The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-01-18
ASKS INVESTIGATION.
Jennings Questions Blease's State
ment About State Loan.

from state treasurer n. II. JeuuluSo
was presented to the senate to-day,
by Senator w. L. Mauldin, of Green
vile, in the form of joint resolu-
ton, calling for the appointment of
a committee of Investigation to be
composed of two members of the
senate and three members of the
house, to look into the facts sur
rounding the borrowing of the $780,
900 by the State for running ex-
penses and which the governor claim
ed credit for in his annual message.
Mr.. Jennings took exception to this
and the result is the demand for an
investigation of it and to ascertain
to whom the credit belongs by COM
mittee of the general assembly. The
whole matter was referred to the fl
nance committee, of which Senator
Mauldin is chairman.
Blease Claims Credit.
The letter, which Treasurer Jen-
nings addressed to the general as
sembly, refers to the following part
of the governors annual message:
Your attention is called to the fact
that with the assistance of J. Pope
Matthews, cashier of the Palmetto
National Bank, of Columbia, money
was borrowed at the lowest rate we
have ever had, except during the ad-
ministration of Gov. Hayward, when
part of the amount was secured to
8 per cent. In some instances it has
been necessary to leave 20 per cent.
on deposit, but in this borrow, such
was not the case, and, while the
money is on deposit here, it is draw
ing interest for the State, thsu fur
ther reducing the net cost of the
loan, which has not been done here
tofore.
"The State treasurer signed the
notes, I then took charge of them
and went to New York with Mr.. Mat
thews, and after all arrangements
for obtaining the money had been
completed, in the presence of Mr..
Matthews and Solicitor George Bell
Zimmerman, I signed the notes and
turned them over to the proper au-
thorities. The arrangements were
not completed before we reached New
York; the notes were not executed
until after we had arrived in New
York, as will be attested to by Messrs.
Matthews and Zimmerman and any
report or correspondence to the con-
trary is a malicious falsehood and
was an effort to rob me of the credit
due me in securing this loan"
Not True, Says Jennings.
After quoting this part of the
message in his letter to the general
assembly, Mr.. Jennings added:
"This statement is not in accord
ance with the facts and is reflection
upon me as treasurer. l, therefore,
respectfully ask that your honorable
body investigate this matter and as
certain the true facts of the case, so
that you may not be misled as to
the administration of the affairs of
tho trooc,,ror'c ofTico -
The following is the concurrent
resolution as offered by Senator
Mauldin:
"Be it resolved by the Senate, and
house of representatives concurring,
That special committee, consisting
of two senators and three members
of the house of representatives, be
appointed by their respective presid-
ing officers of the two houses at once
to examine into the matter of the
terms upon which money was borrow
ed by the State during the year 1911,
referred to in the governors annual
message, and that the committee re-
port the result of this Investigation
to the two houses as early as prac-
ticable."