Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-01-02
From John L, Mclaurin.

From John L. Mclaurin.
Bennettsville, S. c. Dec. %, 1911
Dear Don: In response to your re
quest to draft a bill embodying tn
principle Of state Valuation" as prac
ticed in Louisiana, l enclose you ont
rather crudely put together, but will
the polish which only legislative con
sideration can give, 1t will afford {
working basis. Conditions here diffe
from Louisiana.
First. We have a much better inte
rior warehouse system which shoul'
not be sacrificed but used.
Second. New Orleans is one hun
dred and twenty-five miles up the riv
er with deep water and easy access t.
the very heart of the cotton belt.
Third. The system in Louisiana ii
the evolution from city to state contro
after several years trial by the former
In complying with your request
bear these differences in mind and alst
the fact that you are to act without al
amendment to the constitution. Cur
tailment Of acreage Is all right, Ger
tainly to the extent Of each farm rails
ing its own supplies, but after all II
said and done, God made this a cottoI
and q cotton country II VII
remain to the end.
Suppose we cut acreage and mex
year dump ten or twelve million bales
on the market before November 1b
will not be widely differen
from what they are now so far as act
ual results are concerned.
The present crop at an average price
of twelve cents per pound Is not In eX
cess of the needs of the world. II
the fall of 1908 with crop of thtrteer
six hundred thousand bales
cotton fell to nine cents pound, ant
in July and August 1t went as high a.
sixteen cents a pound; with expert
ences like this does il not behoove u!
to exercise our brains and use oul
money to prevent similar raids?
Cotton is made on credit and the
bulk has to be sold before November
Is, because there is no adequate ma
chinery for finance and storage.
It is an unequal contest between ig'
norance and numbers on one side ant
organized wealth and expert financia
strategy on the other. Why should We
not invoke the powers of the state gov.
eminent?
These are new and strange times
and however reluctant we may be tC
employ the functions of government
outside of the traditional lines tC
which we are accustomed, in self-de'
fence much is justifiable and every
thing eXcusable. Yours truly,
John L. McLaurin.
To the Hon. Don Mcqueen, Dunbar
S. C.
Proposed Bill.
An Act to Create and Operate State
Warehouse System for Storing Cot,
ton.
1. Be 1t enacted by the general as
sembly of the state of South Carolina
that there shall be elected forthwith
by the general assembly, three COM
missionerS, who shall constitute g
board to be hereafter known as the
state warehouse commission. The
term Of office shall be for two, -four
and six years, the members Of the
board deciding by lot the respective
terms of each.
2. The chairman of the board thus
created shall be designated by the gen.
eral assembly at the time of the elec-
ton provided for in section l Of this
act.
8. It shall be the duty of the state
commission, to provide q
at the most eligible site in
the state, capable of storing not less
than 100000 bales Of cotton, and the
is hereby given power and
authority. to employ clerks, architects
and engineers and adopt rules and reg
llations not contrary to the provisions
herein set forth, which in their judg-
nent are necessary to carry out the in
tent and purpose of this act.
4. The manager Of the state ware
house shall be appointed by the board
Of commissioners. who shall fix the
of such manager and
the said manager shall be subject to
by the board of commission
ers whenever in their Judgment the
public interest demands it.
5. The board Of commissioners shall
appoint an expert cotton grader, whose
shall be fixed by the
board, and the said cotton grader shall
be subject to removal by the board OF
whenever in their judg-
ment the public interest demands it.
6. The state warehouse commission
are empowered to acquire such proper
ty as they may deem necessary to car
~ out the purposes of this act; such
property may be acquired by lease
purchase or condemnatory proceedings
as in other cases where private prop
erty is taken for public use.
Z. All lint cotton properly baleG
shall be received for storage at the
state warehouse, and the charges fol-
same shall be fixed by the state ware.
house commission.
Each bale Of cotton shall be weigh
ed, graded and numbered so as to be
identified at all times. The grades
to be according to the standard grades
by the United States govern
ment.
The person depositing the cottor
shall be given a receipt from the state
Of South Carolina signed by the man
ager of the state warehouse, which
receipt shall give the weight, grade
and number of each bale. The re.
ceIpt to be transferable only by writ
ten assignment, and the cotton which
it represents deliverable only upor
the production of the receipt, which
is to be marked Cancelled" when the
cotton is to be taken from the ware
house
s. The state warehouse commits,
sion is empowered to issue bonds
payable thirty years from date. and
such bonds are hereby created a lier
on all of the real estate acquired un.
der this act by the state warehouse
The said bonds not being in any
sense of a debt or obligation Of the
state of South Carolina. but a specific
lien on such warehouse property.
8. In fixing the charge for handling
and storing cotton the commission
shall. in addition to sinking fund
as provided for in section s, also pro.
vide sinking fund for the retirement
of the amount advanced by the state
in fifty years.
10. The charges on cotton shal
also after the system herein provided
for has been in operation for two
years. cover all current operating ex-
penses. it being the intention of this
act to make the system self-sustain.
ing.
II. The warehouse commission
shall have the power to acquire by
lease any standard built cotton ware
house in the several counties of the
state and operate them in all respects
under the provisions of this act as