Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

LNE - VOL XTIV. NTO. 18.- NEWBERRY, S. 0. FREDAY.. MARCEI 1-1907. T1EAWE.$ 0AYA STATE FINANCES NOT ON VELVET 0OMPTROLLER GENERAL JONES MAKES CALOULATIONS. Appropriations Too Large-The In come is Exceeded by Probable Expensep by Over Two Hun dred Thousand. The State. Comptroller General Jones declared 11 yesterday that as.-near as he can fig ure it the appropriations this year will exceed the income $180,4441 Had the levy been fixed at 5 mills the ap propriations would have been $58,000 in excess of income, and a levy of 5 1-4 mills would have left the state but $7,046 over all expenses. Mr. Jones fixures that the appro priations a-gregate $1,454,229.79 and his figures are verified by calculations made in the state treasurer's office. ,.In eight years -the appropriations have increased half a million dollars n round numbers. The income has nereased but not so largely. The taxable proper.-ty of the state Nis $249,500,000, which at 4 1-2 mills Jwill produce .a revenue of $1,122,750; ait 5 mills it would have been $1,247, 000; at 5 1-4 mills it would have been $1,309,875. This is the ad valorem tax. The indirect taxes amouit to $151,400, estimated. The total in come this year is $1,274,150 at a 4 1-2 mill levy, while the expenses last year wee $10,000 in excess of that amount and to last year's expenses have been added $170,000. Last year the Hampton monument was paid for, the Jamestown exposi tion appropriation was made and the general election expenses were met. None of these things are provided for in the appropriation act this year. The increase has been general, all along the line. Mr. Jones' only fear is that lie may be held responsible because ho did not give suffleient sug gpstion and advice to the general as sembly. This lie endeavored to do. There Was Information. In part explanatory of the above IRepresentative Aull of Newberry rites the following statement: I notice in the News and u11'rier and the State of some days ao a statement in regard to the ap propriations by the legislature for his year and the insufficiency of the evy in which/ it is said that the ap propriations exceed the income $180, 444.00. It is further stated that Comptroller General Jones' only fear is that he may be held responsible, because lie did not give sufficient sug gestions and advice to the general as sembly. As a member of the general assei bly and also of the ways and means i,committee, I desire to say that I am satis'ied there was no lack of suf ficient in form'n'tion anmd suggestions *from Comptroller General Jones, and that the members of the geneiral as semblly were in possession of suf i'eient information in regard to the apprwopriations for t hem to have act ed1 intelligently. I st.ated t.he figures contained ini the app)ropriationi bill as it left the house, anid also the probable incorne from the levy fixed by the house, on the hoer of the house once or twice when of,rtain b)ills were being considered which carried ahpropri ations. I went to the trouble 'to make a otal of the appropriation bill as it ssed the house, and fr'om the infer gI~ion givenm by Mr. JIones hiad the rob1pl income wvhen the leVy was ,ed at 4a2 mills. (ahie approp1riation bill, as reported ' the way and means committee, o ~ied ini round numbers $1,324,040, 20dith certain changes made by the as it w~as sent to the senate car Stotal in round numbers of $1, 'This change wvas due large to the fact that the house took off ,000 of the amount to the immigra ioan department as fixed by the com ~itge. Fe e'm'the information given by *omp -troller General Jones, the in ome from a 4 1-2 mill tax was esti tited at $1,126,000 to which was ided the income from license and esa in the seretary of state 's office of $150,000, making a total income $1,275,000. This, it will be seen, wi $50,000 appropriated in excess of tl probable. income, but it was estima ed that at least $50,000 of the amou in the appropriation bill would not used and would be recovered into t] treasury. In thie appropriation bill, as it le the house, was not included the $5( 000 for high schools and the $15,00 for state house grounds, nor the $1 500 for the entertainment of the Co federate veterans at their annual r union. These three items make a t tal of $08,500, and with the $7,01 which was put back to the immigr tion department, make a total of $74 500. Then there is an item of $1. 000 in the appropriation bill for ti completion of the state house, noi of which will be used this year, as is a loan from the sinking fund ai the first payment of $5,000 is to I made out of the taxes of 1908. It was known at least to some of that the appropriation bill was co siderably in~ excess of the probab income, and for one, I felt that pro ably 'it would be well for this legi latur, with its extravagant ideas, be confronted at the next session wi a shortage, and I suggested to a mie ber of the free conference committi on the supply bill that a levy of 4 1 mills as fixed by the house, be left a that figure. My purpose in writing this car however, is to say that so far as i formation. from the comptroller ge eral's office is concerned, Gener Jones need have no fear that it w wanting, and it was given to ti members of the ways and -means coi mititee and the house and to the fr4 conference committee on the appr, priation bill and the appropriatio were :ixed- and the levy was fixed wi full knowledge of the income and the amount of appropriations. does seem to me, however, that the was a tendency among the membe of this legislature to extravaganc and that appropriations were vot regardless of an increase, which w be necessary in the tax levy. I have never been regarded, ai do not feel, that I am a niggard economist, but I did endeavor as h as I could as a member of the wa and means committee and of ti house and of the free conferen committee on the appropriation b to hold down the appropriations. The free conference committee' the appropria,tion hill reduced tl amounts as put in by the senate son twenty-flve or t'hirty thousand d< lars. I do not think, however, th the shortage will be as much as stat< by eGneral Jones, for it is not prob ble that the whole amount of $50,0( will be used for -highi schools th year, and it was stated by membe of the committee on state hou grounds that it was not probable th all of the $15,000 for that pur-po, wvould he used this year, but it pr'obab)le that thle deficit- at the er of this year will be from $100,000 $125,000. It is trne there was no appropri tioni this year' for the Hampton mon menit andl the .Jamestown exp)ositi< and only a .small amount for genler elections y'etit this sessio)n it w necessary to) apphropiriate '$7,500 < p)ur'chase of police station in Cha leston au. prlovided( by last legislatur, an increase was necessary for the it litia on account of the Dick law; i increase of $25,000 was given to pce sions; ten thousand dollars wa.s giv< to build hprofessors homes at the Ui iversity hesides an incre'ac in salari andl necessary rep)air's .and0 inlsuranlc fifIty thousand for high schools; fl (ceen thousand for state liou: grounds; ten t houisand for Calhot statue. These are all new items. I want to say in conclusion that consider Comptroller GenieralI Jon one of the best informed r9en in tI state as to the finances of the .sta and one of the most ollicient offiee that the statebhas everhad, and thiat) gave intelligent and accurate info mation on all matters pertaining -the tax department when called up< b)y the committees of the house or 1 any individual members. It might be truly said in this co nection that all our efforts to got ti people to assess their property at I actual value or to increase their a A sessments will be futile so long as the is legislature does not reduce the levy ie as valuations increase. t- With $250,000,000 of taxable prop At erty the levy is as high as it was when )6 there was only $175,000,000. The ie people will argue that it is impossible to trust the legislature, that the more ft property we have to tax, the more ex - travagant will be the appropriations. If we could only get to the point where the levy would be reduced and the appropriations made to come e. within the levy as assessments in D. crease, the people would be more in )0 elined to assess their property at its actual value, and instead of the $250, 000,000 of property, we i.night have $400,000,000 on the tax books. t Any proposition in the recent leg e islature to reduce appropriations was it met by a statement that the people Id were prosperous and that imore mon )e ey was need to meet the demands of the state. This is true in a sense, and it seems to me that there are some A places where increases might have e been made properly; for instance, the cost of living is much m11ore than it was a few years ago, and it would be but justice to increase the sal'aries of ;I our state officers, for no man, who has not some other income, and who has e any business which lie must give i)), -2 can well afford to take a state office at $1900.00 per year. E. H. Aull. GIBSON CONVICTED Aged Defendant Was Pitiable Sight on Witness Stand-Will Take is Appeal. le - I___ Greenville News. e - Columbia,S. C., Feb. 27.-The con vietion of Tho.s. J. Gibsim, on the is arge of knowingly receiving th4 stolen bonds taken from the treas Iturer's office, by Daniel Zimmermail is one of the saddest cases in the re re cent criminal history of the state. rs Half a dozen of the best mien in the elcommunity swore to his good reputa tion yet the jury of twelve good men, feeling it their duty, 13romptly con vieted l'im anld no doubt on account of his extreme ill health and age re lcommended him to the mercy of the ir court. 4 Tom Gibson is now beyond the age Ie of 74. He is bent with age and pal sied. His mind is clear and active, perhaps it was too active today, and his frivolity on the stand may have operated against him. Solicitors Dav ie is and Thurmond who liandled the le case of the state did so with judg . ment and force. In the first place they narrowed the chargb down to two specifle bonds of which they had the complete history and with these is two,bonds handled in 'one sale, they is avoided any confusion. 's The evidence against Mr. Gibson was in the main that of Daniel Zim merman wlo alleged that Gibson sug ted the plail to 11m blut todaixy two lit t le thlings developed in his testi o niOny thait op)erated againit him. OneC wa tat he wvent out and bioughit for Zimmerman coupons. These couplonls were p)resumably to be used by Zim ~mermani to cover up tIhe amounit of ncouponis that would have come in at tl -e ap)pointed interest period. And 8 t he secomnd inecidenit t hat hurt hiis ncause was that a Chmarlestoni client r- discovered a mistake of $120 and sent .; the money to Mr. Gibson to be re - funded the state and instead of re n funding the $120 he used it anld stat ed that he did so because he was in n neced of the money and inltenlded to repay it and has (lone so in p)art to s Capt. .Jennmings. The statute is not (clear as to tile punishment, except (liat it makes it a misdemeanor anld Ie leaves the sentence to the discretion Sof tihe juidge. Mr. Crawford who had madIe a suiperb) fight for his client gave notice of aii appeal and will no s doubt take tile ease to supreme court. eC Thei people of tile community are te universa lly sorryv for Mr.' Gibson's es two daulghters who have watched the to trial wvith the keenest interest and 5- sOrw. toThe verdict of (lie jury was per n haps a surprise to many and( particu 7y ifrly tile p)romplltness with whichl tihe jurmy rendered its judgment. 1e ts Small talk is the gene?4tor of s- many big troubles. .THE LABO RPROBLEM. As Seen By a Colored Man-Som4 Sensible Remarks On The Ques tion. To the Editor of The Herald anl News: There has been no little com. plaint of late in Newberry count partieularly concerning the grea searcity of laborers among the color ed people, and the reliability of stel laborers, in the minds of some of tlh thore Conservative white people lha become ln open question. Great dif fleulty has been experienced in pro curing washerwoniei, edoks, an< nurses as well as farm laborers. This scarcity of laborers has beet explained in this way: that wage, paid now are very much better that in forier years, and as the averagf colored person must have so mucl money each week, if lie can get it b3 working four (4) days in the week, h< is sure to ioaf around for the remain. ing two (2) days. Now, I cannot con. vince myseltf that, such workers ar< representatives of the average negr< laborer. It appears to me that thes( represent the little witlhered crop ol dudes, and not the average negro la. borer. l-egarding their reliability as t< how long a time they may stay witl their eiployer, it does seem t( me that there is some truth i in man eases, but tiot. inl the majority of them It is claimed that a colored man whel lie has agreed to work for his employ. or, and has really worked for somi days, will leave without giving an proper notice of his intention to d& so, and wilhout assignling any reaso and if lie -ive any reasons for leavini his employer, he will almost alway: give some other than the real cause He will say lie is sick, or somethin of that sort and keep back the rea eause. The real cause may be an< sometimes is that lie finds lie canno support himself and family upoi what his employer is giving him a waues. Now the plain duty of such a mai who finds honestly and by earefu scrutiny that he cannot sulort hil family upon the wages paid him-hi plain diuty in such a ease'is, on find ing this, to go lit once to his employ er, and tell him calmly and deliber ately that lie has a family, and tha his labor is his capital to give then and himself honest support and thia by strict economy and careful inves tigation he cannot do this with hi present wages. For this reason, h asks that lie be given an increase o wages that lie may honorably live a! any other honest and honorable mar If the employer is a man of coisid eration and sane judIgmeit, lie wil surely appreciate such a course on th part of his employe and in nine case' out of ten, if the employe has )r.ovei iiiself to be honest, industriou, anl wortliy of trust lie will inl most cases 1' think, get an increase in his earn ings. I have ini my mind now a ens< in 1point. It is this : A colored mam decided to leave his emll )oyer, 1n( for any cause of compllainit on hi partli, nor1 Onl the partn of hiis empl ~oye about his work or about his p)ay. H< simlliy decided to leave for othle1 causes that entirely justifiedl him. H< went to his enmployer and1( gave hin several dlays notice beforehand. On th< day before lie initenided leaving, hi employer told him t hat. althbough Ih had not asked inicrease in his earn inigs lhe would give it to him if h wvould slay on with him. 'This in 'rea -e amliounlted to more than h< would receive from his niew~ empldoyer But he would noit staiy as lie hiud m.i v en his wvord to his niew~ employer 11ha he would serve him. Today, with tw< miniutePs notice this man11 can mg et wvor' wvith his former employer. Tlhiis mani cert ainily puriisued( thIi prlop)er course. No man should leav' his euiployer wuithoumt giving liin pr~ohp tntice, and assigning thie reai reasons for it and( this should be doi sume)iently long beforehand to giv tinie to thinik the ma~tter' over or ge some othier. one to take his place. II should not leave before a simiha course is taken even~ if his newv en player should give him t wiee as mnel ad lie had formerly receivedl as wvage! This course will avoid all embarrass mnent and( iniconvien1ices( so certain ti onic about byvnyV imprope'r collrs' I think in those cases where such a disregard of strict honesty occurs, it is not ieant to be dishonest, but it really is so. We must all re member that a bushel of good inten tion and good meaning plus a little I fraction of sincerity will never equal . strict. honesty. r If our employers will have patience t and foresight, and think a little ser . iously about the families which their employes have, and also of the posi tive demand upon all men to live lion stly and honorably, there will be - very few cases of this kind with the - average negro worker whether wash I erwoman, cook, nurse or farm labor er. There is one thing which has caused the scarcity of negro workers, the re sponsibility for which scarcity I must place at the door of the white people themselves, and I think you will' all agree with me. Here is a farmer who hires a man for a year. He has him to sign a con - tract which lie thinks is a guarantee, certain and sure that the laborer will serve hin for a year without regard to future consideration and Colse (juences. The laborer has actually be - gun to work, and has worked for sev eral days. Maybe lie has not worked at all, but at the fimie lie signed your Coniie-act you advanced to him $5, $10, $15, $20 or $25 as the ease may be. Now that. man has taken your money atid spent it, and lie does not. feel as muielh obligation to you as lie would feel if lie had had no advaneed nion e ey. You feel as if lie is bound and consistent witli your feelings you treat him so. le feels .just the other way. He feels that lie is looSe, an( consis-1 tent with his feelin-s lie acts so. Ite certainly has the advaniage of you here for lie Ias your $25 or has had it. I (1o not believe that the employ er himself in the majority of cases of advanced money, feels safe in doing t sol but lie advances his money because I he is a cheap manna ;(, somehow, lie s hopes to hobble through lis crop with this heapman. Thischeap man almost invariably turns out to le the dearest I man you have ever had oil your farn 4 after all. Of course,.this mlan ought never to Ireat his employer inl that manner. He is (lead wrong for doing - so, ai(l f, for one, have no sympathyl - with hii at all; but do you not see that the eml)loyer has committed the 1 greatest error and the bigest blunder t at. all in advancing his money when - it is the next thing to anl absolute cer tainty that, lie will surely lose his B moley? It seems too plain for lion est qiestioning. Now I really think this advanced mioney system ought to be done away witi. All exlperience teaches that it is productive of had results. Of course you send the man to the county chain gang for 40, 50 or 100 days, but that is poor p1)ay foi' the farmer while in this parlicular ease for such a worker, it is I lie prop er )lace for him. The farmer himself is pooirly comp)ensaited for lie is out of' $'25 which he never gets again ; more over, he is payin that main for everyi' day he works for thle countyI when he neieds him soi mnii eh oin hiis far .. The way to do it. it seemsi to me,.3 is to lire a man stra':ightoInt. Take him undioer a conitrlac if' youi waiit to. There is certainly no object ion to t ha t. A coiitriact r'arely, if ever, lii hurts an honest mana. 1Pay him i pie c isely as nirieedl upon0 whiethier lby thle (lday, wteek, month, three''( iioinths oir - year: but thIiis ca p man an 111this ad( vainced money mani, it is well and1( best - to let him go onl his way rejoicinng. l"For the common laborer, lie me - chie and11 th1(Ile profe(ssionl Imiana, I - ha ve loing b)el ieved t hatl thle sth i of tf'i' the very best oppor4)tuiiiity. lie cert a in ly start'Is with this adv~anitIage Ct liat he has thle great masses of his owni pe(ople withI himi, a Ithing thiat will be thle ease for the next 1,000 Syears desphite illy efforts to the coil 1 trary. He has also a great nuimber 1of fr'iends among the whites who will D.Iniehlie hep him to make the most and hibest of list opportunity. It. will not talways he chaiirged to these friends lithat t hey hiave beeni cowards, aind r have allowved the rowdyl~ citizens to - Ihold sway, fearing if they should 1 prot est , t hey will be known as dle -fenidingi thle ' 'niiggers. '' This certnin I ly will .not always be0 chalrgd to - ; Uder' any and all abuse, or mis representat.ion or wrong of whatever sort, it is the plain duty of the negro to seek advice and help and coopera tion of the best white people in the south, and inl doing so, lie will pro mote and advance the interests of both races, and most certainly those interests of his own. I plead for a better understanding of both races. WIe have been too far apart. This surely will relieve much of the pres sure niow experiencedand greatly sim plify what has long beenl knlowi as the ''Negro Problem.'' B. Levister. ''Everybody Works But Father," Howard Webster's latest musical comedy, bid's fair to become as popi lar as the song that inspired it. The play is eljoying tile Sam1e Success Oil the road as it. did during the months of its excellent ol)eiiig. Tile music is eatchy and popular, tile numbers are beautiful anid entralcinig, the hu11 mor is inifections and the whole idea and purpose of the comedy a bril liant elfort. inl play consitructio. Mr. larrison (reene, as a comedian, ieeds no introduction to tlcatre-go ers, an( his lacting of' the (lernian fatlher in lhis particular play has , been favorably compared withl tile work of Louis Manli and by some crities, as even at funnier hierpreta tion. Thlere is a laugh inl every linle, and throughout the entire play, tle gorgeousness (if tie sta 1)e piet ures and beauty and grace ol the manly pretty girls, COUPled with the melody and eatcly songs and ClTectiveness of its many musical numbers anld elee trical dances hold one spellbound witi tle possibilities of tle comedy anid beauty of its Conieption. 'verybody Works l1ut Pathier'' will be given inl the opera house oil Saturday, March 2. MR. THOMAS HOYT DEAD. Former Resident of Johnston, This State, Passes Away at Ameri cus, Georgia. News anid Courier. C'olmbia, leebruary 26.-News was received lere today of tle death of Mr. -Thomas P. Hoyt at. his home inl Ameriets, Ga. Tle iews was not a surprise, as his relatives here had been apprised of' tle fact that Mir. Ioyt sufered a stroke of' paralysis several Weeks ago an( tliat there was little hope of his recovery. lie died at 10 o'clock lst Iiglit. Mri. Hoyt was the seconld soin of the late Col. J. P. Hoyt, who lived for a 111numlbel of years at l4aIIriels, S. C., whiere MAlr. 'lhiomas P. Hoyt spelt his boyhood. lie was a1 brotheri of the late Col. ,James A. Hoyt, of (reen ville, and, like his brother, learned (he printer's Irade in Iis youti and spent nost of his life in tle newspa pIr Ib. Isi ne3ss. Ior the Ist sever1al yearis he had Ii ved at Amuierieuts, where lie was on thle edit orial sina'f of' the Tlimies-l?nor,der. Prievious to that time he lived at l"oirt VialIley anid at A uitnst a. irist wi fe was Miss Malttie H('eady, dauiughtIer of' D r. 1Reaudy, oft John st on, 1'dgeieldl coi(unty, and thlree sons of his marr 1iage suirviv(: Messrs. Thlom as P. Hoyt, Jr., ,John P'. Hoyt and W. IR. Ho(yl, all1 of whom live at .Johni ston. 11 is first. wvife diedl a number)Ci of years ago and( lie subserpiienitly mar ried Miss Fanie Rlbu~lick, of near11 August a, GIa., who survives him. As a boy Mr. Hloy. voiluteered f'or ser'vice( ini the Confk(eerale ar'my 0and went oul with th le mililtia nealr thle close of hostilities. lie was abiont 63 yar's 0of age at. the Itime of hiis dleathI. The body will be brought Ito thle former home of Mr. Hoyt, at ,Johna s10on and thle funeral wuillI take plaeco at 10 o'clock tomorrow moring at Ward 's cemetery. J. HI. TChe ireason a bachelor niever enjoys havinug a good lime is because lie can have it whenerer he wvant s to. WVise is he who knows just wvhiat to say- -an wh1uulen to say it. The. more a man knows at twenlty lie less lie s apt to knonw at sixty.