The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-02-26
COMMITTEE BRINGS
IN DIVIDED REPORT
Johnston and McCOwn Sign Majority
Report and Williams of Lam
- caster the Min0rity.-Senti-
ments Differ More Than
= Findings.

The State. 22d.
The senate committee appointed to
investigate the charge made by Co.
ernor Manning against A. A. Rich
ardson, while chief game warden
make a divided report The majority
report being signed by Senators John
stone and McCown and the minority
report by Senator Williams of Lam
caster.
The majority report sustains the
Governor as to methods Of election.
So does the minority report, but 1t
blames the law The majority report
sustains the charges as to illegal COL
7ections and travelling expense items.
So does the minority report but pre-
sents these matters in different Ian
guage. AS to the maintenace OF a
bold and insidious lobby both reports
only partially sustain the governor.
The report follows:
To the Honorable the Senate Of South
Carolina:
We. the undersigned majority or
YOUR committee. appointed under res
olution adopted at the 1913 session,
TO investigate the charges and state
ments of the governor against A. A
Richardson, chief game warden, as
contained in his veto message on
house bill no 766, senate bill No, 49,
beg leave respectfully to report:
First: AS to the statement oy tne
governor on information, that before
>Mr. Richardson was recommenoed
for reappointment by the Audubon
Society, as chief game warden. ne or
his friends brought about the admls-
sion Of about so new members OF the
society, and through them was aoie
to direct its action
We find that this statement, in 50
far as it relates to friends OF Rlcn-
$srdson, is sustained by letters from
Mr.. Frank Hampton and Miss Belle
Williams, who gave woman's love
to the perpetuation of this work and
DIV the minutes Of the meeting OF the
Audubon Society of December 70
1916.
Second: With regard to the state
,nent made by Goevrnor Manning as
follows: '.From many sources. by
letters and by word of mouth, have
received complaints that Mr.. Rich
ardson's deputies, with his approval,
have made illegal collections OF mon
ey: that they have held up presumed
violators Of the game laws, In the
field. and have demanded cash pay
suents of fines, without process pro-
vided by law"
~. This statement of the governor Is
sustained by the production OF let
ters which he said he had in his pos
session at the time of the veto mes
sage, and by the oral statements made
by the governor before this commit
tee The record as to some OF these
instances referred to is possibly IN
complete, but some of this evidence
is very clear and conclusive that
money was collected illegallys and
without warrant by law-notably IN
the Hutchison case where collection
was made by Mr. Richardson himself
Third: The next statement Of the
governor is that ''Mr. Richardson's
travelling expenses have exceeded the
amount prescribed by law. That limit
is $1,000. He has spent on this item
alone s1,254.5S, plus mileage books
s12o; incidental. s1S4; automobile and
boat hire, s1,ss6.41. This alone would
show the necessity for restricting and
safeguarding the expenditures OF this
department, and requiring compli-
ance with the law"
This statement seems clearly sus-
tanned by the finding of the State aud
itor compared with the amount al
lowed by law; the law allowing ST.
coo, and the amount expended being
S1.254.56 and those other items con-
tanned in the governors message
above. In this connection your COM
mittee wishes to state that Mr. Rich
ardson declined the present his books
and the records of his Office, except
when specifically called for in specl-
ac instances, and your committee IS,
therefore, unable to report more def
initely with regard thereto. Such rec
ords as were presented indicated to
this committee that the Office was
loosely run and the records kept with
lack of regularity
IN regard to the expense account,
Mr.. Richardson states that the in
1e ~ NHi