The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-01-18
THE DIsPENsARY Law.
Recommends That it Shall
be Applied to Counties as
they Vote.
SUGGESTIONS ON OTHER
STATE INSTITUTIONS.
csemson,s Expenses May be Cut
Down.

Gentlemen of the General Assembly
In accordance with the mandate O
the Constitution, have the honor t
present to you this my second annua
message.
The finances of the State are stil
10 an unsatisfactory condition: Every
obligation of the State has beer
promptly met but. to do this, the
State treasurer has overdrawn, 70,
email amounts, upon various banks
IN which State funds have been de.
posted The State Of South Carroll.
na should always be ina position to
meet current expenses without the
necessity Of overdrafts upon banks.
70 do this, il is evident that one oi
two things viii: have to be done
either the appropriation must be cut
down OF the tax levy raised.
The total value Of the assets Of the
cumulative Phosphate Royalty Sink.
ing Fund is $296, ,492 04. OF this
amount $l05, ,592 75 IS lent to conn-
ties al s rate of fre per cent. interest
per annum. The sinking fund has
permanently invested IN the State
stocks S35, ,72s Sc. There is invest
ed ID temporary loans to banks, uader
the act OF February 25, 1896, and
February 25, 1897, $2S,4s4 % This
leaves 4 balance sl25,S22 81, which
has been deposited in banks, and
which draws 4 per cent payable
MONTH
Only S2s,522 g. have been paid
during the year into the State treas
ury from tae phosphate mining in.
dussry Mr. James Reid is due the
State s.. 100 90 royalty on phosphate
rock which he has mined The
attorney general has Instituted pro-
ceedings against him, and all of his
personal and real property has been
attached The phosphate inspector
estimates the value of the property
attached to secure bis deb. at 81:
00e 90.
aa she last session Of the general
assembly, $500 we're appropriated for
sshe completion Of the Confederate
szosis. Col John r Thomas, Confed.
sssate historian, reports that the rolls
have been completed but the history
has not been written
Only eight States of the Union
hosd annual sessions of their legisla-
tires, and il seems q most desirable
policy for our owr State Each
session Of our general assembly costs
about City thousand dollars We
have too much Legislation, and con-
seauensly too many laws Biennial
sessions, limited TO forty days, would
ae ample for due consideration of
ell aat,ers pertaining to legislative
husiness / therefore recommend
cha, aa amendment 60 the constitu
zion Of the State, looking to the
establishment of biennial sessions of
the general assembly, be submitted
TO the people
There is great necessity for leg
ssIatise enactment to sec5,e method,
Uniformity and stability in the time,
order asd duration Of our courts
! There Is, at present. demoraIiziDg
:srregulasiiy in .bis matter
Perhaps the best method 70 &C
conpIish the desired results 10 this
matter would be the appointment or
the election of standing commits
sion, composed of the attorney gen
eral and the circuit judges. w.o
.es,ouid meet, for the direction and
management of all these matters not
eftener fhaa once In Eve years.
The colleges of the State are in
zoe condition and are Going excellent
work Toe oldest of them, the South
Carolina college, has 1870 students.
asd as able faculty as can be found
10 the Soath.
The South Carolina Military acao'
emy. as you will see from the report
Of it's board, 10 doing efficiently the
work expected of it.
The States newer institutions o1
aearnipg-csemson and Winthrop col
leges-a.e iu fourishing condition
Their faculties are fall and theil
patronage is large
The amounts asked for by these
various colleges are reasonable and
are necessary for for their eficien
operatioa. | therefore recommend
sIa. the appropriations asked for b!
these various institutions be in eacl
case appropriated by the genera
assembly.
Nv views as to the necessity o
converting all branches of our edu
cas;ona. system, as expressed in m.
message of last session, have under