The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-22

| Of the war, and cautioned the pee-
pie that they should not think in
terms Of 1914, or further back,
but should view governmental as
we'll as economic conditions from
the viewpoint OF today. He empha-
sized that conditions in 1914 when
appropriations were comparatively
| low as being entirely dissimilar
from conditions as they prevail to-
day. He is satisfied. he declared,
/ that the people neither have the
; desire or will they permit their ed
ucational institutions to slide back
| int othe scale which prevailed sew
eral years ago. They are poor. he
declared. but they are perfectly
willing to make the sacrifice nee
essary TO keep them up to stand
ard of efficiency.
Expenses in government must
be cut he averred; 'but these
reductions must not be made at
the sacrifice of efficiency in the
departments and institutions.
He declared that he would do
everything in his power to curtail
extravaganza and see that man
gave a full mans work for a
mans pay, but he emphasized that
economy must begin at home, re-
citing that of all the tax money
! paid by Sumter county, 69 per cent
of it is used by the county and
the other 81 per cent. goes for the
maintenance of the state govern
ment.
Mr.. Mcleod told of his work
for the public school system Of
Sumter and Lee county. and gave
high praise to DIR. D. B. Johnson.
president of Winthrop College. as
the greatest benefaetor, South Car
olina has had in twenty years,
because of the immense total of
beeuests the distinguished educa-
tor has brought from without
the state for his institution.
Declaring the enforcement Of
the laws is the most vital issue
before the people of the state,
the speaker concluded by saying
/! the crime wave Will not be dam
med until the verdicts of the jury
and the sentences of the court
are upheld by the executive and
by others.
Declaring that the last general
assembly had enacted into statute
laws many of the things which he
had recommended in his messages
when governor, Cole L. Blease, Of
Columb bia, charged that he was in
deed glad to see that the tax COM
mission had at last recognized that
he was in the race for Chief exc
cutive. He said that the commits
sion had directed the auditor of
Barnwell county not to increase
the assessment of lands ordered for
that county and likewise hearings
had been ordered on inflated as
sessmel1ts in other counties. He
reiterated his attack on the COM
mission as being an usurpation Of
the prerogatives of the comptroller
general. He made his usual at
tack ON the budget commission
and other what he termed useless
Offices and scathingly attacked the
legislative committee on consoli-
dation and economy because of the
expense entailed by the employ
ment of their experts.
Mr.. Blease declared that he was
in favor of adequate appropria-
ton for the public schools. of bet
ter paid school teachers and more
, thoroughly equipped school build
; ings. He said that some of the
school teachers of the state, pretty
though they are. merely work for
livelihood until some fellow
comes along and asks them to mar
ry them. What he wants to see
is a large body of consecrated
teachers who have the; physical,
moral and mental welfare Of the
children of the state at heart. He
declared that if any part Of the
education structure had to suffer
it should be the institutions of
higher learning; that the COM
mon schools were the only educa-
tional medium for the vast major
ity of the maids and youths: they
should be the ones protected first.
last and all the time.
The speaker declared that the
proposed indirect method Of taxa
ton is farsighted in that it doesn't
increase the burden, but merely
transferred it to the consumer. The
only method of reducing taxation.
in his opinion, is the curtaiEment
of extravagances and the abolish
nent of many useless Offices. In
this connection he declared that
the I 1-2 mills levy carried by this
years appropriation bill was not
enough to raise the necessary reve-
nue. to carry on the state govern
| ment, and that it would have to
be found through an increased
mileage next year, an "oT cleo
ton year. The levy was placed
at its present figure. he said, to fool
the people.
Making his usual charges re-
ferripg to his warning given in
1914 that if certain men were
elected to Office, Including one
from Sumter" evidently referring
! to former Governor Manning), the
state would be bankrupt, Mr..
Blease said his prediction had
come true. He charged that there
had been more crime committed
/ in South Carolina in the last
eight years than in any other state