Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1905-02-15
SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORTS
records in the Office Not in Satisfac-
tory Condition For a Considerable
Period

| ~ohhilltee TO examine the books of
state officers in part as follows:
10 the General Assembly of South
Carolina:
iour committee appointed to make
quarterly examination of the Offices Of
ne State treasurer. COMPTROLLER ren-
RAJ SINKING fund commissioners ana
ne secretary of state beg to report.
mat lney nave examined the book
u accounts of tie above named officers
'ho ma the offices OF State treasurer
'ohfp'roller general and sinking fund
i'C'' "i.n proper vouchers the of
ices and the books neatly and wolI
Kept. and the committees With nleasure
commend the efficiency and courtesy of
/ ne onicers and assistants in these sev
eral departments
appended are statement from the
oooks of the several departments.
we beg to call attention to the fact
NAT the Office OF the COMPTROLLER pcn-
raj is so.ely in need of cases. etc. for
ne preservation of the valuable records
, n that Office. Papers of great v,lun
are compelled to he left uncovered ana
unprotected for lack OF safe and con
'enlent places to file them. and should
nre occur in that office. as did occur
3 II tne secretary Od states Office tho
loss would be irrcparable and nothing
would be saved except such records and
BOOKS as can be and are kent in tho
already crowded safe. We earnestly
urge supplying this Office with proper
nNtures and that sufficient appropria-
ION pe MADE FOR this purpose at this
, session.
AS to the secretary OF states office
The report says:
ms Office has not been included i'm
me examinations heretofore. but last
year this additional duty was placed
on TINS committee and ii has hecn an
oherouS. unpleasant and extremely diff
hcuit matter TO ascertain the cxact
ana true condition of the finances of
thlS oiilce-due to many reasons which
we WI! 3tcmpt to show later on
When we first went to this Office i'm
april, 1904. We were informed that we
could conclude our laburs in 10 min
utes and were shown the bank books
ana mere statement of amounts. ao-
sTcSat@, received in that Office and
amount paid State treasurer On in
-Isting that we came for Il real eXami-
nation we were begged for time to pre-
pare books, etc. However. your commit
zee went TO work, but soon found. ON
account of the absence of books and
improper entries of cash received
the books furnished, which had been
badly kept. Your committee feeling the
need or thorough examination ad-
/ lourned and secured the services of an
accountant, Mr. j. c. Hollis of Gaffnev
,. g.. and with his valuable assistance
made up book of every item we could
hnd and was furnished by Mr.. r. NJ
McCown. the assistant clerk. said book
being now in the possession of your
committee. After adjourning and be-
lore our return with Mr.. Hollis many
srraSureS and corrections were made on
the books attempted TO be kept The
only way we could do was to handle
each declaration for charter. return,
appllcatlon for notary public-in fact
every paper during Mr. Gantt's admin
tration. Seeing that considerable time
would he consumed in this eXamina-
tion. we did not feel justified in going
back of his term without express au-
thoTity so did not do so. but feel now
that this should be done by the com
mittee to be appointed.
In comparing the return of corpora
tors to the charters that were re-
corded. we found some unrecordcd and
. others eroncOusly recorded such as
! where charter had been granted in
the sum o. $4,000 same was recorded
as having been issued in the sum of
500. 600. This work we did not complete
/ On account of Il very damaging fire i'm
the office where. principally, all records
were kept. and since that time we have
/ been unable to do any such work. for
the books were badly injured hence
such examination was necessarily sus-
pended.
! In many cases we found where over
collections had been made. aEEregating
/ S367.55 ranging from 30 cents to $3.50
There was no evidence that these va
rious items had been returned 10 the
proper parties hut on the contrary.
the secretary OF state informed us we
had nothing to do with these excess
amounts. as that was a matter be-
tween himself and the parties sending
them" We do not agree to such Il
proposition. On the book which was
/ supposed to he kept items were left off
entirely To illustrate: Camperdown
mills, chartered April 30. 1904; charter
fee $l00, and others.
Improper amounts credited to state:
Puckhaber Bros. Charleston: charter
fee $50: amount State credited with.
SIS. March 22. 1901 We feel compelled
to condemn this carcsSness in hand
ling the peoples money and IN not
keeping proper entries OF all moneys
coming through the Office. also the
I mctnOi thdt mas pIcNdllcu IN many III
stances where credit system has been
allowed To give an instance. the Nor
riS Cotton mills, charter increased on
April TO- 1908; charter fee $50; amount
received after charter issued. $25; and
the claim was made that the late Col.
-. *. Norris contcudcd that "th" ;,iiicc
already owed him So. Either this
money is lost to the state or is Il loss
to The secretary OF state; AZ any rate
such practice should be discontinued.
There are ohcr Instances. THESE items
O. ovcr-coIlectionS|may have been re-
turned but we ha(e no evidence oi
same. Your coming uec is oosnzaat Of
one instance whdc there has heen q