The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, December 23, 1932, Image 2
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Cost of State Government Exceeds
Ability oj People to Support With
Incomes Reduced by Depression
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Editor The Herald and New*;
It i? the opinion of virtually all
thoughtful people that every department
of government?national, etate,
county and municipal?and including
acltjop] district*? i? operated at a cost
far in excess of the ability of the
citizens to pay. Lot us look into
this. Taking up the state government
first, we may begin with the
legislative department:
The legislature should be able to
Conclude its business in forty days;
bur*even if the session should continue
three months?for which there
is n<j justification whatever?we shall
observe that the pay of the clerks
and others is grossly excessive and
entirely out of keeping with the scale
of pay for such services in ordinary
business. Let us pass over the pay
of the president of the senate ($000)
and the pay of the senators ($10,560
for 40 senators) and come to the
other expenses. The senate, as is alao
true of the house, not merely costs
excessively, but maintains an exccsv
sive number of persons. It should
address itself to a reformation of its
affairs, a reform which would result
both in economy and efficiency. 1 he
senate is a small body?forty-six
members?and maintains a clerk at a
scale of $1,050.00 for the session, providing
at the very end of the act
(Section 75) that this schedule of
pay "Of clerks and attaches shall
apply to a session of 40 legislative
days, and that each clerk and attache ,
shall receive additional compensation (
for such services at the same rate
for each legislative day in excess
thereof." .so it is clear that the i
items given in the appropriation hill
are very misleading. Investigation
in the comptroller general's office
shows that the clerk received $1650 ,
for three months work. In addition i
to the clerk, there is an assistant
clerk at $700.00 for 40 days and the
general desk clerk at $;>00.00 for 40
days and the bill clerk at $400.00 <
for 40 days and the journal clerk at
$500.00 for 10 days and the'sergeantat-arrns
at $700.00 for 10 days. In
addition there are various other ,
Clerks, such as clerk to the finance
committee at $700.00 for 40 days and
the secretary to the president of the
senate at $400.00 for l'? days and the
general committee clerk at $100.00
for 40 days and the clerk to the judiciary
committee at $400.00 for 40
days and two doorkeepers at $400.00 |,
for 10 days. The sorgeant-at-arms j
has not a thing to do, but there are '
also two doorkeepers to admit these j,
46 gentlemen, and two pages?boys -j
at $200.00 each for 10 days and the
chaplain who gets $2.>0 for 40 days
and three laborers who reVeive $200.00 (
each for 10 days and another laborer
appointed by the clerk who receives
$200.00 for 10 days. Now in addition
to all this expense, there is an
item of "approved accounts" of the
senate. $5,000.00, making a total for
t.ho senate of $.*12,660.00. To this
must he added the extra pay allowed .
all clerks for the days in excess of
forty days, for which the foregoing
figures are given. That means that
46 gentlemen have an expense of operation
of $112,600.00/not\ including
certain expenses denominated "Services
for both houses and not including,
the engrossing department,
which is also an expense of $14,325.
comm?>n to both houses.
It would require no special knowlodge
of the general assembly to con- j
elude that this is entirely exorbitant
and f-' the senate cannot show the
way to make deep cuts in this extravagant
-pending of the public
money in its own house, we ntay
hardly expect it to appreciate the
need for economy in other# branches
of the public service.
The operation of the house of representatives
is on the >ame scale, hut
because it is ? more numerous body/
ha- a larger total of expenditure,;
$7;, .37.50 for 40 days, and having i
the .? -e-esting item "Approved account.-."
SIS,500.00. ' Among the j
items common to both houses w? And
u not her clerk, 2 po&tma?ter?, 2 laborer*,
a telephone page, a maid, and
"approved accounts," all for a total
of $2,060.00.
One of the intore*ting departments
attached to the general assembly is
th? engrossing department which
carries a total expense of $14,326.00.
This is the department where the
members of the two house* have the
bills prepared to introduce into the
respective houses. If this department
were operated on anything like
a basis of common sense, it -would be
found sufficient to call in possibly
two capable stenographers for the
senate and three for the house, under
the0 supervision and direction of a
competent lawyer with a competent
assistant, instead of twelve engrossing
clerks for $14,200.00 for 40 days
and the chief clerk for $800 and a
desk clerk for $400.00 and $5,000.00
to pay for the attendance of the solicitors
of the state at $8.00. per diem
ami mileage. In addition to that,-wo^
find the inevitable "approved accounts
$2,750.00." The entire engrossing
department could be operated
at a high degree of efficiency for
le*s than $6,000.00. Instead of bringing
to Columbia nice yoOng ladies
from all over 'South Carolina and
then paying them three or four times
the value of their work because they
have come from Dan to Beer-Sheba,
the sensible thing would be to cmploy
Ave or six capable stenographers
at a scale of pay necessary for
capable stenographers in Columbia;
then if -somebody wished to conie
here from Pendleton, S. C., or
Coosawatchie, S. C., it would be at a
known salary based on the value of
work. The same should apply to all
the other places. The legislature has
no business making the state a Santa
Claus and passing the burden on to
the taxpayers. The average solicitor
is in no sense specially prepared
to draft laws, whereas a man thoroughly
proficient might be had with
the aid of a capable clerk. There is
no reason why there should be such
a tremendous rush in preparing bills
as would cause the. engrossing department
to suggest the hurley-hurley
of the stock exchange.
The most casual reading will show
that the pretentions to economy of
the last legislature are disproved by
the operating expenses of these two
bodies themselves. We have grown
accustomed to spending money and
if we cannot spend our own money,
then it is easy to spend somebody
else's money, ami that has been going
on for sometime. ^ ^
The Judicial Department
The judicial department is operated
:it a cost of $219,565.50. The first
item that one reads is that the chief
justice and four associates?the five
together?receive $30,060.00 a year in
salary and then we fmd an item of
$1,875.00 spoken of as expenses of
associate justice" and then still another
item of $14,500 which reads
"other expenses, including rents, secretarial,
stenographic and clerical
help, wages, contractual services,
supplies and equipment." ?Tho supreme
court has a reporter for $1,000
and n librarian for $1,620, the two
positions together not being sufficient
to occupy a capable lawyer more than
about one-third of his time. Then
we find that we have 14 circuit judges
drawing $86,875 with an item in addition
of $2,375 for expenses.
Then there is an item of $500 for
codifying the laws, together with an
additional item for clerical help and
$220 for travel allowance. Then we
have a committee on statutory law
which costs $270 a year with $000 for
a secretary. It has been suggested
that one man drawing a salary of
$3,000 would do better work charged
with the duties of several of these
officers, as. for example, this very
secretaryship of $000, the amount of
$2To for the committee ar.d the $500,
$ 100 and $220 cited for the codification
of the laws and he should be reporter
for the supreme court ($1,
000) and librarian of same ($1,020)
and chief clerk pf the engroaaing
service# ($800). All these position*
are related and <would easily dovetail,
giving to one -competent man
full-time employment and assuring to
each of these different offices competent
service. The present method is
a hit-or-mlss business, scattered all
over the place. We should at once
enjoy not merely the saving of more
than $2,000 but a logical grouping,^
related services.
The Governor's Office
The governor's salary might be reduced,
of course, although much may
be said for maintaining it. The governor
has so many calls anil has to
represent the state on so many occasions
that he is under a sort oi compulsion
to live in a style that would
not be necessary if he did not dwell,
in the full glare of publicity. The
expenses for the governor's office in
general, are not excessive .although
it isn't clear why he should have two
stenographers in view of the practice
of his office in disregarding the
plain obligation to answer letters.
Something else may be saitl, however,
in regard ip allowances. We
find that1 the state pays the following
sums for the maintenance of the governor's
mansion and grounds:
1. Wages $1,980.00
2. Water, heat, light and
power 850.00
3. Supplies .............. 500.00
That seems quite liberal, and it
does not appear that the state should
pay any of this, except for the keeping
up of the grounds?at the most
$100 for labor and $50 for fertilizers.
When it comes to the office of the
secretary of state, comptroller general
and treasurer, there is very little
to observe, Each one receives a
salary of $3,600.00 a year; each one
is allowed $050 as a bonus, camouflaged
as travel. There is no question
whatever about this item. The
secretary of state travels from his
residence to his office and that is the
full extent of his travel. The comptroller
general is expected to travel
and so he had $050 (observe the item
of $650 in each case) and then has
a travel allowance of $700 more.
When we come to the treasurer, we
find exactly the same thing; expense
allowance $050.00 and then travel allowance
of $750. You may wonder
where the treasurer travels and it
may. be stated that the treasurer
travels from Columbia to New York
to see about renewing the state notes
and so he is allowed $750 for this.
If he should travel four times a year
it ought not to cost but one-half of
this; hut if he is trying to keep up
the. credit of the state, then with the
example of such free spending as the
highway commission does, it may be
little enough. It should have been
said farther back that this also is a
part of the travel of the comptroller
general, he having to go to see about
state credit also. The comptroller
general is supposed to travel around
the state, visiting the auditors and
treasurers. Now the comptroller
general, for travel all over South
Carolina and New York, is allowed
$700 and the state treasurer for
travel to New York alone has $750.
Attorney General Left Out
The attorney general of the state
does not seem to come in on this
camouflaged bonus, although his salary
is exactly equal to the salary of
the comptroller general with the
bonus added. It has the merit of
telling you at once that it is a salary.
In another place is an item of $1,900
for travel for the attorney general's
ofTice but it is not open to objection
as it must be said that the office
of attorney general of South Carolina
is operated with exemplary
economy.
The adjutant general's ofTice , is
very impressive. It reminds one of a
general of an army of some little
principality, and it has all the swank
and pomp and panoply of a big army
on parade! 'South Carolina has just
a handful of militia, just enough militia
companies to say that we have
militia. . fewer companies, perhaps
than there were in those quiet old
days of the Spanish American War.
In those days there was a militia
company almost everywhere and it
had bright uniforms and folderol but
very few men at the G. H. Q. in Columbia:
Now, following the blaze of
the World War, we have a staff and
an establishment .and a martial strut
that would set the world agog.
With the few companies of militia
that we have, the duties of the adjutant
general should not be a great
strain on any-man, but we have {he
adjutant general with an assistant
adjutant general and with a propVr-ty
and disbursing officer and with two
stenographers at $1-164.00 and $1,284,
respectively, and an armorer and
then an item called "special payments
of $1620?now what do you
suppose-that is, "special payments"
of $1620? Then we find that same
expense allowance of $650.00 which
has been heretofore referred to as a
mere camouflaged bonus. At a time
when hogs are selling at 3c per pound
1 and our state is head-over-heels in
j debt and there is no balm in Gilead,
' we still can pay the heads of our departments
50 per cent more in salary
than in 1913 amt add a bonus of $650.
There is an item here for travel of
$1400. South Carolina has about 30
military units and this item of travel
looks very big?$1400 for the adjutant
general. Then he has an item
for printing and advertising?$2050.
In the adjutant general's office
there appears a stervice officer at $3,120
and an assitant sefvice officer at
$2460 and two stenographers for
about $2000, together with travel
$500, etc. So the adjutant general's
office costs the state of South Carolina
$58,172.68.
It has been suggested that even
with one assistant the adjutant general
would have too much idle time;
and so it is thought that a nucleus of
a state police system might be formed
of all the law-enforcem>nt men on
the payrolls of the state, all being
put under the adjutant general.?Citizen
in Newberry Herald and News.
(To Be Continued)
Hogs Are Plentiful
Says County Agent
I just ran across the v following
newspaper clipping which was published
about a year ago. 1 thought
this might bo of interest in showing
the people why we have such a large
number of hogs in our county now.
The county is well stocked with hogs
;which are insurance against hunger
this winter, and the work that we
conducted one and two y<^trs ago in
this connection, I think, should be
credited to a very large degree with
the large supply of this food, saye
Henry U, Creen, the coynty agent:
"Another pig sale is to be held in
<^amden (Saturday A. M., December
l?,yon the vacant lot in the rear of
Post Office.
"These pigs are being furnished by
James McKenzie, 4-H club boy. They
will be sold at $2.00, $2.50 and $3.00.
They are extra nice pigs, being
thrifty and healthy.
"Again I wish to remind the people
of Kershaw county that no one need
be without a start of hogs as we will
help finance any man, woman, boy or
girl who desires and needs a pig, if
they need financial help and they have
feed and will make application to the
i county agent.
' "Our aim is that every farm family
j in Kershaw county shall produce its
I own meat.
"4-H Club boys are beginning to
help Kershaw county in a real worthwhile
way."
Representative Kulbright, Democrat,
of Missouri, has introduced a
bill under the terms of which congressmen
would take a pay cut of
25 per cent.
S. R. Wagel, New York economist,
proposes to raise the price of cotton
by means of a regulatory tax on production
that would be self-financing.
He asserts that his plan would force
the price of the staple to 17 cents a
pound.
Three vessels estimated by coast
guard and customs officials as being
worth $210,000, and cargoes of grain
alcohol of estimated value of $600,000,
were seized by coast guardsmen
at Port Johnson, Bayonne, N. J.,
Wednesday morning.
On announcement that France
would not pay ita obligation to the
United (States mad# Tuesday, French
holders of securities of all kinds
rushed to sell such securities ?* they
held. , .
Notice of Exocutioo Sale
State of South Carolina
County of Kershaw
(In the Court of Common Pleas)
Leo Kroner, Plaintiff,
against
One Dodge Truck, License No. J-G'762,
and Trailer License No. S-2-217,
Defendants.
Notice is hereby given that under
and by virtue of an execution issued
out of the Court of Common Pleas
of Kershaw County in the above entitled
case and to me directed, the
undersigned, J. H. McLeod, Sheriff of
Kershaw County, will sell to the highest
bidder for cash, at Rose's Garage,
in the Town of Blaney, Kershaw
County, South Carolina, at eleven
o'clock a. m., on Wednesday. December
28, 1932, to satisfy said execution,
the following described personal.
property, to wit:
. "One Dodge Truck," bearing \Soutb
Carolina 1932 License No. J-6762, and
! one Trailer, bearing South Carolina
1932 License No. S-2-217."
I The same being the identical truck
i and trailer attached in the above ac- i
i tion and proceedings.
Done this 12th day of December, I
1932.
J. H. McLEOD,
Sheriff of Kershaw County.'
NOTICE TO CREDITORS i
In the District Court of the United
States ^or the Eastern District of,
South Carolina, In Bankruptcy.
In the matter of Harry Leon Schlosburg,
Camden, S. C., Bankrupt No.
3,986.
Notice is hereby given that the
above named bankrupt has filed a pe- .
tition for discharge and that a hear- i
ing has been ordered to be had upon
the same on the 10vth day of January,1
11933, before this cbtirt at Charleston,!
i S. C., at 10 o'clock in the forenoon; j
at which time and place, all known i
creditors and other persons in inter-1
est may appear and show cause, if
any they have, why the prayer of the
said petitioner should not be granted.
RICHARD W. HUTSON, ,
Clerk j
dec 9-16-23-30, 1932
CITATION i
I
State of South Carolina
County of Kershaw i
:
(By.L. R. Jones, Esquire, Probate
Judge)
Whereas, B. S. Broom made suit
to me to grant him Letters of Administration
of the Estate of and effects
of Donnie B. Broom.
These are, Therefore, to cite and
admonish all and singular the kindred
!hnd creditors of the said Donnie B.
! Broom, deceased, that they be and ap!
pear before me, in the Court of Probate,
to be held at Camden, S. C., on
jthe 19th day of'December next after
publication thereof, at 11 o'clock in
; the forenoon, to show cause, if any
j they have, why the said Administration
should not be granted.
Given under my hand, this 5th day
of December, Anno Domini 1932. f
L. R. JONES,
Judge of Probate for Kershaw County
Published on the 9th and 16th days
of December, 1932, in The Camden
Chronicle.
FINAL DISCHARGE
Notice it hereby given that one
month from this date, on December
20th, 1032, at 11 o'cldck A. M-. 1 will
make to the Probate Court of Kerahdw
County my final return u Administratrix
of the estate of Fenky
Adams, deceased, and on the same
date I will wpply to the said Court
for a final discharge as said Administratrix.
MARY E. ADAMS,
Administratrix Estate of
> Fenley Adams.
Camden, S. C., November 17, 1932.
CITATION
% <,
State of South Carolina o%..
(County of Kershaw w
(By L. R. Jones, Esquire, Probate
Judge)
Whereas, W. A. Edwards made suit
to me to grant him Letters of Administration
of the Estate of 'and effects
of Amandah H. Edwards. jl
These are, Therefore, to cite and
admonish all and singular the kindred
and creditors of the said Amandah
H. Edwards, deceased, that they
be and appear before me, in the Court
of Probate, to be held at Camden, S.
C., on the 2lst day; of December,
1932. next after publication thereof,
at 11 o'clock in the forenooji, to show
cause, if any they have, why the said
Administration should not be grapted.
Given under my Hand, this 7th day
of December. Anno Domini, 1932.
L. R. JONES,
Judge of Probate for Kershaw County
Published on the 9th and 16th days .
of December, 1932, in the Camden
Chrpnicle.
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1 H u I
THE PUBLIC should be
prudent in seeking 'relief from
pain. Fake nothing which does
not have the approval of the
medical profession. -?
BAYER ASPIRIN will never
do you any harm, and almost
always brings the desired relief.
But remember that the high
medical endorsement given
Payer Aspirin does not apply to
all tablets for relief of pain.
T*rDOCTOR is careful to
sc-*"ity Katjer Aspirin for these
hrportant reasons:
It hns-no injurious ingredients.
No coarse particles to irritate
throat or stomach. Nothing to
nfnet the system. Not even any
disagreeable taste. The Bayer
prr.cess insures a pure, uniform \
pr..ducL
!?:?I5T on the tablet you
know to be safe. And the one
that has Speed. Bayer tablets
t lcsolve so quickly, you get
immediate relief from your
headache, neuralgia, or other t
puiii.
? 1932. The Bayer Co.. Ino.
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TAX NOTICE
' (
Notice is hereby given, that after the 31st day of
December, 1932, no discount will be allowed on the |
payment of City taxes for the year 1932. All City
taxes paid between now and December 31st, 1932,
will be subject to a one (1%) per cent, discount.
? * . ' . - i
J. C. BOYKIN,
Clerk and Treasurer.
Camden, S. C., November 25, 1932. j
.
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