The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-20

ton were elaborated quite fully in
this series Of articles, which were in
then selves an advertisement to the
people of the entire county that the
appropriation Cf c!ty and county
funds for the purpose Of improving
and extending the railroad facilities
Of the city and county was under
consideration. But this was not all
the notice the public had The mat
ter was generally discussed for soy
e'al months and il was finally decided
t. ask for the appropriations. In
this city a petition was circulated
among the freeholders and qualified
electors requesting city council t.
make an appropriation FIR the pur-
pose Of carrying out the agreement
cred into with Mr.. Eonsal The
petition was signed by fully ninety
per cent of the citizens of Sumter and
when it was presented e. CITY conn
ell that body voted an appropriation
OF S2o,c'o. he financial condition of
the city at the time rendering it i'm
possible to appropriate the larger
sum asked by the petitioners.
In the meanwhile the annual ses-
son of the legislature came on. and
conference was held between the
members Of the Sumter county legis-
latiNe delegation and the special
finance committee. l.. ID. Jennings.
, chairman, representing the citizens.
The con mittee asked the members of
the legislature 10 introduce and Sc
cure the passage of an enabling act
directing the county commissioners
to pay over TO the city of Sumter the
sum Of $4,000 to be used for the
purpose of extending and improving
the railroad facilities CT the county
and city After investigating the
iinances of the county, the delega-
ton decided that the county could not
spare more than $4,000 and this
was agreed upon. The bill carving
out this undertaking was prepared
and introduced in the House by DR..
Geo. w. Dick. 1t was amended in
some III nor particulars in the SEN
ate and in the free conference COM
nllt,ee 10y Senator Clifton and was
passed and became a law as amended
Nhen the matter of making the
appropriation, a. authorized, was
brought TO the attention of the coun-
ty commissioners. they postponed
action and took the matter under ad-
visement. The grand jury took cog
nlZance of the matter. and Foreman
1. w. Chandler called a special meet
ing 10 consider the proposed appro-
Priation. This meeting was attend
jury. supervisor Pitts and Hon. f.
B. Belser were also present in obe-
dience TO the request of the foreman
There were present also DR.. Geo. W.
Dick, the railroad committee of the
Chamber of Commerce and perhaps
dozen other citizens. Foreman
read the summons under which the
grand jury had been called together
and then briefly stated the object of
the meeting, viz. to consider the pro-
posed appropriation of $4,000 of
county funds for the purpose of aid
ing the city of Sumter to extend and
enlarge the railroad facilities of the
city and county.
Nr. Manning, chairman Of the
Railroad committee Cf the Chamber of
Comm rec. stated the case briefly but
clearly. setting forth the reasons for,
and the necessity OF, the appropriation
of county funds authorized by the leg
islature. The facts stated by Mr.. Man.
ming are presumably known to all
| intelligent citizens. but to make the
record complete. they will be sum-
married. as follows: Cd The need of
| another and competing line of rail-
road, the benefits accruing from
which will be shared by all
citizens of the county in the better
| facilities and competing freight rates;
CD the development of a section of
| the county now without railroad fa- =
cilities and the enhancement of land
values in that section: CD the i'm
pruvcment of the railroad facilities
of the city of Sumter and the con-
ScQucnt growth and development of
the city as manufacturing and
such growth ana development innur-
in& directly 10 the benefit of the
| CnnulA lN 1LE inErG god Il VI llln A.a llIn