Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-02-08
BOUNDARY RULING HNRroHEs
Georgia - Much Valuable Property
and Power sites GO with Award.
(Atlanta Georgian.)

Much valuable property for taxi
tion purposes as we'll as several val
liable power sites have been def
nitely located in Georgia through
the decision OF the United States Su-
preme Court in the boundary line
dispute between the State Of Geor-
gia and the State OF South Carolina,
it has been pointed out by Attorney
General G.. NJ. Napier. According to
the decision all islands in the Sa
vannah river and Tugaloo river are
included in the Georgia lines.
1.-The Supreme Courts decision
means that the several large islands
in the river definitely are awarded
to Georgia. and it means further that
where power sites exist on the Geor-
gia mainland and on the islands
awarded to Georgia, the entire prop
erty thus available for power sites
Is subject to taxation in Georgia.
Attorney General Napier explained.
The decision handed down by the
Supreme Court definitely settled
dispute between the two States OF
more than hundred years stand
ing. The case was first presented to
the Supreme Court in 1917 by At
torney General Clifford Walker, but
remained unargued until Jan. Sd,
1922, when Attorney General Ma
pier appeared before that body with
certified copy Of the original char
ter granted Oglethorpe by the King
Of England. Attorney General Sam
uel Wolfe argued the case for Son~h
Carolina. Col. Napier was aided in
preparing the case by Assistant Al
torney General Stewart W. Smith
and Judge Thomas e. Greene, of
ATHENS, who prepared the original
brief.
''The decision is a complete VIC
tory for the State of Georgia." de-
clared Col. Napier. "The court up
held virtually every contention this
State had made in the case"
The court ruled that the boundary
ANU ohouiu w HhCo dI ihluoLl Cthll III
the Savannah river where there are
no islands, but where there are Is
lands, the line should be midway be-
tween the northern banks Of the is
land and the South Carolina shore.
South Carolina claimed that the
low water mark on the Georgia side
Of the Savannah river was the boun-
dary line where there were no is
lands, and where there were islands
that the low water mark on the north
shore Of the islands was the line,
conceding, that the islands belonged
10 Georgia.
AS carly as 1887 the dispute con-
cerning the boundary line had begun
and q conference between represent
tatives of the two States was held
at Beaufort, IS. c.. where a treaty
was signed. The treaty, howeverwas
10 ter interpreted two ways and it
brought on continued arguments and
litigation. In recen: years the de-
velopment Of power sites along the
Savannah river and it's tributaries,
the Tugaloo, Chattooga and other
rivers, raised important legal ques-
tions, which were settled in the de-
cision of the Supreme Court Just
handed down.
Attorney General Napier also has
pointed out that the decision Is i'm
portant in that 1t settled for all time
the question Of criminal jurisdiction
over certain parts Of the Savannah
river and the islands in the river.
Gives Georgia Back Taxes.
Back taxes on property valued at
$4,000, officially determined as be-
longing to the State Of Georgia in
the United States Supreme Court de-
cision in the matter Of the boundary
line between Georgia and South Car
olina, will be collected, according TO
an announcement made by William
A. Wright, Comptroller General. 1t
was believed by Gen. Wright that the
taxes would run back as far as 1918.
The property to be taxed is known
as the Great Shoals property, it was
said. and Is now the possession Of
the Georgia Railway and Power Co.,
based on an assessment Of $5O,00G,
but prior to the purchase of the
property by the power company no
taxes had been returned by the for
mer owner, ii was declared.
Differences Of opinion as to which
State the property was located in