Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-02-23
COUNTY TAX LEVY THE SAME.
State Tax Half Mill Higher--Thinks
Bulls Company Suits Mr.. Mann.

Representative Coke ID. Mann has
| trained his little poke-stock on me
in your last issue. Well, l want to
say in the outset that ! do not fee!
1t my duty to get mad with every one
who does not agree with me, or per-
chance who should aspire to be
| candidate for the same office, but 1T
Is my wish to accord to every one
the right Of free speech and free
thought. Mr.. Mann's bill provided
for an Increase of the County Com
missioners from two to eight, with
the same duties as at present, but
with salary Of one hundred dollars
each. could see no relief in this
plan, and ! am satisfied that it would
only be year or two until the sal
airy Of those eight men would be
increased The great complaint in
county affairs Is on account of paying
too much for the many small con-
tracts. | could not see why a board
| Of eight men meeting at the Court
| House once month would or could
give any better service or more at
tention to the details of road work
than the three. They would have to
spend the time that they would get
pay for driving back and forth to
the Court House.
The plan that | substituted for
MIR. Mann's was to have three town
ship commissioners, whose duty 1t
would be to have the roads worked
| and small bridges repaired. The
| township commissioner is nearer to
his work and could see and look after
| the roads in his own community bet
| ter and with less expense than any
one at distance. | believe that the
three men In township would have
more work done for the money than
| any way that can be devised, and it
is giving the people who pay the
| taxes the right to spend the money
where IL Is most needed. The ap-
portionment of funds to each town
ship would In this way be used to
keep the roads in the best possible
condition and put stop to running
the county In debt
! have carefully examined the op-
Grafton of the county government in
| many counties, and the township
| plan has proven more satisfactory.
| Some counties change their form Of
ten, but those counties that have
retained their township government
for working roads are getting on the
| best.
Mr. Mann says: 81 world rather
| plow bull in new ground than try
to legislate with Senator Earle"
| Well! | am sure the bulls company
would be more suitable and congen-
ial to his nature than that Of the gen
| tiemen Of the General Assembly. as
well as in keeping with his ability.
1t IS not my purpose to character
| lZc others opinions as cussedness
because they differ from mine. Abuse
and epithets are appropriate for peo-
pie OF some callings. but that does
| not suit my taste.
| On account OF this disagreement
the county commissioners as now
constituted will continue for two
more years.
want TO say something about the
Soldiers Home because there Is such
a general impression that it is more
like an unkept prison. 1t is a really
nice building, splendidly kept in
every respect, equipped with every
comfort and convenience that is
| needed There are over seventy of
the Vets there, and they seem con-
tented and happy. They go out into
the city or anywhere they wish, lust
so that they are in at meal times. We
| found the house In far better shane
than we had expected. The ladies
of Columbia have done a great deal
| towards identifying the home and
making the last days of the patriots
happy.
| made several visits to the State
| Hospital for the Insane and saw that
all or the patients from Oconee are
reasonably we'll cared for. The asy-
| lum Is badly crowded, b., those in
charge are humane and do all thev
can for the relief Of the patients.
| Ihe regular appropriation has been
| increased by fifty thousand dollars,
| and In addition one hundred thou
| sand dollars was approp rated TO be-
gin the erection of new buildings on
| land to be purchased near Columbia,
where the colored patients, and the
noisy and violent ones among the
| whites, will be provided for.
The tax levy for our county is the
same as last year. but the State levy
IS increased one-half mill. Hence We
VIII pay fifteen and One-half mills
thls year. One and one-half mills IS
ieVied IN Seneca School District 10
pay paSt-due interest
The penitentiary authorities agree
TO hire our county a bunch of con-
victS for road work this spring if the
County Commissioners want them
Respectfully, j. r. Earle.
Do you know that Group can be
prevented? Give Chamberlain's
Cough Remedy as soon as the child
becomes hOarSe Or oven oftor tho