The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-17
FACTS AND FlaUREs-AND THE LAW.

Medium to have editorial WOhqay Inc Medium HAS
not been accustomed ateyto furnish its readers with
its bright ideas public questions and we claim the
thanks of the public that small part of it which reads
the Medium, for making the Medium man talk Perhaps
we may be able to keep him talking that he has
"opened his mouth and begun to speak"
The Medium states that much of what he (the edi-
tor of this paper) says rue That is enlightening,
especially from the fountain head of truth, but what
may we ask is untrue in the statement which he made?
AS medium for the information of the public it is the
d1y of the Press and Banner less than is of the Me-
dum tell the whole TRUTH and nothing but the truth
The plain implication Of the Medium is that he has not
stated the whole case. Wherein has he failed? What
fact stated not true? We willing to donate enough
newsprnt the Medium to get out eight page paper
next Monday if it will point to single statement of fact
in the editorial which is not exactly the truth.
The Medium says that in its judgment it thinks the
board trustees showed very good business Judgment
The Medium is entitled to its opinion and would not
seek to change it. But imagine that if the Medium
man sent of its agents to collect its bills and told
him to collect them in full and he returned with the re-
port that he had sold the obligations for 90 cents the
dollar the Medium would be of the opinion that the
agent had not shown ''very good business Judgment
He would likely accuse his agent of disobeyng nsruc
tons and charge him with the difference That is what
he should do if he is a business man.
Now the case cited is entirely parallel with the acts
of the board of trustees They 1.-THE members of the
board are the agents Of this school district They
sent out to sell bonds of the district and to collect the
proceeds Their instructions written in the law
which gives them the right to proceed These nsruc
tons say: The Trustees shall not sell bonds for less
than par vaue' What right have the members of
the board of trustees to ignore the law than the Mediums
agent would have to ignore his instructions?
We answer that by saying that they more bound
to follow the law than he is to follow instructions, be-
cause the law incorporating this school district requires
of every trustee that he take the oath of office required
by the constitution of this state before entering the
discharge of his duties That oath provides that as
school trustee the officer will obey the laws and discharge
his duty faithfully. Have the trustees obeyed the law
which says that they may not sell bonds below par? What
about their oath of office? Certainly that should come
before the question of very good business Judgment
We are not in accord with the view that is the
best time to build The idea advanced hat is cheaper
to build now than hereafter That is matter of opinion
and is that it will be cheaper next year than this
year. We of that opinion because labor and the ma
teras into which labor enters part OF the cost have
yet found the level of many other things We bought
brick for instance before the for less than seven
dollars per thousand Now they selling for twelve
dollars and half per thousand, about eighty per cent
above the pre- basis. This price is due to the fact
that this year labor has continued to demand
wages out of proportion to other things Next year labor
will be cheaper and brick will be cheaper, at least be-
lieve So Carpenters and bricklayers still demand
ing receiving much than they before the
war; The wages paid them are out of proportion to the
prices of other things Unless we continue to employ
them and pay these wages there will be cheaper capen
etrs and hriok-ayers. The is true of many other
ttings. ST is just now beginning to come5aown and
must conqe to down to seek its propehlevel The
truth that while there has been great falling off in
some building Materials others still very high These
facts lead believe that prices will continue to fall on
labor and many species of materials and that in year or
two people will be able to build cheaper than today
We know that the bond buyers undertake to cover
their tracks in this matter by making bid of par for the
bonds with rider to the contract that they to re-
ceve ten thusand dollars commissions for selling the
bonds We say that this is but artfu subterfuge to
evade the law and the trustees of this school district
should be parties to it. The Press and Banner has
sought some information the subject of commissions
for handling municipal bonds. big bond concern in
Spartanburg advises that the usual commission charg-