The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-07-18

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for the year that he cuts the timber.
but not for any other year. In other
words, he can hold the timber for
twenty years and only pays taxes on
it the year it is cut. There are a
number of other grave objections to
the Act, but it is better than nothing.
Failing in the measure that l had
introduced, fell back on it and got
it through the Senate, but it died in
the House.
This year I prepared and introduc-
ed bill providing for the payment
of tax of five cents per thousand
on all timber cut. 1t seemed to me
that this was such small amount
that the mill owners would be willing
to pay it, but ] was mistaken. Large
numbers Of them appeared, got hear
ings postponed from time to time so
that l did not get it through the
Senate. It is still on the Calendar
and will be fought out at the next
session.
Realizing the nature and strength
Of the opposition that was up
against, decided to see if l could
put one over without its being pub
lished in the papers, or any publicity
given to it. 1 was able to do this
in the following way.
A member from Dorchester county
introduced bill exempting Dorches-
ter from the tax on timber. This
passed the House, ana in the Senate
amended it by putting the tax on
in Clarendon. It being local matter,
it went back to the House which
concurred in the amendment without
anybody knowing what the amend
ment was, and it became a law. So
that beginning with next year Clar-
endon will get the same tax from
timber that Berkeley and some other
counties now do.
| This was the best that l was able
to do, and it was a good deal. Most
people do not know that there is al
ways in attendance on the Legislature
man who makes copies of all bills
affecting corporations, and sends them
out to his employers over the State.
He is very quick and cnterprising
about getting information of such
legislation, as | have reason to know,
because on one occasion he sent out
a copy of bill that I had prepared
and l received letter in regard to
it before the bill was ever introduced.
l do not know how he got this copy,
but he got it.
Charleston College.
found that Charleston Medical
College was turned over to the State
few years ago with the statement
that they would only want $1O,OOO.O0
a year for its operation. In the first
four years the amount has grown
from $10,000.00 to $35, 100000, and this
year they asked for $50,O00.00. AS
their report showed that they only
had So medical students and 81 phar-
mical students, it will be seen that
our young doctors were costing us
over 100000 each, besides their
salaries. 1t would be cheaper for the
State to pay their board and tuition
at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore than
to run the College as It is now. |
introduced a bill to give the College
back to the former owners, as it was
too expensive luxury. This did not
pass the Senate. 1t may be that on
account of the need for Doctors and
Nurses in the war that | will not
press this bill at the next session, but
I certainly think our Doctors are cost
ing us too much.
Pay of Legislators.
At present members of the Legis-
laturc are paid. 100000 for the session.
1t - expensive to stay in Columbia
and the man who can really afford
to go for this amount without graft
and without loss is apt TO be of small
benefit. | am willing to make sac
rificcs for my State if necessary, and
| GO not want the State to pay nc
as much as | can make in my office,
but $500 a day out Of which to pay
expenses is too little, and | introduced
a bill to increase the amount to $1,000
per day for 10 days. 1t would not
have applied to this session, or to
the next session, but my successor
| would have gotten the benefit of it.
This is not polite, | know, but | am
not much Of a politician and | believe
the State would gain by the change.
I introduced some other measures
| Of only SLIGHT interest, and took