The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-11-11
STATE WAREHOUSE BILL
FULL TERI OF Law CREATING
THE STATE SYSTEM.


The Act Passed by the Last Legisla-
ture Regulates the Storage, Grad
ing and Marketing Of Cotton.
Owing to the great amount of in
terest taken in the State warehouse
system, we are reprinting in full the
text of the law which was passed at
the last legislature, which empowers
the establishment of the same. The
bill reads:
A Bill to regulate the storage,
grading and marketing Of cotton.
Whereas, Owing to the war, there
is a lack Of ocean trans portation,
and with the decentralization of the
foreign market, where two-thirds CT
our crop is consumed, it is unwise to
force the staple upon the market un-
der such conditions;
And whereas, South Carolina will
produce one million four hundred
thousand (1,400,000 bales Of cotton,
costing about ten (10) cents per
pound, it is necessary, in order to
protect the people of this State from
an irreparable loss, to provide some
general plan of warehousing, and to
finance the crop by converting cotton
into negotiable security which will
command respect in the money mar
kets in the world:
Be it enacted by the general as
sembly of the State of South Caro-
lima; That, within the police powers
of the State and for the general wei
fare, there is established as herein
after provided, a Cotton Warehouse
System for the state Of South Caro-
lima.
Section /. There shall be elected
by the beneral assembly forthwith a
suitable person to be known as the
State Warehouse Commissioner,
whose salary shall be three thousand
(S3,000) dollars per annum, and who
shall hold Office for the term Of two
e. years or until his successor is
elected by the general assembly.
Sec. 2. That the Warehouse Com
missioner shall accept as authority
the standards and classihcations OF
cotton established by the federal gov
ernment
Sec. 8. The commissioner shall
have the power to acquire property
for the warehousing Of cotton, by
lease, and settle the terms upon
which private or corporate ware,
houses may obtain the benefit OF
State operation. And it shall be his
especial duty to foster and encourage
the erection of warehouses in the va.
rious towns in several counties fol
operation under the terms of this Act
so as to localize the storage OF cotter
as far as possible.
Acknowledgements etaoin etaoir
Sec. 4. The said commissioner
shall also have the power to sue or be
sued in the courts under the Civi
| Code Of South Carolina, upon the
same terms as an individual or cor
poration, the action to be against OF
! by him as representative Of the State
and not as an individual, except il
case of tort Of neglect of duty, whe1
the action shall be upon his bond
Suits may be brought in the count!
| OF Richland, or in the county II
which the cause Of action accrued
Provided, however, That the weights
classes and grades of cotton on stor
age are under this Act only guaran
teed by the State in favor of those
who loan money or buy cotton stored
| in warehouses: Provided further
That the State shall not be respons
ible for such fluctuations in weigh
as represent ordinary climatic condi
tions. The board, where fully salts
fed as to the title to same, shall re
ceiye for storage line cotton, prop
erly baled, with an inspection tag
| showing that it has been legal!
weighed, and that federal or Statt
inspector as may hereinafter be pro
vided, has graded said cotton. There
shall be receipts issued for such cot
ton, under the seal and in the namt
of the State of South Carolina, stat
| ing location of warehouse, name O.
manager, the mark on said bale
weight, and length of staple, as tt
be able to deliver on surrender of re
ceipt the Identical cotton for which
| it was given. The receipt for cottc1
so stored to be transferable by writ
ten assignment and actual delivery
and the cotton which it represent:
ccly on a physical representation O.
| the receipt, which is to be marked
Cancelled" when the cotton is taker
from the warehouse. The said re
ceipt carries absolute title of the cot
ton, it being the duty Of the Officer
accepting same for storage, by inspec
tion of the clerks Office, to ascertain
whether there is on file crop mort
cages or liens covering said cottor
before he accepts and issues re
| ceipt: Provided, however, That ir
| case of all cotton deposited hereun'
der any lien thereon shall be anc
take effect only as of the date of the
execution thereof, the registry laws
Of the State to the contrary notwith'
standing. It shall be the duty of the
Clerk of Court or Register of Con-
veyances of the respective counties tc
furnish, without charge, from his rec
ords, a certificate as to any lines and
mortgages, upon request of the Ware
house Commissioner or officer under
him charged with responsibility un-
der this Act.
Sec. s.. The grades, weights and
Identification marks provided for IN
Section shall be evidenced by tags
affixed to the bale Of cotton, and shall
also be branded on the bagging with
a stencil and ink, which tags shall be
so designated that the brand, South
Carolina" will be unmistakable, the
Palmetto Tree, with bale of cotton
lying at the roots and the Shield OF
the State on either side.
Sec. s. The commissioned, in set
tling the terms upon which cotton
stored in local warehouses may be
taken over, shall not operate any
warehouse which does not pay ex-
penses. il being the declared purpose