Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-04-15
FREE LIGHT AND WATER.
Mr.. John r. Hart Replies to the Article
Of Registered Voter.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer:

Mr.. John r. Hart Replies to the Article
Of Registered Voter.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
The article in your issue Of the 18th
inst, signed Registered Voter" has
been called to my attention. While,
ordinarily, an anonymous communica-
ton. Is unworthy Of notice, yet in this
instance, 1 shall correct some of his
mistakes.
First, and foremost, the present
town council consisting Of the under
signed, and aldermen ]. NJ. Starr, /.
w. Johnson, ]. p. White, J. F.. Young
blood, r. j. Mackorell and D. T.
Woods did not vote light and water to
themselves. The matter Of light and
water to the members Of the council
was voted by council four years ago,
consisting Of Messrs. J. E. Lowry,
mayor, and Geo. w. S. Hart, w. E.
Ferguson, w. s. Neil, w. P. Harrison,
W. II. Herndon and c. F. James, al
dermen, II l remember correctly, and
the resolution allowing light and wa
ter as compensation for services was
not made for their council, but for
such council as might succeed them
Further, not single member Of the
council that passed the resolution Of
fered for reelection, and when the
resolution was passed, 1t was the gen.
eral understanding, l am told, that
the council would not offer again.
This resolution was passed only O.
short time before the expiration Of
the term of office Of that council. So,
when Registered Voter" states that
"a majority Of the council (the coun-
ell passing the resolution) expected to
be elected again anyway" and was
preparing for the future" he is in err
ror.
Registered Voter" also asserts
that lawyer on the council discover
ed that the constitution of the state
prohibited a town council from rails
ing its salary during its term Of office.
Again he Is in error Mr. Geo. W. S.
Hart was the only lawyer member of
the council at that time, and I feel
quite safe in saying that he never
made any such statement, for there Is
no such provision in the constitution Of
| this state, and Mr.. Hart is too honest
man to misstate fact, or go off half
cooked. He probably said that 1t
would be improper for a council to
raise its own salary, or to vote itself
compensation, after having taken Of
flee with the understanding that there
was no salary attached, and In this l
agree with him.
AS stated, the present council has
never, in any way, raised or lowered
the compensation paid the mayor and
compensation Qights and water. min
imum, amounting to about $2.00 per
month) allowed the aldermen.
This council did vote lights and
water (minimum) to the board Of
health as compensation for their SER
vices. I do not recollect whether or
not 1 voted on the matter. If I did 1
most assuredly voted to allow this
compensation. My only regret IS that
the finances Of the town are in such
shape that the members Of the board
of health cannot be paid a good SAL
ary, a sum of money commensurate
with the work done and services rem
dered by this most excellent board.
the board consists of three members
Messrs. r. E. Montgomery, Quinn Wal
lace and DR.. M. ]. Walker. When the
smallpox was prevalent at the York
Cotton Mills and finally developed
one case in Yorkville, 1t was these
three men, with the assistance of
some Of the local physicians that stood
between this community and the ter
rible scourge. When citizens of York
vile were asking and demanding ex-
orbitant prices for some of the things
necessary for the burial Of one Of the
victims, these three men devoted their
entire time and attention to the prop
er quarantining Of the town, and
the proper burial Of the victims. OF
my own knowledge. members Of the
board Of health have remained up all
night guarding the town. | have had
them phone me at two and three
o'clock in the morning asking for au-
thority to making certain expendi-
1anrInn6 w hTv thann
prevent the spread Of the disease. /
am told that Dr. M. J. Walker, physi-
clan Of the board OF health, Haccinat-
ed nearly four hundred people, and
for this he received absolutely no
compensation other than his light
and water. l am not extolling the
board Of health. 1t does not need 1t.
The people Of this town know the SER
vices rendered. If they do not, 1t Is
time they were knowing. 1 only want
to say emphatically that I regret that
this board is not compensated to
greater extent than two dollars per
month and this especially when it is
remembered that the board does prac-
tically all of its own work, inspection.
etc. having no regular health officer
employed.
The council which preceded the
present one made the contract with
the Catawba Power company for
power, whereby the town is sold
minimum Of sixty horse power. The
town was not using all Of this power,
hence II was a method Of compenSa-
ton that cost the taxpayers nothing
directly I believe that every laborer
is worthy of his hire. and that the
mayor and aldermen should be COM
penSated for their services. and when
il is remembered that the town of
Yorkville owns its lights, sewerage
other public utilities. am sure that
any fair minded citizen will recognize
that the municipal officers of this
town do perform labor for the town.
7 know of no law. either I'm the
charter Of this town. or the statute
law of the state. that requires a resO-
luton Of the council to be published.
Had there been such n law. I have no
doubt that the resolution authorizing
light and water to the aldermen and.
mayor would have been published.
There has been. so far as I know. no
effort to conceal the fact. The books
of this town are now open. and have
always been open. To the inspection
Of any taxpayer at any time.
Just one other matter in conclu-
sion: The allusiOn of Registered
Voter" to counting Of nOses,'' "the
that are not I'm touch with
uously untrue and absurd as to be
of notice. What does regis
tered voter thing this town Is? An
EaSt-sidc ward where voters are
rounded up and carried to the polls?