to
useless expenditures which, If there
were no opportunity for these mutually
beneficial exchanges, would be avoided.
MANY counties have remedled this troo-
ble as far as possible and have made
further saving by placing their officers
on fixed salaries and turning the sur
plus left over after paying the salary
;n+o 4ba ooporol conntv fund