Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-04-27
NJ. II. MCDONALD ON THE ROAD
And Finance Questions--Statcm
Throws Light on Situation.
editor Keowee Courier:

Editor Keowee Courier:
have no personal desire to zap.
pear in print" at this time, but since
there has been so much said and
written about the financial condition
Of Oconee recently, and since | was
clerk to the Supervisor for six years
prior to the time Shockley took
charge, | believe | am in position
to throw more light on the subject.
You and others want to know the
truth OF the situation and the per-
son responsible. yet doubt If any oi
you that have been writing so much,
save perhaps the Supervisor, have
taken pains to examine the record.
You do not do Oconee county nor
the ex-Supcrvisor Justice when you
lead the public to believe that Shock
ley had to take all Of his money that
the Legislature appropriated and re-
tire a debt Of an eX-Supervisor. lie
did not have to take one penny Of
his appropriation to pay back last
years Indebtedness. I'll tell you
why: This county is run just like
a landlord has to run tenant that
has nothing. The tenant rents from
his landlord and goes in possession.
say. January |. He goes to his land
lord and tells him he has nothing to
run on and wants supplies. They
both go to a merchant and make a
contract with him to furnish the ten
ant in supplies, and as security the
merchant takes a mortgage nvct
his crop. due, say, in the fall or Jan
uary following. The tenant gathers
his crop ard sells it, pays his rent
and what he has left pays of the
mortgage.
A Supervisor goes into office the
first Tuesday in January. He goes
in. say, with clean sheet, as Shock
ley did this time, which l will show
further on. When the Supervisor
goes in office, on this second Tues
day, he finds no money on hand and
a lot Of work to do. He does not
know what he has or will have until
the Legislature meets and makes an
appropriation for him. The Legisla-
treu does not meet until the second
Tuesday in January and does not
complete the Supervisors appropri-
alton until near the close of the ses-
about March The
mistake Mr. Shockley made was
spending over nineteen thousand
dollars in January and about ten
thousand dollars in February-be-
fore he had any to spend and before
the Legislature appropriated him
any. The money he actually spent
in January and February was not
really his to spend. 1t should have
been let alone so as to apply TO the
debts made by Supervisor Foster in
1920. because the taxes that are paid
for the year 1920 belonged to the
Supervisor for the year 1920, and
all that Shockloy could have for 1921
was what the Legislature appropri-
ated for him for the year 1921. In
other words, all Shocklcy has any
right to for 1921 is what he is ell
titled to borrow in anticipation of
the collection Of taxes next fall and
winter. If he is entitled to borrow
eighty-five thousand dollars now,
and his taxes this fall and winter
will amount to one hundred thous-
and dollars, then he will have fifteen
thousand dollars available after the
taxes are paid.
Another mistake Mr.. Shockley
made was to pay off the note Of fifty
thousand dollars and interest at the
time he did it. or course, the note
fell due March 1st, but he should
have left 1t unpaid until the time
for paying taxes expires, which is
May | 9Th this year, because the taxes
for 1920 had been pledged to pay
that note, and the taxes now being
paid in is the security for that note.
Right here shall explain how
Supervisor Foster gave Supervisor
Shockley clean sheet. The total
amount Of income for the year 1920,
when all the taxes shall have been
collected, including the income from
the poor farm, fines and forfeitures
and other sources, will net approxi.
mately ninety thousand dollars.
What Foster spent in 1920 was the
amount he actually borrowed. He
borrowed sevcnty-fve thousand dol
lars, and with this amount he spent
seven Thousand dollars more. In