The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-11

sion. it WAS in cxcccdiuely bad
| taste for him to use the occasion Of
a meeting called Cor another purpose
| 10 Try to create sentiment thai would
enable him tn over-ritlc his col
leagues OF course he iuStiiuS il ON
the grounds that the sale OF $l.0oo.
| 000 worth OF bonds would get the
people OF III" county on "F.asy Street :.
| Maybe so. Eut too much borrowing
! it what is the touble now. When
4, AIr Jennings wants 10 carry his point.
! he neve,. considers the consequences.
In his zeal TO- whip hi :colicaGu"S to
! his way Of thinking. he was willing
| to Kill all Inc good OF the meeting
un to the time he took the floor He
| made $4,000. 900 Of borrowed money
| overshadow every suggestion of self
! help and the developnlfnt OF Il better
! system of farming and marketing.
that had gone before.
Just suppose Mr.. William Nolb.
speaking for the Privateer road. and
myself speaking for the Turbevliie
short cut, had made these two 'adS
;he question Of the hour. had taken
as much time and had tried TO brow
beat the County, Board. as Mr.. Jen-
ninss did his colleagues: 1t Woulc
have been most inappropriate. But
we could have secured the same IN
dorsemcnt that Mr. Jennings got
for his proposition if we had been as
persistent. And in proportion 20
cost. these two roads are just as M
portant TO Sumter County ana CITY
as the 121 miles of Hard surface
roads: and can be built yithoue acd-
ing TO the tax burden Of the county
But we went there for another put-
pose.
MIR. Wallace informed me just after
the meeting that he issues more than
1900 tax receipts. Ihat means
about 1900 tax payers. There are
1000 automobiles and trucks in the
county. That means less than 1Soo
auto and truck owners. So that ~
600 or more taXpa:ers Will reap none
of the auto savings that Mr.. Bclser
figures.
When these bonds were voted. cot
ton was from 4 4 cents to S1.l0 per
pound. Now it is 5 certs to 10 cents
and mighty little above 10 cents. The
preceding tobacco crop was sold Tor q
fine price.
Taxes the year before were not bur-
densome. Last fail they had about
doubled. Many bale Of cotton has
been sacrificed in the past two weeks
to get money to pay taxes; and Mr.
Wallace informs me there Will be;
about 1900 tax executions after the;
18th.
The legislature appropriated more
money than ever before. The Office
holders are determined to Keep up
salaries. and are about as we'll or
ganiZed as Union Labor. 1t is now
proposed to add several more oiilce
holders in Sumter County, in Coun-
tv Court with salaries fixed to ut the
H. C. L., as it appears to the Office
holding fraternity I think. Mr..
Editor. the tactics Of Thursday after
noon spells the defeat Of the county
court if the people generally turn
ont to vote. But if the country vo-
ters leave it to the city Sumter. II
will probably carry. for the cost OF
the court, will be paid by all tax
PAYERS. and the money Will be spent
in sumter The great savings OF The
County Court Will only inure TO the.
litisants OF the county. who are,
presume. even in less proportion To
the taxpayers than are the auto own
ers
| want to congratulate Messrs.
Booth and Harvin for standing up for
their position in the face OF the
audience that was against them.
wish all the board could have been
present. l also want to congratulate
Sumter county on having board
that is looking after our best inter
csts Federal Land Bank Bonds are
being sold at 5 per cent or i per
cent interest, and they are no better
than Sumter county road bonds.
| left the hall TO take Mr.. Young TO
the train. and did not know until
saw the paper after the above was
written that Nh. Belser was author
lied to organize produce company.
E. w. DARBS.
May 7lh, 1921