Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-01-21
The Governors Recommendations.

the dlterences among tne people
might be composed; that the spirit
of factionalism might be allayed, and
in his last message to the Gener al
Assembly he expresses qualification
that he has Gin any measure con-
tributed to the unifcation of senti-
ment among our people and the wip.
ing out of factional lines" He has
succeeded far beyond general public
expectation in the administration of
his office. There are some things for
which he may be criticised; there
are still more things for which he
deserves to be praised. The balance
in his case is on the right side. In
his last message to the Legislature
he makes a number of recommends
tions, briefly stated as follows:
1. A compliance with the clear
mandate of the Constitution that
"all taxes upon property, real and
personal, shall be laid upon the actual
value of the property taxed"-not
SO per cent of it's actual value, nor
60 per cent, nor yet 80 per cent, as
is the case now in some parts of the
State; but upon the actual value.
2. A general system of road i'm
provement to be paid for by a
property tax, to be levied on all tax
able property, whether situated in
town or country.
3. The enactment of compulsory
education law.
4. State aid to the public schools
and such an appropriation as will
"bring up the deficient schools to a
minimum standard"-the appropria-
tion not 10 be less than the aggregate
amount appropriated for the support
of the State colleges.
S. The creation of County Boards
of Education and the employment
of expert Superintendents of Edu-
cation, in accordance with the recon-
mendation of the State Superintend-
ent, so that business in which the
State invests nearly million dollars
every year shall not be without capa-
BILE business supervision.
6. The establishment of Home
Schools for Girls and Farm Schools
for Boys in such counties as shall, by
special Act of the Legislature, vote
upon themselves tax not exceeding
two mills for the support of such
schools.
Z. The continued favor of the
General Assembly towards the seve.
raj State colleges.
8. The passage of law prohibit
ing the employment of children in
the cotton mills of the State.
9. The building of a new house for
the Governor, the present Executive
Mansion being utterly inadequate.
10. An increase in the number of
judicial circuits in the State, instead
of making any further attempt to
relieve legal congestion by the expe-
dent of ordering special courts.
II. The imposition of tax of 2
per cent on all outside insurance
companies doing business in the State
on the gross premiums collected in
the State, instead of the taxes now
required of these companies, and the
payment by each agent or represen~
tative of an insurance company solic-
iting insurance in the State of a
small sum for license to do busi-
ness. In 1901 these companies col
.lected from the people of the State
$2,800,789.47, and paid back in
losses for the same time 81, 1897 ,649.81.
The companies realized on the years
business in this State 81, ,463, ,14O.66.
IL. The cure of certain growing
evils of the pension system adopted
by the State for the relief of old
Confederate soldiers, by having the
executive officers of the Camps of
United Confederate Veterans in each
county act as the county pension
board, or having the survivors to
elect the members of the pension
boards. Last year the State paid
100000 to INDECENT Confederate
Veterans, four times the amount first
appropriated for this purpose three
or four years ago, and the Comp
troller General reported that there
are now 1850 names on the pension
rolls of the State. 1t is a growing
evil against which the Governor
would have the Legislature provide.
13. Ample provision for the sup
port of the State militia, upon the
strength of which "rests at last the
safety of our structure Of civil gov
ernment."
ID. The creation of the Office Of
State Bacteriologist, so that the
work of the State Board of Health
may be more effective and the health
of the people protected and pro.