The Manning times. (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, January 22, 1919, Image 1

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- .A.. .:, is. L VO. xxxMANNING, S. C., ,WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1919. NO.4 SUPERVISOR KI IT UP TO ; Gentlemen: - Our positions as Public .officials at supposed to be very closely aflies your acts are to govern and contri mine, and if I fail to abide by your; the County inevitably goes to the be financially. The results would be tl same if your acts are not wise c equitable. Yours being the Legislh tive and mine the supposed to be at ministrative. I hope you will n< think me officious, or that I am try ing to encroach or interfere in -yot department, with the following state ments and 'suggestions. All ills, in aginary or otherwise, have been lai on the Supervisor. 'As this has bee done by those that are not informe< and also by those that know bette and for a purpose, we think it hig time for the facts to be known. 1. High taxes being the first thu we are blamed with, or at least th we are not getting results, or usin the funds- equitably. Itre are t facts: The assessed value of the prof erty in the County is $4,862,650.0 on this the State levy' is 8 mill County 7 mills, Bonds, Court Hou and County, 2% mills. (The Aud tor and Treasurer have failed to pt one mill of this on this year, "vhic will cause some confusion, and son more expense on the taxpayers, sti they will have to imy it.) I am n( reSponsible for this. Three mill co stitutional- school, making a total < 21 mills with the following specie school and school Bond Tax: Tota: Mills Mill: School District No. 1 10 31 School District No. 2 3 24 School District No. 3 6 27 School District No. 4 0 21 School District No. 5 7 28 School District No. 6 0 21 School District No. 7 4 25 School District No. 8 0 21 School District No. 9 13 34 School District No. 10 4 25 School District No. 11 4 25 School District No. 12 2 23 School District No. 13 6 27 School District No. 14 6 27 'School District No. 15 11% 321 School District No. 16 2 23 School District No. 17 4 25 School District No. 18 6 27 School District- No. 19 14 35 School District No. 20 14% 351 School District No. 21 6 27 School District No. 22 11 32 School District No. 23 0 21 School District No. 24 3 24 School District No. 25 4 25 School District No. 26 8 29 School District No. 27 6 27 School District No. 28 8 29 School District No. 29 8. 29 School District No. 30 9 30 School District No. 31 ' 4 25 School District No. 32 4 25 School District No. 33 8 29 This gives us a County Tax le ranging from 2 1-10 to 3'/ per cei on the assessed value of the properi in our County. 'T'his is a dangeroi tax rate. Our taxing system is a mess. Including Poll and Dog tax th gives us a total of $140,223.75. $4( 11Q.85 of this goes to the Sta Treasurer to run the State Gover ment. $58,774.38 to the b~oun schools, $7,293.97 to Court House at County Bonds, $11,42:1.00 to salari of County Ofilcers, $1,130.00 to Tom to Club Work, $1,280.00 to vit statistics, Sanatorium, Rescue 0 phanage, etc., $11,050.00 for Cou Jail, Post Mortem, Public Building Printing Postage, etc., Poor and- Mi cellaneous. All of the above is fix by law, we have no control over the $7,000.00 for Chain Gang Roads am Bridges. This $7,000.00 is the on part of the $140,223.75 that the Boal of Conmmissioners have any contr' over. Is this an- equitable dliv ision of o1 tax money? We unhesitatingly sa it is riot. Just a fev#' days. ago, I wvas told I a gentlenman in Sunmmerton, thatI hand just paidl his taxes, and judgir from the amount, he could think no reasonable excuse why I could a have better roads, that is, if ever body's taxes were as high in propo I ion as his. I undlertook to expla to him wvhat disposition was madle tax money. lie paidl 530.75 and on $1 .53 of this could he used on ti roads. But he acted as5 if no expl nation wans nece'ssary. Quite a 1 of these kind in the County. Imagii muy contenmpt for the kind. Corn plaints are being filed wvith m: against me each day as to, the bi Londlitionms of the roadls. I k now th good roadis create wealth, and plea ant dlisposit ions. Hadl roadls, povert en11s words. and evil thoughts agian the Supervior'. If you genutlemn think th $7,000.00 out of atotal of $140,223. us an equitable division and you< niot care to put am.y more oui ti pronerty owners for road s--well a: gool, your acts as lawv shall be cou plied wvith for the next twvo yeau as in the past two. 2. Roadls amnd Br'idges is the o1 mo-t imiporfant thing in connecti< with County affairs. I am of tl opinion that our people are anxio1 for an improvement in this de~par ment, and they are willinig to pi for hetter roads. We have in the county approy mately 900 milles of roads, and reque for more. We have 733 Bridges in the Cotunt ,It would take six hundred and eich nine thousand feet of lumber to hui the'v-onsfifth of them need to LLY PUTS ['HE DELEGATION built now, It would take 137,000 feet 'e of lumber or $3,500.00, hauling and construction 3,200.00 or a total bridge { expense each year of $6,700:00 and if we use lumber will take this much each year indefinitely. It will take e $15,000.00 as a maintenance fund for roads. If we had improved roads it would not take any more. Bad roads is causing an annual loss of more f tlhan the total tax of our County. Why not provide for the saving of this by providing for a road fund suf ficient to improve the highways. In my estimate for County expenses d to the Comptroller General, which will n be included in this, we have put in a l, sufficient road fund to begin some per. r, ianent improvements, provided you h will give us the privilege of using any part of this to secure the Federal Lt Aid road, fund for this County. (We it have been deprived of the use of this g for the past two years.) If you de e not change the supply bill in any vital way, we can do this without any in crease in county taxes. ), 3. We have no road system in this s, County or in the State. We need a e law creating a road system, divided i- into three types of roads. First: it State Highways, to be designated or h selected .by the State liighway Coi e mission and the Board of Commis. 11 sioners. Second: County Highways >t to be designated by the Board of Corn - missioners and two-thirds of the land of owners on the roads. Third: County ii public roads, which could be advanced to a higher grade as the traffic re quired. State highways should be 30 feet wide clear of all drains and ditches, County highways should be 24 feet wide, clear of all drains and ditches, County public roads shouhd be 20 feet wide clear of all (rains and ditches. After a road has been put in any class, the property owners will be benefited and they should be required to acyuiescence in the im. provements. If the Legislative Dele. gation provides for the 1,500 miles of roads that will be asked for by the Automobile Association (which I en dorse) the State highway type will bc providel for. We could then apply t all of the County funds on the last two. We could then make rapid strides towards a perfect road system and good roads. 4. Act No. 143 passed in 1917 & should be repealed and a commuta tion tax of $3.00 be put in the regu. lar tax act for 1919. 5. We reepmmend the following supply bill for Clarendon County. Foi all County purposes, seven mills, anc a commutation tax of $3.00 from th age of 21 to 60 years, to be expended as follows: Mayitenance of road work ing organization --- ---$10,000.0( Permanent road improve ment and all amounts raised by automobile li 'y cense ----------...-..10,000.0( t Type three, roads -- 10,000.0( Y Salaries: is Clerk of Court --.---- 150.0( In Sheriff - _ _ _ _ t- -.. 1,000.01 . Deputy Sheriff -- ---.. 450.01 is Treasurer -450.0( Clerk to Treasurer ....-..-... 400.:,( te Auditor -- -----..._-...-450.0( 1- Clerk to Auditor -- .._ _- 400.v, "Y Superintendent of Education 1,200.0; ad Attorney - -- -- -- _.. _.-- 125.( s Physician -- -- ---__ --- 2100.0( A- Coroner 2--.....250 0( Al Janitor of Court House .... 400.0( r- Supervisor - - - - --- 1,200.0, t, Couho' Commissio'ners, two s, at $150.00 each .---....----300.0( - Clerk t: Supervisor . .._ 400.0( "d Magistrates of County -- 1,650.0( n. Constables for Magistrates 650.0( ad Couanty Board of Education Ly -i--ote recommendlation .... 5-12.( -d Jail I~xpenses-..-....-...-....1,500.04 oIf Jurors and 'Witnesses .-.. 2(,00.00 IPoor-.... _..- ...- ...- ...-.. 1,000.04 ir Post Mortem, Inquest ,and iy Lunacy--.... ---..--_---550.0( Pub~lic Buildings-....-...-..-1,500.04 iy Printing, Postage, etc. - - 1,.000.(1 ae M iscellaneous ---------..- . ..5.(1 ig Vital Statistics ...- - .. - 500.11 :f Two Rural Policemen at ...2,400.(1 at If you gentlemen will naot chang< yr- this, in any vitial waiy, seven millh r- with the comimutation and fines wil in raise sufficient reveniue wvith a good >f safe balance. ly There is quaite 2. <'ramer for' a hBont ic issue for pera'naent roadl improve 1- nments. As our term of office wvil it have expired before a bond issue coub ie be available, wec will not make an' 1- suggestions as toi a 'bond issue. ad We neced relief nowv, and the onl: ad .way to get it is by direct taxation It or accept our piropositlonl as givenl ii S- the( suggesAted supply1 ni Il. Please cl< y, thlis or something b~ettera. A grade(s st vellicle lie nse ta x for roads wvoula be onevay. it 8. Thle following is a report as t< 15 appropriatidns for 1918: 1(1 Rtoads, Bridges amid CThaina ie Gang, by balance .. -.$ 2,080.;! id Boa:1rd of Education and 1- Equalization _- - - _ - .. 170.0( s, Jail---_-...-..._ . _ _.. _ 1,l57.0 Court.....- -.. . -- 1,772,2: 1c Printing, Postage, etc. ---- 50.11 mn Rural Police _.. - - .. _-.._ 878.1: 1C Poor, all claims not ina. is Post Mortem, Inqluest and t- Lunacy, balance ....-....-'131.7' y Publie Build ings, bialanco .... 172.1: Miscellaneous, deficit ... ... 8.3: 'i- Vital Statistics, no claim in st Stat3 'Tuber'culosis Sana torium ... .... .. ... .... 208.0' y. Mrs. D. E. Gamiole re tv enivn treaitm'ent at the 1(d SanatorIum until she died. e0 No other annpiientionfl for PAXVILLE ITEMS. Mr. J. L. Pritchard of Sumter spent last Monday here on a business trip. Miss Lucile Geddings who is attend ing school in Sumter spent the week end with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. S. Geddings. Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Owen are the proud parents of a little baby boy. Mumford and Jones, vaudeville per formers from the North are here to spend their winter vacation. There has been a slight recurrence of influenza in this cbmmunity, but nothing like an epidemic as last fall. Mrs. B. W. Cutter is back from Summerton where she has been nurs ing members of her family with in fluenza. Mr. Peter Hodges spent a few days of last week visiting his brother, Mr. Joe Hodge, at Lamar. o GREENVILLE'S GOOD ROADS Greenville, Jan. 20.-Farmland in Greenville county that sold for $65 an acre and which is now situated along the permanent roads built in that county is now bringing anywhere from $150 to $200 an acre, according to P. M. Burnett, secretary of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Burnett declares that the con struction of permanent roads has ac complished wonders for his county. So enthusiastic are the people of the county over them that if they could they would vote to spend another mil lion dollars in the construction of more of them. It would probably be easier, according to Mr. Burnett, to vote a bond issue in Greenville coun ty than in any other county in the State. The people there, he says, having built a system of good roads, have been in position to see the benefits' acruing from them. Mr. Burnett is very heartily .sup porting the plans mapped out by the central good roads campaign commit tee looking to the construction of a state system f permanent roads. As the bui'ding of a system of permanent roads in Greenville county has caus edi a tremendous increase in land values in that county, so does Mr. Burnett believe that the construction of state-wide system would mean a tremendous increase in land values all over the state. "I hope that as many of the coun ties of the state as can possibly do so will put out bond issues at this session of the Leidslatude." said Mr. Burnett. "In this way a good be ginning can be made on the construe tion of the system. I am sure that no county that makes theme will ever regret it. It will prove one of the wisest investments it ever made." To Prepare for Embarkation. Washington, Jan. 21.-Official an nouncement was made by the War Department today that the entire Thirtieth division, now part of the American army of occupation in the war zone, has been released and in structed to prepare for embarkation. It has already been p)ublished that the Thirtieth will be debarked at Char leston. treatment were filed with us. Kitchen at Jail ---- ....-1,800.00 The fact that our ap propriation is not avail able as money until the taxes are paid in, and on account of the scarcity and high price of labor and material, we could not do the work. We now have the money andl will (erect, the kitchea, but as yet wve have no bid as low as $1,800.00. Balance of I1918 A ppropri ation, not including jail A ppropriation -- .- --$ 6,620.85 We recomme:nd that th is he divert edinto t he roadl fund. 9. Will Bethune. ., WVill Bethune has cost the Tax payors of Clarenodoun Count~y enough since I have been Supervisor I have paid the Pe~n itentiary $.13.f .30, dieting expense. Of this amount $678.80 was for unpmaid claims whe~n I took charge of oflie. $1 09.50 for 1917 and $1-10~.(00 for 918.ile shouldl be executed, pardoned or paro(ld. We recommend tha t voui nvestigalte this 'ase, and if possible get us r(elievedc from this. 10. All claims for 1918 (except the de(partmnt(ufs meni tied in the appro piaftion report)I have beenm paid an also $819.19) for 1918. The Countyv owes for borrowed mo(ney Q 12,5010.00. We have ini the 'Treasu rer the fol lowving atmounts: M1iseellan feous lFundl $ 513 .x5 Comn mutat ion FundI. . 2,95,5.08 Ordinary lFund _ 1..~I0,9241.02 lFines and1( L icenses F~ ud . (65.51 State Auto Licenses 563.35 1918 Loan .......- 3,104.57 $1 8,18,756.38 Less Borrowed Money --.. 12,500.00 llfa ance .....- ... -.... $ 6,256.38 I'f at any time you gentlemen want a report in de(tail on my department of' the County government that comes undler the control of the Commission er's it wvill be a pleasure to give it. Very respectively submitted, .TJ. E. KELLY. L. V. PLOWD1NT THE RED CROSS TO MOVE Clarendon County Chapter A. R. C. expects to change quarters right away. There are a good many articles in the Red Cross room belonging to different people and we will be very glad for the owners to call and get them, for it will simplify moving. Quite a number of jars were brought in with soup, during the in fluenza epidemic. They have been here ever since as the owners are un known. A black fur neck piece and several pairs of gloves have been here for some time. Ladies please don't forget that there are three hundred and sixty serge skirts to be made in less than a month's time. The pattern is very simple and the skirts are easy to make so don't be frightened at the idea of making serge skirts. There is a most urgent need of these gar ments and we have been asked to finish them with the greatest possible haste. Please send in knitted articles and wool as soon as possible. Knitting is to be discontinued after articles already begun are finished. Ilead quarters has requested that all knitted goods be shipped right away for now is the time that the soldiers will need them. If anyone lacks wool to finish socks and sweaters, there are a number of wool remnants that can be used for the purpose. We have quite a number of car toons on hand. These cartoons were ordered for the purpose of sending the over-seas boys Christmas boxes. Several hundred were not used. They are a very convenient size for putting up lunches. We will sell them at the rate of twenty-five for 35c. A dozen Red Cross calendars have been sent us to sell. These calendars sell for one dollar a piece. Fifty cents of this amount is sent to At lanta and fifty cents goes to the local chapter. These calendars are very attractive as well as instructive and useful and we are sure you will be well pleased in getting one. If anyone has an old trunk not in use, the Red Cross will be very glad to have it. The southern Division of the Amer ican Red Cross has presented to the members of Clarendon County chap ter an "honor Certificate," in recog nition of heroic services rendered dur ing Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918. The chapter has a right to feel proud. The hours of the Secretary are from 10 to 1:30 o'clock in the morning and 2:30 to 5 in the afternoon. Virginia Wilson, Secretary. >.anuary 19, 1919. IEditor of Manning Times. Please allow miie space in your paper to give my reason for voting against raising the salaries of the State offi cers at this time. When they were before the people last July they knew what the salaries would be and the conditions hlve not changed so let them carry out their contract. The (cost of Ii vi ng. has not changed since that time. Nowv if conditions dho not becomie normalI by next year I will vote to raise t heir salaries next term. I fea r if they had told the people that they would ask for this raise some of them woul not lie here to thay. I was amiusedl at one of them yest erdayv asking for a raise on the groundls that lie could not live on the sailary- sa id he (0ub1 inot pay his house rentI antd had to buy thle house. Now Mr. I> ditor, did lyou ever hiear oif a man having to buy a house he-. cause lhe wax too joor to pay the ret'it ? They a rgue that. if the salarvies are not raised that oniily r ich men'i will he a ble to hbI ((ives. Did you (vet hear of a poor man not1 lbeing able to1 live as chiea p as a rich one ? Thle g(ol people of Clarendoni sent mue here to( represent thiemi anid I will do all 1 ean for their interest.I had to comie home Saturdlay to attIendl to somie local legisfltion but. I paired w ith a fel low I Agislator so as not to lose my vole against raising: the salaries. Niow wh'len it (comles to edu cationi anid good rods I expect. to goe lhe limit. I am at the se'rv ice of the piople of Cl3arendoni at all timiues.. Ilouse of' Representat ives, Columbia, S. C. Revolt ini lluingary. Amsterdam, Jann. 21 .---t is reportedl that there have beein counter revo lutionary (demonstrations led by of ficers at Budapest and that there have b~een conflicts with the police iit which bloodshed resulthdi. FLU 'MAY CAUSE I TO RI Columbia, Jan. 21.-Three things stood out in bold relief today in the legialative proceedings on the Senate side: (1) The possibility of a recess of the General Assembly until the first Tuesday in May; (2) The intro duction of a resolution by Senator Miller, of Darlington, asking the tax commission how and why it arrived at the present basis of tax equaliza tions, and what recommendation it had with reference to future equali zation and assessments; (3) The in duction into oflice of Lieutenant Gov ernor Junius T. Liles and the splen (lid and well-founded address that he made to the Senators immediately after his return to the Senat - cham ber from the inauguration ceremonies. The Situation Disturbs Legislation. For some days there have been mutterings of anxiety on the part of legislators with reference to the "flu" situation. Frankly, members are worried. Reports that they are get ing from home are not at all satis factory. A few have been taken sick either while in Columbia or as a re sult of travel. Today Senator Buck, of Horry, who has always been an exceedingly level-headed man, pre sented this resolution: \Vhereas, the epidemic of influenza is increasing in the State and becomi - ing a menace to congregated crowds; and W'hereas, the Legislature of South Carolina should not do that which is forbidden by the board of health in towns and cities in the State, to wit, congregate. Therefore be it Resolved, by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That the Governor, State Treasurer and Comptroller General are hereby au thorized and empowered to borrow sullicient funds to meet the necessarv expenses of the State for four,' months by giving, notes in the usual form, and that the Legislature do at once recess until the first Tuesday in May, 1919. Senator Buck said that he had no desire to scare anybody, but that the medical authorities stated that such congregations as the General Assem bly or any other congregation were <iangerous at this time. The General Assembly was muking laws and pro hibiting gatherings and yet it was setting a precedent itself. So far as he was concerned he was in favor of edjourining until May, because he re garded public health above everything else. ie explained that he had no particular ideas as to the details, and wanted the Senate to re;fect over the resolution for a while, but to be in a position to act with as little delay as possible. Senator Alan Johnstone, one of the oldest members said t hat he favored the recess until May, because he had seen and experienced the danger of legislative se:sioins in the face of epi demies and h felt that the late Sen at.or Brice had sacrificed his life be cause he renmained here cotntrarv to the advice of physicians. Senator .Johnstone thought that some arranve ments could be made by which the State's affairs could be handled with out any elba rrassnent, but he also thought that it would be well to wait until t onorrow, as some further au thority may be necessary. The resolution lookuing towards a recess has not yet been presented in the hIouse, but of the Senate agrees to the Buck resolution that will give the 11 ose somiething on which to act. The indications are today that the Senate will mass th. resotilt ion. Of (ourse, ((111d(itions may change by to 11orrow. It ,)rance on Cotton. The Senate will take til in a few <bays the veto of Goverlnr Mlanniing on the bill which seeks to prcovide for the sinking fund han~lling the fire in sliuane onl (ot toni stored ini thle St ate's warehouses. The undlerstandinig is thai~t S-hat or Haniks, the author of the bill Ilrovid ing for t his insurance, will undertake to have it passed ov'ier thle Governor''I1 Is veto. Hard light ..ihead. A very pre'itty little tie-lt is briew\ mg arlound ani apphharent ly innocent ill1 hireparedl by Mr. lhavis, of Harnwe'll (Coiunty. Thbe lill hirovides t hat no' count11y seat shll bei ~i i i it miles of thencontyli'so;m ot her ('ounty . Thiiis is ih :\i(W ' 'entrcal ly 'aet im the ('lhtv s' Now thle sop-ri'st in is otade that Ih' FOR GOC A\ll owvner of autoi nwil the out. ltose in Maninni 'Th to bear' the plait folii ye everyl' Coumntyv siat in South (: shoingit thme worthi oI f ;ood r 'This meet 111ing inl firt oIf t ho 'ounty liayV at It'ril. Your01s t( ) o lio th Ii e( ni EGISLATURE CESS UNTIL MAY point of the proposed legislation is in the contest that, it is said, is scheduled between Blackville and Barnwell for the location of the coun ty seat for Barnwell County. Barn well is now the county seat, but the talk around the legislative halls is that Blackville has an ambition to get the county seat and Barnwell Court House in insisting upon letting well enough alone. The advocates of Blackville claim that it is the best location and that it was once the county site. On the other hand, those who want the county seat to stay put argue that there is abso lutely no reason for the change. This agitation is brought about by the peo ple of Barnwell and Hampton coun ties, in the sections involved, having voted for the establishment of Allen dale County. The idea seems to be to get a part of Orangeburg County, known as the Springfield section, to join Barnwell County, and then to consider the change of location of the county seat. Of course, it will be seen that there are a good many ifs involved, but those interested are tak ing as little chances as pr.ssible under the theory of the "early bird." Mr. Davis is a hard fighter and is going to press his hill. MILLIONAIRE IN CRAP GAME Shoots Two Policemen Whom He Mis. took for Hold-Up Men. New York, Jan. 20.--L';lief that he was about to be robbed for the third time by holdup men raiding a crap game, prompted Arnold Rothstein to shoot two of eight policenlc' who de scended early this morning upon a game in which he was participating according to the story the police said he told after his arrest on charges of gambling, felonious assault and car rying concealed weapons. The polic;: men shot were not seriously wounded. Nineteen other men, including Abe Attell, former boxing champion, were arrested and later released on $1,000 bail. The police said they had seized several thousand dollars in stakes as evidlence. Rothstein, who is reputed to be a millionaire, is said to have told the poice that he lost $28,000 to hold-up men who raided a crap game in liar lem two years ago, and that the ex perience was repeated two week: ago when he lost $11,000. 0 o~ AVIAT'l'OR LIGI',S ON ROOF Frenchman Vins Big Prize for Per forming Stunt. Paris, .Ja. 20.-.ules Vedrines, the aviator, todhay won a prize of 25,000 francs for being the first airman to land on the roof of a house during a flight. Vedrines left I::sy-Les- M oul ineau x it 1.2O o'clock this afterion, notwith standing a thick fog, with the pur. pose of attempting a landing on the roof of the Gallere:; I.a Fayette, a large dl''part ment store near the St. Lazare station. The roof had pre viously beet. proposed lor use as an aerial station in Paris. Vedrines flew over the boulevards and1( slowved down-i as he passed over the banik buiilding near by, opposit. his dest ination. II ere the aviator sht off1 his (engines andl ha kmmed the' para~ipot sur-rouinig lie roof by onily a f-ew inchaes. Althouigh thie mach ine uninjuredu. WVhen the miachin- :am. length. Thie width of the air!ho teulid 'ii dy. around the wirbi. D) ROAD)S I to a ! a ma s m i n at1 i lif hoi hw ys- co n I mn and r wvill spealk. Ilr~ it w sown.tI ii fti out of thei mudii. Si ined,-i W. (C. D)AVIS, .J A. WlIl-mRG, D)AVID IEV1, C. I. SIROTT, ,1. E. K CLLY, I. I. A PI)lI., C. B. G;I(;GICR, (Commnitt,.