The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, May 23, 1941, Page PAGE SEVEN, Image 7
Representative Arrants Replies
To Chairman Redfearn's Article
tn last wctik'M Chronicle W, T. R?>d> i
r?.??ia. of 'be County Hoard of Dlreci,,lh
had a long thy letter addressed to
itn.-.' paper ??A also on? from Senator
Murdoch M. Johnson. Mr. Arrants
back this week In a lengthy lint1
,,l (jucHtionH put to Mr, Rcdfearn which I
\n'e publish below:
Sua e you. as a I<ochlnvar, have come
,.r oblivion on a steed of pride and
iir.judieo to the rescue of your fellow
, hmsinan, I have no other chole? than
t,, answer ymtr moat uncalled for letter
in last week's Issue of the Camden
chronicle. I will add a lot more to the
?ioiv. but remember It was you who
?tru< k the first blow.
Why should you be complaining^
Have we not'treatod you fair and honest
all occasions? When you asked for |
? _'?> ?!>< for road machinery and the. 8en- I
i,tor cut you down to $8,500. l>ld we not
raise you up to the $10,000? When we
ma.le provisions for $8,000 for your W.
C \ did ivot the Senator, In the form of
a resolution, try to cut you down to
I:t. ?) ?? When you said you were low
,.ti men at the chalngang, did not my colleague
and I make a special trip to Coltllonn
ut tho penitentiary, und he
.-.a il as a personal fuvor to us and this
bring hit home county he would let us
l,a \ e some men; then you refused to
take them? Yes. Mr. Reofearn, you fori
to mention those things.
y,.u referred to our dictating to you
,n how much to pay the chalngang
gu.ii'Is. Whoso legal right do you think
ii is to tlx the salaries of county workers?
If you look to Act No. 17, on page
"I of the statutes at large of the general
,,ss?.inhly, approved the 11th day of
hYhruary, 1935, by the governor, you will
find an amendment to the constitution |
ives we still have one) voted upon by
in- people, whereby the legislature has
!h, right to fix salaries from time to
>ime. what do you think tho chalngang
i-" The highway department? l>o you
(link you are the chief commissioner?
If von do. you are mighty wrong. You
nr. only a director for DeKalb Township.
not even Kershaw county. It
n.tght pay you to keep the limitations
. f lour authority in mind. Yes, wo did
s.iv how much to pay the guardB and
mi are p#oun of It. You refused to do
so You iiro willing to pay men two and
*h:* - hundred dollars a month to sit up
! eomfortahle offices, and still you com lain
when we try to pay these guards
ii.d a one of whom I know, $90 a month,
when they get out and risk their lives
among criminals In all ktndH of weatner
".an daylight to dark. If I had tried
to make out I was so great a ,friend
to the poor people. I don't think I would
) >?v.. laid the face to mention such a
thing. It has been our purpose to try
to help the little fellow as much as
possible and not hurt tho big man, and
w,? have no apologies or regrets to offer.
"You said It was customary for the
auditor to tlx the levy In this county.
There has been a lot of things cus
oniary. In this county, that won't be so
any longer, while I am a member of
the delegation. Rend article 10 of the
'institution, especially section 13 and you
might be enlightened on this subject. It
a No might help to read section 3 of the
-..me article In regards to taxing the
p.-< pie and not letting them know what
W hen my colleagues and I went into
- ft'i.-r- and tried to find a little something
bout the financial situation of the
ounty, we went to you and the county
treasurer and asked ho\Y much surplus
Minds we had on hand. You refused
I to tell at all. and the treasurer gave me
a statement In black and whlto showing
that wo had $7,000 in surplus funds.
You remember last year tho old members
of the house told all over the county
that we had $10,000 surplus, Wherf
we went to the state comptroller general
tn i heck, he sent an auditor over to And
out that we had $82,000 on hand. Then
you admitted knowing it and then made
the remark that the old delegation did
not know how much money the county
had. I doubt very seriously If you knew
how much funds were unexpended by
your hoard. Why don't you tell tho
iK-ople that you either,,"did or did not
know how much money the county had?
if vou did know and .refused to tey the
m "pie last summer or correct the old
labors of *the delegation, you have
1 -, trayed the people and the trust they
l hi In you. If you did not know, then
,"ii Hm not tho financial wizard that^
-' mo people might think. In your ne^t
public statements please account for
ii?. 1
i'id you happen to have anything to
! with telling those on W. P. A. that
were rutting all funds off when we
h < re the first delgation to make provlsi
'lis for It In the supply hill? You cfafcu
we are trying to hurt the poor people
of ihiit county, when all during this
hi'mmIdii, my colleague and I with others,
fought successfully to Increase the stuto
appropriation by $300,000 when matched
by the same from the Federal Uowinment
will mean $600,000 to the old uge
and poor pepole of this State.
"why don't you tell the people what
you think about free text hooka, for the
poor children of thlH county, who arti
unable to help themselvea? Why don't
you tell them that you think the poor
people of thin county and the negroes
are In the aamo class, and that's where
you want them to stay? Why do you
not tell the people that when we mentioned
free text hooka to you, and wanted
to spend $6,000 for them,. that you
thought that the county could not
Htand It, and then In loss than a week'
you were In Columbia asking us to tax
the people to raise $20,000 to buy road
machinery with? Prior to that you had
aHked us to tax the people In order to
carry on the W, P. A., and remember,
a.ll the time you had $80,000 lying In the
banks drawing no interest at all.v"lf
the ounty was In such an excellent
financial status, why did you Issue
bonds at 2 8-4 intercut for $46,000 for the
Jail and the agricultural building? Why
did last year you had the old delegation
give you authority to borrow $8,000 to
build the armory and then lost the nerve
to do so. What Is your reason for borrowing
money and taxing the people
to pay 2 3-4 Interest when all the time
you had thousands of dollars lying In
the hunks drawing no Interest at all?
"Why don't you tell the people that
you and the Senator tried to get us to
Illegally give you money since January
In the forms of resolutions. You know
and your county attorney knows It Is
Illegal to do so. In our possession is a
letter from the state's attorney general,
the highest authority on law In the state,
who says we have had no legal right
whatsoever to appropriate money by
that kind of resolution since January 1.
I am not opposed to reaolutlons when it
can legally be done and when tho time
comes we will resolute money. But
when we do, it will he thru the senator
signing our resolution and not thro us
signing his. But when we do tho pec pie
will surely know about them. Not like
last year when the people were told on
the stump that $87,600 was spent for
county purposes, and we came to find out
that $T10,000 had been spent?$23,000 had
been handed under the table. No, Mr.
Redfearn, that Is not my way of doing
business.
"When my colleague and I went Into
office It was because the people put us
: there, and we pledged ourselves to do
j what we could to better the conditions
i of the masses of the people. A few days
before the legislature met we did draw
up a supply bill was stated In last
' week's papeV. My colleagues and I,
along with the Sheriff^, who happens to
: he a second cousin of'wmlne, and whom
I I hold in the highest regards, met with
' the senator In his office. We decided on
the figures we were going to let different
ones have and as I walked out I told
the senator that If there hvere any l
changes we would let him know,
i '"There were three changes. In the
first place at the suggestion of the
county treasurer we changed the fiscal
I year from January 1, to July 1, as Is
the state's. In order to do so we decided
[ to give the people six months tax free.
I but what did you do, Mr. Redfearn? In
! the second place we decided to put all
tho county officers on straight salaries,
as twenty-seven counties have done. No
man with any business at all about him
will deny that the people of this county
should know what they are paying their
, offiolals. But what did you nnd
lone or-two others try to do? You tried
; to camouflage the fa< ts by saying that
we were hurting the poor people by making
them pay the penalties and fees. I
, know some poor people are let off, provided
they voted right, hut there are
: many poor people who do have to pay
them. Is that right Mr. Redfearn? Is
that Justice? Is that democratic? Tfou
know it is not. Any way, if they had
to pay them, they would have gone back
to them in the form of text boks. The
majority of the people in Kershaw
county are poor?we have few rich
people.
"But after certain ones tried to play
up that we were hurting the poor we put
in hills cutting the fees in the clerk of
court and probate Judge's offices in half
and abolishing the two and quarter dollars
penalty on tax executions altogether,
hut what happened? Why did the senator
kill the bills as soon as he received
them? If he had wanted t ohelp the poor
people, ho surely would hnve let those
two hills pass with pleasure. It shows.
Xfc. KexfCcara, how serious some of you
are and how good a friend you all are
to the poor people of this county. The !
third purpose we had was free text I
books, tin every stump last summer I
told the people I stood for free text
books. If they had not wanted them [
they should not have elected me for 1
do not say I stand for things to Just get j
elected as some politicians might. I j
have wulked the hard trail to get an;
education and 1 will never cease my un- !
thing efforts to promote it. the lack of
which causes Soulh Carolina to bo one '
of the Mtinst backward states in the
union. Hut I assume that is what you I
want when you fight education. Make >
slaves out of the fnasses in order to i
serve a privileged few.
Mr. Redfearn, you know taxes can bo ,
reduced and should be at the present
time. Most counties have, one county '.
reducing theirs by nine mills. Hut what !
effort have you made to reduce them?
Not one bit. On every occasion you '
have encouraged us to Increase the levy
and you know who lias to bay them, j
It Is the poor people and you know it. J
You might think you are a friend to the '
poor man hut your philosophy does not
square with your doctrines, and your j
Words contradict your deeds. But I have :
no malice in my heart toward you or I
any of the other county officials. I
count you all personal friends, but I j
can't airree with your politics.
"in your letter, you insinuated that
we knew nothing of county government.
I don't thi^k that would be worrying
you. What you are worried about Is
that we know too much about this
county's government and those, in
charge; and don't be led to think that
I am_ jnot going to tell about, when I
come before the people again.
"Why should you have taken a public
stand. I do not know unless in the
words of the senator, you have run the j
county the last eight or ten years and
will continue to do so. But understand,
Mr. Redfearn, you can h&ve charge or
the administration affairs. We have
never tried to tell you or no other officers
how to do his Job., and we expect
the same of you In regard to the legislative
affairs. If you think you are
going to legislate as well as administrate
during my term of office, regardlees
of whether you did or not In the
past. I am afraid you will he disappointed.
I was elected by the good, honest
people of this county and I expect to do
my best for them. If you Want to do
the legislating I would suggest that you
run for the legislature, that which
reports from sections of the county seem
to think you are trying to lay the
foundation for now.
With my best wishes and regards,
I am.
Sincerely yours,
J. CBATOR ARRANTS.
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Washington. D, C., May 16, 1941?
The House qu Tuesday adopted and
sent to the Senate a conference report
on legislation designed to give
producers of the five basic crops?
wheat, cotton, corn, rice and tobacco
?more equitable purchasing power.
The bill would do this by authorizing
the Government to boost its
price-pegging loans on these crops to
85 per cent of parity.
(l'arlty is the price farmers must
receive to give them the same purchasing
power, in terms of non-farm
products, that they had during the
base period 1909-14),
The legislation, together with cash
benetlts paid, by the Government to
farmers who co-operate in farm programs,
apparently will assure them
full parity return on their 1941 crops.
For iustance. the present jmrity price
on wheat is $1.13 a bushel. Under
the 85 per-cent guarantee, plus benefits,
It is estimated the farmer will
receive $1.15 per bushel for wheat.
House approval of the conference
report came on a 275 to 63 vote. Representative
Clarence Cannon (D) of
Missouri, chairman of the agricultural
appropriations subcommittee, told
his colleagues that the bill was "the
most important domestic legislation
approved In this House in the last
five years."
As of now, the new program would
not affect rice since that commodity
Jb at 106 per cent of parity. In some
cases it also would not affect tobacco
whose parity ranges from 25 to 92
per cent?depending upon the type
of tobacco.
On the basis of present parity
levels, the wheat loan will be 96.22
cents a bushel; corn 69.87 cents a
bushel; cotton, 13.49 cents a pound. |
The landing in Scotland this Week
of Rudolph Hess, considered one of
the closest- men to Hitler, has caused
the whole world to wonder. There is
much speculation in Washington as to
the real mission of the 47 year old
^German leader. I have also received
some inquiries from my constituents
of the Fifth District, asking what
Hess' unexpected visit to the British
Isles really means. Nobody here J
seems to know anything definite. I
There are many different theories j
and solutions of the puzzle. The pre- |
i
vailing opinion. though,. lg that Hobs'
mind either became unbalanced, or
that ho look the trip to England with
the full knowledge and eonaent of I
Hitler for the purpose of submitting 1
certain peace proposal* to the llrittsh. I
A secret flight of 81 flying for- 1
treasea front the Weet Coast to.
Hawaii was disclosed by the War
Department on Wednesday. The <
flight served to drama!Ue the speeding
up and strengthening of Hawaiian
defense* since the conclusion of the
Kusso-Japanese non aggression pact
a few weeks ago. The Army and
Nuvy air arm In the Pacific has been
greatly augmented, and general military
and naval construction at the
islands has been speeded.
The island, crossroads of the Pack
lie and strategic key to American
maritime defense, are to he transformed
Into the world's most formidable
sea fortress ahead of schedule,
as a result of the exchange of nonaggression
pledges by Soviet Russia
and Jupun, which upset America's
diplomacy In thq Pacific.
At the outset of the European war,
American defensive plans for the i
Hawaiian islands were forgotten.
Work on the naval base, all Holds and
Fortresses on the islands were sidetracked
for the aid-to-Britain program
and the building ui> oi Atlantic <
L'oaat defenses. .
Knrly thla year the ialanda were
without any modern airplanes or antiaircraft
defenaoa. An Invader would
have met. with almoal no resistance
from' the air, and would have heon
able to bomb defensive positions at
will.
In recent weeks since the. conclusion
of the Kuaso-Japunoae pact?
the Army and Navy have been send1
UK the most modern planes of all
types to Hawaii. Anti-aircraft batteries
and other modern equipment is
reaching (he Islands In increasing
amounts and work on fortiflcations,
airfields and the Navy baso Is being
pressed.
The United States Army is serving
about 4,600.000 moals a day. The figures
are all the more amazing whet)
you consider that these men are fed
under relatively new conditions occa?
, * " I ' " 1
stoned by a new kind of warfare.
They are fed hot fresh foods whtlu
Hying in bombing planes thousands of
feet above ground, while riding rough
nous In a heavy hnltloidilp or lighter
cruiser, in cantoneiuonts hastily
creeled l?> house selectees, or lu
tropical subzero training areas.
We have learned a great deal in the
last generation about soldiers and
nutrition. The days of bacon and
hardtack are as out of date?at least
in this country as the muzzlo-loadtug
musket.* One reason why sickness
killed more soldiers than bullets
in the Confederate war may have
boon the simple fact that the soldier
didn't get the right kind ?f food.
Food consultants of t ho Army
Quartermaster Corps assert (hat the
American soldier Is being fed better
than at least t>0 per cent of the people
of the United States and better than
any other tight lug men in the world.
It Is now estimated that at least
20,000 more airplane mechanics are
heeded in order to have sufficient
ground crews for our 50,000 planes in
1942.
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