The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-03-03
GAME WARREN Replies:
SAho THAT STATEMENTS IN GOV
ERNoItS, MESSAGE ARE UN.
TRUE.


TRUE.
Richardson Says That His Monthly
reports to Comptroller General
VIII Show Expenses and COllcc.
tions OF His Office and He is Ready
TO- Audit at Any Time.
columbia. Feb. 25.--"An untrue
presentation of the facts" is the man.
her IN which Col. Alfred A. Richard
son. chief game warden, characterizes
the veto message of Governor Man
ning' whereby he refused to accept
tne action Of the general assembly"
pacing election of chief game war.
uen IN the hands of the people and re-
tanning Col. Richardson in Office until
the next general election. A per
version or facts" and an untrue
statement are among the other ex-
pressions used by Chief Warden Rich
arosoh in replying to the governors
veto message. The statement was is
Sueu To-Day. 1t is as follows:
III the veto message Of the gov
erhor' Whereby he refused to accent
tne action of the general assembly. he
charged In his voluminous message
%necthg a bill placing my office in
,he hands of the people, that there had
Deen corruption in connection with
.his once. My personal impulse is
10 go into detailed denial Of these
ia'se charges. But sincel the senate
mas pY. It's action in endorsing the
spirlted defense made in my behalf
nown a desire to carefully investi-
eate a., of the charges made against
me and all those associated with me,
and mas seemed to desire that public
opinion be not written until full in
Vestlgation has been made, I shall
hold my peace.
stand prepared at any time to al
low not only any state officer, but any
individual who desires the privilege
TO examine tho complete records Of my
effice from the time that took charge
Of it's affairs until the present time.
AS above stated, do not care to
SO into all Of the details in this mat
ter. / feel compelled, however, to let
the people of South Carolina know
that the part of the governors mes
sage relative to the finances Of this
department is an untrue presentation
OF the facts. Which statement can bo
verified by my books, the state treas
urer's books and my itemized monthly
reports to the comptroller general.
The governors message in part
states "about $4,000 was collected
by this department during the year Of
1916, and about $4,000 has gone to the
public schools" The $1,000 mentioned
ythe governor went to the public
schools from the collection of 1915.
On the very first page Of my report
to the governor and the general as
sembly it will be shown that the
schools received s1O.592.5O from the
collections of 1916. You will therefore
see that the governors statement con-
cerning the schools is misleading. I
wish to further state that I have re-
ceipts from the different county treas
urers Of the state which will show
that i have turned over to them the
sum Of s10,59250 from the 1916 COL
lections.
THE governors message further
states that the limit for the travelling
expenses of chief game warden is ST.
600, and that on this item alone
spent S1,264.56. This statement is cor
rect. l did spend $264.56 over ana
above the amount appropriated for
my travelling expenses. The business
Of this department has grown cnor-
mously and it has necessittaed more
travelling for the chief game ward en-.
I wish to state that 1 spent this
s264.56 upon opinion Of the attorney
general and that I had perfect right
to do so. I made no sccrcc of so do
ing, but reported the same in my
statements to the comptroller gcner-
al. Just to show you the necessity Of
such expenditures quote the follow
ing: My December statement to the
spent out of the game protection fund
$13440 and the state treasure's s
books will show that in December we
collected $21,509.47. Is it not rca-
sonable to presume that / did good
business by spending the above men
toned small amount to collect UP
such large sum of money.
1.-THE governors message says the
chief game warden has spent on this
item alone S1,204.56, plus mileage
books $120, incidentals $1S4, automo-
bile and boat hire S1,50O.41.' This is
another perversion of tho true facts.
and / will show right here that it is.
II make monthly statements to the
comptroller general itemizing the
travelling expenses of chief game
warden and / make another entirely
different statement to the comptrol-
Ter general covering expenditures of
the entire department throughout the
state. The mileage books and the
automobile and boat hire are shown
on the last mentioned statement. The
one covers expenses of the entire de-
partment and any one with common
sese who will look at these state
ments could not possibly think that
the above items were spent by the
chief game warden for his own trav-
cling expenses. The other amount of
1854, mentioned by the governor as
''incidentas,' is an untrue statement
altogether. l have "ever spent enc
cent since / have bee; in Office and