Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-02-28
MATTERS OF LEGISLATION,
Resume OF Legislation Affecting Oc0.
ncc---SOme State Matters.
Walhalla. S. c., Feb. "a, 1917.

while i'm Columbia, and since the
newspapers have failed to publish
anything at all about the stand your
delegation took on various matters
OF interest to our people, | take the
| liberty OF informing them through
the medium of the press in regard to
some really important matters.
| desire first to state that the edi-
torial from the Spartanburg journal,
copied and commented on by the
Greenwood Journal, and copied and
commented on by the esteemed Tu-
galoo Tribune, In which | was report
ed to have said that nothing but
"cranks" wanted prohibition, was a
bald-faccd lie. What ! said was: 81
am a prohibitionist, but I'm no
crank on the subject"
In so far as the statement about
the quart Of liquor Is concerned, I
realized that it was the wrong. thing
to have said. but | made the state
mcnt in the heat Of the argument as
4 point going to show that even the
| officers themselves as a whole were
not behind the law. A young man
who Is not used to having what he
says appear in print is very apt to
make some statement which upon
made. The newspapers can't give a
man credit for the really creditable
work that he has done, but let him
make one mistake, and they pOuncc
upon that and make much ado over
it. would like to say that there
was no sensation whatever created
anywhere by the statement made
except i'm the sensational papers Of
the State and in the breasts Of the
Columbia officials who did not wish
the sins Of Columbia published to the
world.
Now for the matters that will be
Of interest to our people:
Your delegation repealed the hun
tcrs' license law. which goes into cf-
feet the 10th Of March.
We repealed the auto license law.
which goes into effect Immediately.
and placed in lieu thereof one mill
tax for roads on all property.
We reduced the road tax to $1.5O
and require everybody to pay the tax
instead Of work. This will give
about $1,000 more for road work
We made appropriation for Il
Home Demonstration Agent. and
abolished the Rural School Supcrvi-
SOr
We placed a thrcc-mill school tax
on all districts in the county, the
money to be spent in the district
where levied. This tax will not APP
ply to districts which already have
three or more mills, but only to
those having less than three. This
tax is not in addition q the tax al
ready levied, but districts having
loss than three mills will be raised
to three. and those having none will
have to pay three. This will aid
these schools in taking advantage OF
the S26n,0OO appropriated for COM
mon and graded schools.
The county poor farm has been
getting an annual appropriation OF
$4,000. Your delegation thinks that
this farm should he self-sustaining.
and therefore cut the appropriation
to Sl,5O0, and appointed a commits
sion to investigate the county Offices
and the poor farm with view to as
ccrtaining whether or not it can be
made self-sustaining.
We appropriated $4,000 for our
half Of a bridge at Earle's Ford, over
Chattooga River.
We increased the road fund for
the county by about $4,000.
we abolished all magistrates con-
stables. and put on four rural police,
who work under the direction of the
sheriff and do all magistrates work.
This is without additional cost to tho
county.
We re-cstablished the magistrates
at Wolf Stake and Townville and
rearranged the salaries so that this
addltional accommodation to the
public will cost only $25 extra.
we made the term of all officers
in the county four years.
Now little as to State matters:
your delegation was sometimes di-
'ided on these matters, but each en-
erciscd his best Judgment.
a bill for State Highway Commits
sion. designed to take our county
convict system from us and place it,
with $4,000 Of our county road
fund, under the supervision and con-
tro! Of the State Highway Commits
sion. was introduced. We helreG to
XIII that. We did pass a highway
nlil Whlch Will secure for us the Fed
cral appropriation for post roads.
rhe money for this is raised BY tax
ing auto and other motor vehicles 25
cents per horsepower. 20 per cent to
=" I" 'hS .ot"te ana Ho per cent TO the
county. We were opposed to that
feature Of the bill and sought to
nave that stricken out. but it carried
in spite Of us.
We passed Joint resolution sub
mitting constitutional amendment
to the people taking from the Legis-
latnrc the right to bond county
without first submitting it to the
neoplc. Your delegation supported
that resolution.
Your delegation supported through
ont the insurance laws which will
bring the insurance companies back
| into the State. and at the same time
Will protect the interest of the peo-
pie.