The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-03-12
MIR. WAGNON DISCUSSES
SUPPLY BILL
Union, S. c., Mar. 8, 1915.
Editor Union Times,

Union, S. c.
Dear Sir:-Inasmuch as l was pos
sibly responsible for the publication
of the County Supply Bill in The
Union Times, a week or so ago, to
which Senator Hughes refers to in
an interview in your paper last is
sue, allow me to say in order that
the whole matter may be understood
fully-first of all-that there is no
quarrel or misunderstanding between
Senator Hughes and myself, neither
is there any between my colleague,
Mr.. Walker and l.
We are all personal friends and
have for each the highest personal
regard, and l shall so continue to
regard them, however much and
widely we may differ on political and
business views, for assume them to
be as sincere in their position on
such matters as we may differ on,
as am.
To begin with when the County
Supply Bill was framed after the
most painstaking and careful study,
and with the sincerest desire to take
care of every interest of the county
and at the same time avoid, if pos
sible, the dreaded increase of taxes
which it looked like we would inevi-
tably have to make (of course "a.
matters of any great degree of i'm
portance, were more or less infor-
mally discussed, between the differ
ent members of the delegation ON
time to time as opportunity offered),
and as I understand it was custo-
mary to leave it to the House MEM
bers to draw the County Supply Bill,
drew the bill and Mr.. Walker and
carefully went over and revised
same, before introducing it, and of
course it was to be expected that any
changes that the Senator wanted to
make, he would offer in the shape
of an amendment, and the fact
that the Senator's amendments were
added to the bill as published in The
Times, was due to the fact that The
Times had asked for copy of tn.
copy Of the bill just as it was intro
duced in the House had been mailed
to them, and by them set up in type
ready for publication just as it was
printed, before the Senator offered
his amendments, and as The Times
and others knew that the changes
were made before the paper came
OFT, though the article was already
a type ready for the paper, / fur
,ished The Times with the Senate
Journal in order that they might, as
far as possible, complete the bill,
which was done simply by copying
the Senate Amendments and not as
the Senator seemed to infer to give
him any undeserved prominence in
the matter. In the next place | wish
and friends presented the matter of
a Clerk to the Supervisor to me and
at first, it did seem to be the plan
to get the most satisfactory results.
and as such appealed to me, and like
the Senator, l am not only willing
but anxious to get efficiency. and will
not hesitate to spend 100000 or anv
other reasonable amount, if by so
doing we get efficiency, or if / can
see where the people will be bene-
fitted adequately for the expenditure.
But after the matter of the Clerk
ship to the Supervisor was presented
to me I studied the new County Gov
ernment law under which the county
began operation this year and found
that the duties of the Supervisor
were prescribed as follows: "He shall
examine all claims against the coun-
tv. and shall submit the same to the
Board Of Township Commissioners
with his recommendation thereon"
And the further power on the order
Of the Township Commissioners to
"sign notes for money necessary to
be borrowed" and to "compare the
list Of persons liable for road duty
with the Treasurer's books and re-
port such as have not paid the Com
mutation Road Tax to the Township
Commissioners so that each Town
ship Commissioner shall be able to
summons those who have not paid
the Communication Tax to road duty"
I then decided that it would not add
to the efficiency of the county gov
ernment to create the clerkship, and
left the same out of the Supply Bill
not By accident, but because when
your county government law says the
"Board of Township Commissioners
gnall have charge of the chaingang,
and all other business of a general
character, such as letting bridges,
election OF Superintendent of Poor
house. purchasing machinery, mules.
wagons, supplies, etc, and shall let
contracts for bridges, or other pub
lie work, and they shall personally
inspect all work done under their
contracts, ETC." You have by this
law virtually made a clerk out of
the Supervisor, you virtually add q
5000 90 clerk to assist $1,000 90
clerk. And l want it understood
that / have the fullest confidence in
the Supervisor, and every Township