Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-01-15
STATE NOW PROSPEROUS
Gssa. Wisdor, Should chssacteriza
the Deliberations Of the Peoples
Representatives = Some Changes
suggested in Existing Laws.
To the Honorable, the Members Of

l..r.t k&5SSoSSS - SS<a<3s&AS @fSUSs
To the Honorable, the Members ol
tho General Assembly:
The Constitution Of this Stats
makes it the duty Of the Governor tc
give to the General Assembly IRON
time to time information Of the con.
dition Of the State and to recommcnc
for its consideration, such measures
as he shall deem necessary or expcd.
s lent. In obedience TO the, duty thus
required of me, / beg to submit, fol-
your consideration, the following
message:
1t gives me pleasure to say tha,
we have been signally blessed TIC
past year, at the hands of the Al
mighty, with health, with peace and
with plenty-our people have been
spared from famine and pestilence
md from storm ard cyclone; and
while, during the past few weeks,
there has been some scarcity Of mon
ey, yet our barns and cribs are full
and no panic,,is thee !ening.
The highest Of all honors> is tc
make laws to govern the people. This
honor has been conferred upon you
by your constituents, and I beg thai
you bring to the duty assigned you
your best knowledge and Judgment.
States Finances.
There is noquestion with which you
will have to deal that will require
more careful attention than this. We
are one year behind in the assessment
and collection of our taxes, or rather
we collect the taxes at the end OF
the year for the expenses Of the
State government for the year past,
when we should have the taxes in
hand at the beginning of the year to
pay the obligations of the State as
they mature. The condition Of
things frequently makes it necessary
<for the State to borrow money be-
fore the taxes are collected to pay
the running expenses of the State
government and the appropriations
made by the General Assembly. Dur
ing this year the, Governor, State
Treasurer and Comptroller- General
have had to borrow three hundred
and fifty thousand dollars for these
purposes, the authority for borrow
ing the money having been granted
at your, last session.
These conditions are likely to con-
iinue year after year unless provision
is made to catch up. /, therefore,
recommend that ct leas an ezra two
mill tax for State purposes be pro-
.vided for at this session of the Leg
islature, the same to be done for the
aext, two years, when We will have in
The State treasury money sufficient to
place us where we will not have
borrow, but "can pay as we go.'
Another matter which I desire to
:all to your attention is that the ap-
preparations of last year exceeded
fhe estimated revenue, on 4 1-2-mill
levy by, several thousand dollars (see
report Of Comptroller-GeneraD Ii
is very evident to every thinking
business man that If an appropria-
ion is made the tax levy should be
sufficient to meet tho same Our State
Constitution, Article TO-. Section 2,
provides as follows: "'The General
Assembly shall provide for an annual
tax sufficient to defray the estimated
expenses of the State for each year,
end whenever it shall happen thai
the ordinary expenses of the State
for any year tshall exceed the income
Of the State for such yeaf, the Gen
eral Assembly shall provide for levy
ing tax for the ensuing year sufi-
cient with other sources Of income
to pay the deficiency of the preceding
year together with the estimated ex-
penses of the ensuing year, This is
the organic law of our State, and |
remind you Of its provisions in order
that you may follow its commands.
Sinking Fund.
It was wise provision of the law
that established Sinking Fund. 1t
las been managed with ability and
fidelity, and many Of the counties are
borrowing money from this fund un-
der special Acts of the Legislature.
The assets of these several funds, or
December 81, 1907, are as follows:
Cumulative Sinking Fund (for re-
demption and payment Of South Car
olina Brown 4 1-2 per cent bonds),
six hundred and thirty thousand four
hundred and one dollars and ninety
four cents ($630, ,401.94.)
Ordinary Sinking Fund, sixty
seven thousand three hundred and
eighty-three dollars and thirty cents
(s67, ,3s3.30).
Sinking Fund for: insurance of
public buildings, thirty-six thousand,
six hundred and segenty-fye dollars
and ninety-three cents ($36,675.93).
Assessment Of Property.
This is the most difficult Of all the
questions with which You will have to
deal The Constitution of the State
provides the correct rule, and if ali
property were assessed according to
its provisions the tax levy would be
less, and all property would be con-