The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-06-17

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fhow this debt came, except this; tha
the supervisors Office had no record O
outstanding claims against the county
and that they might come pouring II
at any time. Then I put in this ques
ton: IF that be true, and the same
management goes on, what assurance
can the supervisor give that after the
| next legislative session adiourns there
will not appear debt OF $l7,0O0 u
500, 900? What assurances were glVel
that no such thing could occur. What
do we see now?
+ Where did the $4,000 debt come
from? Did it all come from outstand'
ing claims (?)-claims which had nc
|1ite or being until they were born or
/ the supervisors book, debt against
the county?
Now, that Senator Applet is ques
tioning the accuracy Of Mr.. Searson's
report, it would be interesting and en-
iehtening to know by whose authority
this aggregate amount OF s16, GOO was
made up, was statement to that effect
furnished, and how did it get on the
supervisors book?
During the legislative session OF 1913,
Senator, when you made up the county
supply bill, without consulting With
the house members, did you not recog-
nize, from figures in the supervisory
Office annual report that there would
be deficit in 1913 OF about s., 900?
In the supervisors report for 1913,
is found this entry: "Amt. to be raised
by taxation s24. 112-M." The total tax
able property in 1912 vas S4,305 925,
the isgy for ordinary county purposes
was 4 l.2 mills. Multiply 4 IL on 81
305, 925, and you get sl9, ,376.66. Deduct
that from the amount to be raised and
YOU have a deficit OF 81, 1855. Is that
that part OF the $4,000, or is 1t ad-
ditional? Did not that much OF the debt
appear before the legislature OF 1913
adjourned?
Senator, why did you ignore the
house members in 1913, when making
up the supply bill; then 10 1914 do the
the opposite, leaving the duty entirely
to the house members? When Mr.
White and found you in the Senate
chamber, and showed you what we had
done, calling to your attention that
there would be deficit OF nearly $l0.-
600 in 1914, unless the levy "tor ordi-
nary purposes" was raised, why did
you, With q wave OF the hand say,
:'that was none of our business, etc.,
that it was the supervisors business
to look after that, etc." Granting that
the supervisor should have had his re-
port, as made to the Comptroller Cen
eral, in the meeting on January 7th,
1914, that he should have called atten-
ton to the fact that 4 IL mills on the
total taxable property for 1913, would
not raise the required amount, and
have suggested to the delegation the
necessity of an increased levy. When
this was not done and the delegation
discovered during the legislative ses-
sion, before it was "too late to take &C.
tion,n did it not become our immediate,
imperative duty to take joint action il
arranging for an Increased levy? What
good has it done to put of this evil
day? 1t only adds to the burden.
While writing freely about the COM
ing bond issues to relieve the people of
the condition as easily as possible, call
ing for experience and conservatism"
advising the people to say, "By my act
I helped to put it (the County, in such
q 6x," would it not be well for you,
Senator Applet, to say, 'by my acts,
in shirking my duty, l have helped TO
put it in such fix"
In The Times OF June 3rd, Senator
Applet says, Notwithstanding what
the grand jury says, the delegation did
meet just before the assembling of the
LEGISLATURE with the County Commis-
sioners. aud at that meeting the 6nan.
cial condition was thoroughly gone
into"
I cannot agree with the statement in
the latter clause. No written state
ments were presented, no books exhib-
tied, the supervisor did not have a
copy of his annual report to the Comp.
Gen, we did not look into the estima-
ted expenses account for 1914, and to
nv mind the whole meeting was more
or less farce.
In the supervisors annual report for
1914 appearIthese figures:
Total items OF expenses for
1914. 1892 563 86
Less estimated revenues
| for 1914, other than taxes. 4 500 0C
Amount to be raised by
, taxation. ..SZo U65 ot
These figures did not appear in the
meeting on January 7th. Mr.. White
and found them out after going *
Columbia, when making up the County
supply aid. The total taxable property