The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-11-13
STATE TREASURER
SAYS mo FUNDS
TNARLE TO PAY WAREHOUSE
SYSTEM EXPENSES
Commissioner Thinks General Funds
Available to Meet Warrants
Drawn by Comptroller.

for meeting the appropriation of S15,-
900 contained in the cotton warehouse
bill, S. T. Carter, State treasurer, yes
terday refused to honor warrant
presented by John L. McLaurln, State
ware. ouse commissioner. Mr.. Car
ter ruled that there were not funds in
the treasury to meet the demand. He
said that the money would be paid
out OF the general State fund, If an
opinion authorizing the step should
be given by the attorney general. At
ter the refusal of the treasurer to pay
the warrant, Mr.. McLaurin issued a
statement.
A. W. Jones, comptroller general,
took the position that there was ST.
500 unexpected balance in tie State
treasury. An opinion by the attorney
general held that the unexpended bal
ance would be available for the oper-
alton OF the State warehouse system.
Mr.. Carter said that he knew of no
such balance in the State treasury as
that referred to by the com ptroller
general.
The attorney general will be asked
to decide whether the State treasurer
has tee rig.1 to pay out for the
maintenance Of the cotton warehouse
system money borrowed for the gen.
eral expense of the State government.
Warrant is Rejected.
Yesterday Commissioner McLaurin
gave out the following statement:
''Ie presented warran t to the
comptroller general this morning for
S1210, with an itemized statement
as required by law, for expenses in
Cured in putting into operation the
State warehouse system, and the
comptroller general drew his war
rant upon the State treasury. State
Treasurer Carter refused to pay the
warrant, upon the ground that there
was no money in tie State treasury.
comptroller general drew his war
me that there was an unexpended
balance of S17,500 in the State treas
ury, which could be used for the pay
ment of tie expenses of the commls-
sion. Mr.. Carter denies that this sum
is in the treasury. The legislature
which convened last January author
led under the act, the governor
State treasurer and comptroller gen.
eral to borrow S500,000 to meet the
amounts appropriated by the legisla-
ture. Comptroller General Jones says
tat this money\can be used to pay
the expenses of the State warehouse
system to tae extent of $4,000, the
amount appro priated by the act.
tfThe following is certificate from
the comptroller generals Office:
"tNov. 10, 1914.
"'This is to certify that the state
ment of State treasurer made to this
office for the month ending October
81, 1914, shows the following bal
ances:
General account -. ...$149, ,55S.2S
especial accounts -. -. 137,349.92
81 do not know that any more care
full man than Mr. Jones has ever been
comptroller general of Sout- Carolina
and l am unable to see by what au-
thority the State treasurer refuses to
honor a warrant from tie comptroller
general.
''I have been endeavoring, with the
very small appropriation, to get this
system in operation have been pay
ing the expenses out Of my pocket.
If Mr.. Carter assumes the responsi-
bil;ty of shutting off this avenue of
relief to the people, I can not help it.
1t is certainly very grave respon-
sibility, in the face Of the warrant of
the comptroller general and tie opln-
ion of the attorney general, which 1
I>erewith make public, calling special
attention to the following excerpt
from said opinion: And tat if there
are any funds on hand whatsoever IN
the State treasury which are avail
able. those funds should be paid out
by the State treasurer upon proper
warrants drawn by tne comptroller
, general, as provided in the wareico ouse
act
81 am making this statement so
that the public may understand some
of the difficulties which l am expe-
riencing in getting this system into
operation"
Attorney Generals RuIiDg.