The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-02-03

Mr.. Graydon Introduces A Land Bill
Would Encourage the Purchase of
e., Farms and Develop UncultiVated
Acres.

Representative Graydon, of Able
Vile, has introduced bill in the Gen
!, eral Assembly "To Create a State
Land Commission, Define Its Powers,
and Prescribe its Duties" The. bill
(. provides for the creation of a land
commission consisting of the Govern
CT, Secretary of State, Attorney Cen
cral, and Commissioner of Agriculture
and Land Commission to be elected
by the General Assembly, the. latter OF
whom shall be paid salary of three
thousand dollars per annum, shall
: give bond in the sum of fifty thousand
dollars, and who shall have an office
in the City of Columbia.
It is provided that the Land Com
mission shall purchase lands in any
portion of the State, improved or un-
improved, not to exceed the price of
4 twelve dollars per acre, after adver-
K Using in certain newspapers in the
i cities of Columbia, Charleston, and
8 Greenville for bids, which bids must
be under seal accompanied with abb
stracts of title.
Section six provides as follows:
"Sec. 6. At the first meeting after
said bids are advertised for, said
!, Commission shall meet in the city Of
J. Columbia and proceed to open said
bids and consider the same. If any
lands are, in the judgment of the Com
mission, desirable lands for the pur-
pose of said Commission, said
Commission shall order the
Land Commissioner to make a
personal inspection Of said lands, and
report at the next meeting of said
Land Commission, and in case the re-
s rort should be favorable, the Com
mission shall notify the owner OF the
land that they will take said land,
provided that the Attorney General
shall pronounce the title to be good.
Upon the title being pronounced good
by the. Attorney General, said Land
Commission shall buy said land, and
have the title made to the State of
South Carolina, -. ''.-
It is provided that the Land Com
mission shall purchase lands as near
ly as possible in all counties OF the
State and that when bought, the lands
shall be divided into tracts Of not less
than twenty-five, nor more than one
hundred acres per tract, and that
when so divided, the same shall be Of
fered for sale. to bona fide citizens OF
the State, who are registered electors
and of good moral character who In
tend to buy said lands for a home.
The Land Commission is to issue to
the purchaser certificate Of purchase
upon payment of one years interest Ill
advance at six per cent, the balance
is to be paid in ten annual install
ments of one tenth each at the same
rate of interest. The certificate shall
not be transferable, and said land
shall not be mortgaged, pledged, or
sold until the whole amount has been
paid in full, or until the death; other
wise the purchaser forfeits all inter-
est in the said lands. Upon his death,
his wife and children, or his nearest
relative have right to complete the
purchase upon the same terms and
conditions, and if no one. OF them
elects to do so, the land reverts to
the State. .,.... -......
:. It is further provided that the lands
shall be exempt from taxes for three
-yoass after the purchase except for the
payment of the three mill school tax
and any taxes for outstanding bonds
The Sinking Fund Commission is
required to turn over to the Land
Commission all moneys now in Its
hands, and to call in all outstanding
loans, and to turn the same over to the
Land Commission, which funds are to
he deposited in the bank Offering the
hest rate of interest, until the funds
are needed for the purchase of land
The Land Commission is to pay to the
Sinking Fund Commission interest on
the sums so turned over, at the rate Of
four per cent. per annum. When
moneys are collected on the sale
lands for interest or principal, the
same is to be paid to the State Treas
urer, subject to the order of the Lane
Commission for the purpose OF pay
ing the interest due the Sinking Fune
Commission, for the loans provided
for, and after the same are paid fo'
the purpose of buying other lands u
= be- sold. =
f