The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-09-27

great deal OF SOod, as IS evil
denced by the general improve
ment that must be noted in the
roads throughout the whole
county, we have come to thecon,
clusion during the present ycal
that the chaingang system, under
the management that we were
then running it. was not giving
satisfactory returns to the coun,
! ty. This is due to the fact that
the number of convicts got down
to an average Of only four or five,
and it requires almost the same
expense to ooperate the chalngane
with that number Of convicts as
it would require if we had ten 0!
fifteen, in SO far at least, as ma
chinery, mules. and guards are
concerned. We have therefore
thought best, and have lately
practically done away with the
use of convicts, leasing two to
Sumter County, sending one to
the hospital in the penetentIary,
and keeping one to assist IN the
road work which we are now
continuing. We have a | $ O
thought best to dispose Of some
of the mules which we had on
hand, and have lately sold five
mules to Georgetown County for
S9OO.OO, or an average price OF
$4,000 a piece. We still have
on hand three mules, which wehnd
necessary to be kept for hauling
purposes and operating dirt carts
and trucks, but we are running
the road building machines prin-
cipally with the traction engine
above mentioned, which We are
operating successfully. We find
it necessary even yet to employ
two or three men, one good man
at a salary Of $4,000 per month
to operate and keep up the ma,
chinery, one man at a salary OF
$500 pc month and one at SIS. 90
per month and by this change
we have been enabled to mater
tally reduce the chaingang ex-
penses. It may not be amlss to
State for your Honor's informa.
ton and the information of the
public, that as an Offset to some
of the money we have spent,
which the grand jury in their
conception of their duty charge
as extravaganza, we now have on
hand three mules worth $4,000,
one engine and trucks worth
$4,000. 90, a number of carts tor
hauling dirt estimated atslOo 90,
one portable prison and portable
kitchen, which, if the chaingang
system is not resumed, will be
salable at s500.00 for the two.
The changing and roads and
bridge account, and the malnten-
ance of the poor. are the two
principal sources for the expen.
diture of money, in which the
county commissioners have to
exercise their discretion. Nearly
all other ways of expending the
public funds are stipulated by
fees and salaries.
VII. In regards to the MAIN
tenance of the poor, we beg leave
to state that during the past year
we have purchased a farm OF l67
acres at a cost of only $4,000,
with which we propose to con
vert into a poor farm. We have
not vet had the funds at our dis
posal to erect buildings upon
these premises, but we are I'M
proving the place and have a
fairly good crop upon it the pres.
ent year which We propose to
utilize in the maintenance OF the
poor and the support of the
chaingang. 1t is our purpose as
soon as we are in position to DO
so. to erect buildings upon these
premises and require all Of the
poor Of the county who are re
ceiving aid from the public funds.
to roSide in the county Door
house. We have heretofore sup
piled the most needy ones with
only the necessaries of life in
! monthly amounts from S1.oo to
So. 90 and have been in the habit
of paying only $500 a piece
whenever it has been necessary
to purchase coffin at the coun-
ty's expense.
VIII. In regard to the indebt-
edness Of the county, which
seemed to astonish the members
of the grand jury, we beg to
state that the county is IN no
worse condition than it has been
for several years past, and we
expect te be able at the end of
the present year, as we have done
| in the last several years, to pay
off it's usual annual expenses. a
few years ago, the General As
sembly provided for the erection
of a iail at a cost of 100000 and
supplemented this amount with
another appropriation of $500. 100,
and provided that this amount
should be paiG in installments
which would become due annual
| lv for five years, and madea spe-
cial levy of a J mill to meet these
expenses. S5OO0.o0 OF t h S
amount was borrowed from the
c+o+o Cinkinor El7n6 Commission.