The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-04-02
HRADLEYs LETTER TO JONES
Nr. ". ". Br.dley Writes Explanation
TO Comptro!ler General rs to
Auditors Books.
Columbia, S. C. Jan. 6, 1915.


Hon. A. w. nes, Comptroller Genera,
! Columbia, S. C.
Sir:-By Eour direction, have made
some investigation into tie grand
jury's presentment in Newberry coun-
ty, at the fall term of court, insofar
as tie tax department Of said county
was concerned, and l respectfully re-
port tie Following:
Work in the county auditors Office
in Newberry county has been greatly
increased by reason of the many spe-
cial school districts created in the last
few years. Tie tax assessments for
: Il ese school districts have to be made
! independent of tie regular duplicate
md then interlined on the treasurer's g
duplicate, as TIE tax districts and the
school districts are not the same.
There are something like ten of tnest
special school, districts in one town
ship. This much is said in exten2a-
ton of the county auditors dereliction
, in not having his books ready to tHra
over to t e treasurer by October 1st.
About October 10th l went to New
berry By your direction to help make
up the treasurer's duplicate. | found
the auditors duplicate practically
made up and t2e special school book
in progress of completion. The names
had been copied on the treasurer 5
duplicate, as l was informed, some
months previous
AS the 5treasurer's duplicate should
have been completed and turned over
some weeks previous, Selt the neces-
sity for fastening the work, which |
did, working an average of about 10
Il:7ours per day. The treasurer's dupil-
cate was completed in about 10 days,
and, barring few clerical errors, some
of which l will mention in detail, and
which s. ould not involve any loss
either to the county or the county
treasurer, it is correct.
The county treasurer called mr. at
tention to the following:
First. That property and taxes az
peared on five or six lines OF the treas
urers duplicate with no name against
them. l informed the treasurer tat
those names had been added at the
bottom of pages on the auditors duQii-
cate, after the names had been written
On the treasurer's duplicate, which J
found to be tie case. In a few mo-
ments I secured Il ese names from the
auditors duplicate and fed them vita
the treasurer. There was no property
loss Involved.
Second. That several tracts Of land
and personal property had been LETT
o?s the auditors books entirely and
hence off Of the treasurer's duplicate.
While I could not go intot,is charge
to any considerable extent in t faw
hours was in Newberry, l think Il
rlikey that the auditors duplicate will
compare favorably in this respect with
those of most of the counties of the
State. O.: course, the auditor and
treasurer are expected to catch up any
property left off and collect on addi-
tional returns, as is done every year
in every county of the State.
II ird. 1t was pointed out that one
page of the treasurers duplicate was
one dollar out of balance in the total
column. This is true. In extending
the polls, dogs, special and regular
taxes to the total column there was an
erycr of one dollar, which was bal
anced by an error in addition of one
dollar.
Fourth. 1t was pointed out that the
acres had not been copied witt abso-
lutte accuracy from the auditors dupli-
cate to the treasurer's duplicate. For
instance, 1873 acres as charged on the
auditors books was charged 1lS on
! the treasurer's duplicate This is trde,
but the correct valuation was charged
as of 1873 acres In the haste to get
TIE duplicate ready for the treasurer.
We were of course careful as to values,
but did not make careful comparison
of the acres, and there may be occa-
sional discrepancies of this nature. but
they do not involve loss.
Fifth. And perhaps of more impor-
tance than any other apparent error
was the fact that certain property anG
tax appear on the special school dup'i-
cate tat is not carried to the treas
urer's duplicate at all; and certain
cohOO1 tov m