The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-01-11
BONDS FAVORED TO REMOVE
..>.. DEFICIT in COUNTY FINANCES
M6aSaRg In Court House Saturday Com.
Sgaenag Delegation and County OF.
%i;;attga for Efforts az Economy.

SBaeaas Delegation and County OF.
.:.ii:a@1a for Efforts at Economy.
s*tfSlfdwing a thorough review OF his
administration, by Supervisor Watts In
tho tax meeting held in tho court house
Saturday morning and after the meet
ing htd passed q cornmendatory reso-
aufaCn In regard to the county delcga-
ton and county officers, the meeting.
ntfon motion Of w. Carl Wharton, OF
Watcrloc, placed itself on record as
faToiing q bond issue in the ncighbor-
Mood OF $4,000 to retire the present
hoattng Indebtedness Of the county,
ahSonnting to about that much.
The haeeting was fairly largely at
tended. 1t was organized with Sena-
tor o. Il. Goodwin as chairman and b.
Y. Gulbcrtson as secretary.
Senator Goodwin, as the ranking
men,bcr Of the county delegation, stat
cd tho cause Of the meeting, pointing
Out that O. deficit of about $4,000 cx-
listed i'll the county from operating ex-
Fcnsfs this year and from deficits
brought ovor from previous years.
After Mr.. Goodwin had finished,
Supervisor Watts asked for the floor
and by aid Of figures and a black
BOARD gave q review Of his admins
tration, explaining why the deficit ex-
listed. OF the $4,000 deficit, he said
sSia''te represented the county's share
OF valuable concrete bridge built at
ware Shoals, about $1,000 was for
money advanced by the people Of
cl'nton and others for the road con-
hect1ng Clinton and Mountville. and
tho remainder an actual deficit brought
acout by the difference between thc
county aevy and the county appropria-
y lion annd, IN addition, by the actual in
creased expenses of.the year. ~
'seh. Watts went at length into the
plliNaSo OF the. countys affairs dealing
with the chain gang and the deficit
which exists there this year. He said
that he had followed humanitarian
T'actaces In dealing both with conyicts
and stock and that he had found that
this proved profitable. AS an exam
idc of this, he said that fewer mon Ind
ESCAPED from the gang than at any
time in its past history. that no men
had died on the gang and none had re-
fused to work~irtspitc of the fact that
the gang had moro white men than at
any time during its history. He said
that he had not lost mule during tho
year and that with the execution OF
one instance, where mule was laid
up tor elk hours, he had not had a mule
standing idle during the whole year on
account Of sickness or injuries.
Dealing with the county bridges, he
said that practically all OF them had
either been repaired or rebuilt during
the past two years, as their life was
about lived when he toolc Office This,
ho said, had been q tremendous drain
on his Office: drain which continues
to exist aa people are continually COM
planning Of brokon down bridges.
Mr.tWatts pointed out that the ap-
proDriation for his department had
never been Increased duringSthe period
Offhigh prices. 1t was only by prac-
tice OF closest economy, lie said, that
he had been, able to makS ends meet.
As an instance. Of econony, he said
that chad taken, over the work Of the
county cngineer, Mr.. Guhignham, and
the salary saved to the county. AS a
reason for, increased expenditures this
year, he pointed to tho fact that the
chain gang had been increased from
1S members to 72. The increase In
numbers had overcome the advantage
OF reduced prices for supplies.
When;sMr. Watts had concluded, ho
invited Nj. J. r. Jacobs, Of Clinton, to
take the floor and inform the meeting
aafto the proposed Calhoun, highway,
of which the MountVille-Clinton road
Is to 30 part MI. Jacobs gave a
.ary interesting description ,of the
Calhoun highway movement and tho
benefits OF good roads in general, Gloss
Ing his address with a plea for coop
GRAFTON Snnd progress In the county.
His resolution, previously referred to,
follows:
Resolved, That the people OF Lau-
rensi County, in mass meeting assern4
I bled, take pleasure in expressing their