Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-02-24

last days OF the session. every member
wanting to get his bill up fof oonsiior-
alton, but many Of the bills now ON the
oaiander will not become law at this
session, as it willbe impossible to reach
tnem, and so much the better for the
people, il seems that membcrs think
that the introducti0n OF bills IN tho
thing. to do TO advertise themselyes. Let
that be as IT may, lot of bills have
been dropped from the calendar.
The appropriation and supply bills
nave been passed, and the bill looking to
the working and maintaining of roads
has passed, which is as follows:
The Committee of Free Conference, Co
"hom was referred Mr.. Herndon's bill
to amend Sections 0 and 4, of an Act en-
titled ''An Act TO further regulate the
working and maintaining of the highways
and bridges of this State," approved Feb
ruary 26, AID. 1902, reported that they
had duly and carefully considered the
Same, and recommended that the bill
pass, with the following amendments:
Amend by striking out all aftar the
enacting words and by inserting in lieu
thereof the following:
Section 1. That Section @ be stricken
out and the following inserted in lieu
thereof, 30 that said Section, when
amended, shall read as follows. ''Section
.. All male persons able to perform the
labor herein required, from the age of
eighteen to fifty years of age, inclusive,
residing in this State, except ministers
of the Gospel in actual charge of con-
gregation, teachers employed in the pub
lie schools, school trustees, and persons
permanently disabled in military service
OF the State, and persons who served in
the late War Between the States, and all
persons actually employed In the quar-
antine service of the State, shall be liable
to road duty, and shall be required annu-
ally to perform labor on the highways,
under the direction of the overseer of the
road district in which he shall reside, for
such a number of days not less than two
nor moro than eight, as may be fixed by
the Board of County Commissioners Of
the county in which such labor is to be
performed: Provided, all students while
actually attending any of the colleges or
schools in this State shall be exempt
from road or street duty or the payment
of any Communication tax"
Sec. g. That Section Z be stricken
out, and in lieu thereof insert tho follow
ing, so that when amended, said Section
shall read as follows: "Section I. In lieu
of performing the labor of ten hours per
day, as required for the several counties,
commutation tax may be paid annually
by the person so liable, on or before such
time as may be determined and fixed by
the Board of County Commissioners Of
each county for their respective counties,
which shall not be less than one dollar.
nor more than three dollars, the amount
to be regulated by the Board of County
Commissioners, according to the necessi.
ties of their respective countless: Pro-
vided, That q person liable to labor under
this Act shall have the right to furnish n
competent substitute to labor in his
stead: Provided further, All commuta-
tion tax collected shall be expended by
the Board of County Commissioners
upon the public roads in the township
where the commutation tax is collected" !"
Section 3. That all Acts and parts of
Acts inconsistent herewith, be, and are
hereby repealed.
Richard L. Manning, on the part of the
Senate; William ]. johnson, Thomas
III. Rainsford, Arthur Kiber, on the part
of the House.
The House agreed to the report of
the committee, and message was sont
to the Senate accordingly.
The Oconce delegation has received
advance editorial sheet of The Keowee
Courier, sent at the request of the Board
of County Commissioners of Oconee
county, headed, "The Tax Levy" We
want to say that this has been hard
problem to solve and we gave it earnest
consideration, taking all things and all
the tax payers into consideration.
Our aim was to meet the demands
against our county as soon as possible
without working hardship or burden
on our people. We fCol satisfied that
our solution of the problem is the best
way out of tho financial trap we find
ourselves in. We also think that the
County Commissioners do not fully un-
derstand what we have placed in
their hands to be used by them. While
we would not accuse our present board
of being extravagant, wo think they have
done well when we consider what they
! have had to contend with. But the
| time has come, and now is, that we must
begin to put on the brakes all along the
| line on the subject of taxes.
AS to the bill requiring the purchase
of Ravene's bridge, we think it is only
fair to the people of that section of our
county, that being the only toll bridge in
| the county, and Pickens proposes to pay
one-half of tho cost, that the bridge
should be bought and give a free cross
ing to our people.
| Our people will find in a letter from
DR.. Doyle just what their taxes will be
and for what purpose. We hope that
our board will be able to get through
and that the Taxpayers will also be able
to live after paying their taxes.
We will soon be at home and then we
will bo willing to give an account of our
doings. w. NJ. Brown.