The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-02-10
HAMPTON AUDITOR
BEFORE GOVERNOR
HEARING RECENTLY IN REGARD
TO APPOINTMENT.
No Action I aiken
Chief Executive Will Await Written
Charges To Be Preferred
Against Gooding.

Governor Cooper spent the greater
part of the day yesterday hearing
the case Of the Hampton county au-
ditor, T. Hagood Gooding, whom the
grand jury had instructed the legis-
lative delegation to refuse to recon-
mend for appointment, it being
charged that he had failed to put
property on the tax books in the
county and to perform properly his
duties otherwise.
The governor heard Mr.. Gooding,
| the comptroller general, the solicitor,
| the tax commission and other persons
on the case and the hearing developed
| to such an extent that the chief eX-
ecutive deferred action at present and
ordered the Hampton authorities to
prefer written charges against the au
ditor. When these charges are pre-
ferred the governor will furnish Mr..
| Gooding with a copy and then allow
! the auditor a chance to answer them.
The Hampton county grand jury
! investigated the affairs Of the county
during December, had an audit made
of the books and found that the
| former treasurer, W. A. Mason, was
short in his accounts Of S17,S07.91
and further that the tax collections
were in extremely bad condition as
we'll as certain other affairs of the
county.
Books Not Open.
In the presentment sent to Gov
ernor Cooper, the grand jury said
! it found that the tax books had not
| been opened on time, the same sit
uation having been the case in 1918,
and that due to this the schools of the
county were seriously crippled in
their work along with other county
activities. 1--WE direct that the clerk
of court forward copy of this pre-
sentiment Immediately upon it's being
filed to the governor to whom we
take the liberty of suggesting that the
county auditor of the county should
required to perform his duties even
to the extent of'requiring him to show
cause why he should not be removed
from office in the event he has failed"
says the presentment. The county
attorney and the treasurer were in
structed by the grand jury to send
+ evidence to the chief executive on the
matter of the tax situation in the
county and it was largely due to these
facts from the grand jury, the
treasurer, the attorney, solicitor and
others that Governor Cooper asked
Mr.. Gooding to appear before him.
The grand jury took exception to
the way the affairs of the county
were being run in general and asked
for complete change. "The grand
jury takes this opportunity of di-
recting the attention Of the entire
people of the county to the fact that
the affairs of the county are not be-
ing conducted in the manner required
by law the presentment says.
Not on Books.
Charges against the auditor we're
that he had failed to put property
On the books, that he had failed to
follow instructions of the tax COM
mission in regard to automobiles
and other property and that by his
acts something like 100000 worth
of property was not assessed, accord
ing to a statement made after the
hearing yesterday.
The hearing was only in reference
to the auditor, it being the desire of
the governor to see whether or not
Mr.. Gooding should be reappointed.
After hearing from all sides the chief
executive decided to give the matter
more attention and will await the
written charges.
Appearing before the governor
were Mr.. Gooding, ]. F. Derham, OF
the tax commission, Walter E. Dun
can, comptroller general, w. V. Su-
therland, former comptroller gen.
eral, Rut L. Osborne, former comp
troller general, J. Fraser Lyon, at
torney for the tax commission, and
number of Hampton county officers,
including Senator Lightsey.-Colum-
bia State.