Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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JO AS NE B R YIeJA NEVBGRI,XT S C,TUESD)AY ~ (JA A Y1, 1902. Text of the Document Transmitted By Gov, McSweeney to The Legislature. A Comprehensive Review of Tie Work Done By The Various Departments of The State Government During The Year-Recom endationls. Conlemen of the General Assembly: Tho organic law of the State ilakes it the duty of the Chief Executive to lay befork the General Assembly at caci annual session a review of the differ ent departments of govornmnent, and to make such recommeniations and sug gestions as may seen to him wise and proper. The past year has boon a remarkable one in many respects. Many stirring (v qhts havo marked the record. The tillers of the soil in many sections of en State have not had the usual returns for their labors, and with many of th M tho present year is going to be one of sacrifice and self-denial, and yet y are looking hopefully to the future and not complaining. The develop eent and progress of the State in manufacturing enterprises goes steadily forward. I sometimes fear that these enterprises are being built up at the expense of the rural districts. It has been largely among the 'owners and tillers of the soil that the sinows of strength in our State in tiies of peril and of trouble have rested. The strength of a State and the patriotisni of a people rest with the home owners. Whatever can be done by wiso legis lation to encourage home owning will be so much contributed to the patriot ism of our State and to the stabillty of our institutions. Sinco your last session the .Nation has been bowed down beneath tho weight of a greviois sorrow, caused by the dastardly blow which struck down its Chief,Executive, a blow aimed not at him but at you and every law abid lug citizen of the land, and at the free government of which he had been ohosen by the Americau people as the head. It was a 'l-ow at organized slety and the victim was only an inident. A sentiment which gives riso to an act like this is one of the dangers which threaten our Nation. And yet, at no time has the stability of our form of government been more clea.xly shown than at this critical period, for the life of no one man, however ex alted and -boloved he may be, is necessary to the continued prospevity and welfare of the people, and the fair treatment given tho murderer but served to show to hi ,ssociates the eille.acy and the dignity, and the necessity for the preservation of that law which he sought to overthrow. Within the past year three of your own members-l1on. E. 13. Ragsdale, of Vairfield; lion. G. J. Redfearn, of Chestcriield, and I-Ion. J. B. Bates, of Barn well-have been called from their labors here on earth and have gone to join the innumerable hosts on the -other store. There will be many matters of importance to command your consideration, an'd in all questions coming before you, you should always bear in mind the intermts of the- peopl'a, whose servants you are. To this end you will have ny aUd and co-operation. There have been two lynchings in the Stato during the past year, both of vhieh are to be regretted and would have been prevented if possible, but sa tong as -fiends in human form continue to commit outrages upon our ).,wouen they may 'expect swift and summary justice, and I doubt if emer gency couirts or any other remedy will stop the administration of such justice 'when it is known the right fiend is found. The only way to stop the punish 3nent Is to stop the crime. FINANCES. The following statement furnished by the State Treasurer shows the Con dition of the finances of the State at the close of the fiscal ypar, December 31, 191: dash Receipts for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 1901. Gash Balance, Dec. 31, 1900 .. .. ........ ............. 626.9i2.05 Ba*k. Taxes.... .. .. ...................... .. .,325.75 Gene'- Ta.xes 1900 .. .. .. ............ ..........589,368.58 tGener Taxes 190' .. ................... .. .... ..19,213.82 .Railroad Assessments .... .. .......... .. .. .....6,744.32 Income Tax ....... ...... ... . ......... .. .. ... 780.49 Fees, Office Secretary of State.. ......... .. .... 40,583.71 lineofporation Fees .................... . .0.0 A'nual Insurance 1lcense Fees...0......0...... ., fraduated Insurance License Fees ........ .... .. .....13,543.76 Privilego Fertilizer Tax .. .. .. ........ .. .. ........ 4,078.43 Loans (borrowed on Notes of Governor and Treas arer).. .. 145,000.00 Insurance Sinking Fund .... .. .. .................3,064.97 Atate Parinanent School Fund .. ........ .. . .. ., 2,70.18 .tate-Special School Fund (Dispensary) .. .. .. ...100,000.00 Clemson De<uests (interest on deposits) 33.9 Morrill Fund from U. S. Government...... .. ...... Gommiissioners Sinking Fund: Loans returned.. ...... ....$ 02,546.41 Interest on Loans .... ......2,905.24 .-Agent Commissioners Sink ing Fund (Sec'y State) ... 4,381.69 Siaking Fund Reduction Brown 4% per cents.': . Loans returned .. .... ... .. ....93,560.91 Interest on loans and deposits 15,841.18 Phosphate Royalty .. .... ....25,120.60 Dispensary, S. C... ..,,..,.83,.. Rfuinds-sundry. accounts .. ... ... ... ,715 Chuii Payments for Fiscal Year Ending December '1 1491861.9 'Salaies $.. .1.....7...2...9.. LeAgislative Expenses .... ..1....... nJet:t1onal, Char'itable and Penal Institutions 31529 * ems'on College: Privileg'e Fertilir.er Tax ...,..$ 28,139.64 orilFund ..... ... 2.500.00 Interest Land Scrip and Per mianent Fund............9,266.86 dyioed Nor. Ind. Agr. and Meeh. Col. Appropriation .... .... ,. .. $ 3,000.00 Morrill Fund ......... .........8,790.6.t SInterest LaLnd Scrip s..... .. .. 1,764.00 : e~ Permanent School F'und.. .. ....2446 * ~ eSpecial School Fun d (Dispensary) 10000 Q'pletion State House (paid Sink ing Fund Commission) .... . ... EthCarolina Inter State and" W%est311.4 kindian Exposition .... ...... . K,Iepns (notes of Governor and Treas tarer) ..8.5..4.2......4.. Phite i'ntini.... .. ....... ..,9.... nVttaiihing: ilitia .......1...8. n~~iarantining'State ..1.....7.... . ~ ~mgi5sioners Sinking Fund.. 4.....8 - nking Fund for the Reduction of Loans .. .... ....... .... ......102,270.00 State House' Contract .... ....123,164.37~ investment (S. C. Birown 4%A 90,760.28 30146 per cents.) .... .. .... . --- ~rocting Monument at Chickamnuga.. 4602 m.ensary, S. C.: Account proper ,....... .2,005,297.45 Transferred to iMool Fund .. 100,000.00 !nte at on Public Debt. 270,643... ~5~c)aneous Accounts ..0..6....... ~13aancoDee 31,19y1Zar,7Decembe 7401,80.49 40,53.7 V.,.50.00 .12.475. {';;~~13,543.76 It became ne:ry In order to meet the (urren-clit ex ens of the State gov ornment I . for the Treasurer, by anthor ity of an Act of Ilie General Assembly, to borrow $70,000. This lan was no gotiated at four perl cent. per ann11111 for thirty and sixty days' timle and has all ben p:aid back. Ii order, however, to meet. the interest on the Statl debt, dule January first it was nensary to i)orrow $110,000 atdwitioi:. Tiis -w.tion was mnade necessary by (Ilie fact that a Very simill proportiol of the taxes had been paid at the close of the ye:lr. in iny mess:go of the last. two years I havo 1pol c'2c oeva.;aioll c:led your attvntioll -to the ".1hject of cerlaIn bonds whlh0, by the Treasur-'s10 Vt11, apSa as part. of the old de6t of tho State, but which are nlow, 11n1diel the Act of 1896, no lionger fioilantiab by thi Treasircri- wk!iout tlo action of your honorable bodies. From your jOurnals I learn that iy imessage upl)on the ibject was refer''" to a Joilit ComIIlitteo which reported theron. but Wihit'h1 report was niot adaptod by T.Iho Senato and 110 nction takion thoreon by the louse of Tlier:wtativos. 'he Tras1rer caills attention to the bonds and says: "I find onl the books of Lhis IePartmllent certain bonlis as pairt of tho debt of the State entered as 'Old Bonds Not Funlable (Act of 1896) Bluo Itailroad Bonds $37,000.' These bonds were isslid in 1859, and imatured in 1879. ly Act of 1896 the Treasurer is forbidden to pay, consIlIdate or fund any copon bond of the State after the expiriLtion of twenty years from the date of maturity of such bonds. I am in dloubt as to how longer to report these bonds. If they are no longer fundable why carry then llonger as a part of the debt of the State? But while on the one hand the Treasurer can neither pay nor fund them, on the other lie has no authority to writo them off the books." 'lils letter was referred to the Attorney General for his oplinon, and lin reply ho submits a full and complete opinion, conclud ig as follows: "I am of opinioi that the bonds in question constitute an existing adjudicated part of the' debt of the State, and as such can only be disposed of by some Act of the Legi lature." Thus oonfirmned in my oplilion and views upon the subject by tho legal of fleers of the State, I cannot do other wise than repeat my recommendation of last year, viz., that tile claim of the bank to bo permitted to renew and fund these bonds is valid and just and should be allowed. It is not denloi that the State owes the bonds to some one. Thcy are carried as part of the debt of the State on the books of the Treasurer, as owIng to som1e one. The Courts have all decreed tile bank to be the owner no one else can now claim them, as all persons but the bank are barred under the Act of 1896 from doing so. I repeat, in the face of these facts, it will be little short of repudiation If we continu( to refuse to allow the receiver of th' banik to fund them. EX'rENSION OF TIME FOR PAY MENT OF TAXES. It Is best that the time for tile pay nent of taxes without penalty should be fixed, and it should be understood that there will be no extension. In view, however, of the stringency of money with our farmers, and in conse quence with almost every other branch of business, and in view of the fur ther fact that the time for the pay ment of taxes has so often been ex tended that our people have como to expect It, after consultation with the Comptroller General, and by virtue of authority given us by law, the time for the playmenit of taxes without pen alty has been extended to the first day of March, 1902. TAXATiON. Tile question of taxation is one of the most impiortanft andl difficult prob lems that will confronlt you and one of the most p)rofound in politicai econ omy. It has been a difficult problem ever sin1ce government has been organ-. 15zed anId taxes laid, and never yet has a system been adopted whicih Is en tirely equItable andi just and which hp.s not b)een open to fraud and eva sion and Iiequality. it is easy to lay down a tiheory and a principle that wvill be just and equitable, but whlen it comes to p)utting In motion the ma chinery that wIll carry out In its prac tical operations thlat theory and that will aply the principal to property, the question becomes a vexed one and difficult of solution. The Cqnstitutlon provIdes that all property shall be as sessed at Its true value and therefore b)ear Its share of the blurdIen of taxa tion. This pincmliple was laidl dowun by Adam Smith, the celebrated Scottish p)hilosopher and polItical economist, in the early part of the Eighteenth century, and( by all writers on political economy before and since his day. Equal and just taxation, levIed on all p)roperty proportionately and In ac cordlance with Its value, Is the product of the highest justice, and when done to mieet siml)y the demands of govern ment, economically administered, is never' burdensome. On the othler hand, ulnequal and uinjulst taxation Is al ways burdensome and has been the cause of many of the wars and mluIch of tile strife all through the history of the ages, It is necessary to raise a certain amount of money to meet the expenses of the State government and tils must 1)e done by taxation. It makes little difference to the taxpayer whether the lcvy is ihigh or low. Thle question that concerns him is thle assessment or val uation placed upon tile property to be taxed, and whlethler or not it is valued at the same ratio as other property. When the politician boasts of having reduced the tax levy he is only trying to fool the people. TIhe levy must be large enough to realize a suffieient sum to meet the ap:opriali;.. an I it Will be large or sll inl proportitn t) tho valuatoion plac(d upol th property and tie amount of appropriatiu.4 inlade by the ie"ilattoe. The only w:y to redico tixtion is to reduce the ap propriation. Of colrse, tl , svil ol tax fixed inl the constitltiol Woubd real ize ilore Iicolln I, a (Nlsno ts.- w 'rt raised, but that would be no disadvan tage, for sarcely anly oio would objO t to anl iniclase il this fund. Under ti' present systi the re turn ar milade to the Conity Allditor. ''lhere is i Town:;hip I t.a rd of A;ssessor. whit1ch in .at the Court I Toll . after. the, Audit.o has taken the retars, ar_ undertak:'s to g,o over. all of the inl onlo or tv.o days. T'l"'l tirre is a County Boxa:(I of Equalizati kon, which alst l meets at Ihe Court. Ilouse anil ?o"; over tit(e re turns for the entre County in one or two days. All of thi is dono in somo wiat. of a perfumto.y mainner and lc compislisteN' littlo o lotihing inl SeCul ing 11 eQu,it:leI .1.;i0:.0Jl0it Of ;1ro0' erty. There aro (')Untiv in the Stai t in wit111h somet, Of the land is assesed at one-third or one-half Its actual vil u0, wilie other land is assessed at its real value. In fact, there may be two ad.oining plailtations, the 0-:(% worth twice as muich as the other, and ye under outr System each is as'essed for taxation at the zame price per a t In miany cases,; It is the rule to asses.; live stock at so much per head, rega-rless of tile fact that one horse may be worth two or three times what another i,. even in the same County. And yet, this In what ownship Boards of As sessmi's and the County Board of Epualization understands as oqualizing property for taxation. Tis eertatinly 1i4 not the purpo'se for Whi ch the;si Boards are created. And yet It Is ui possible for a Township Board to me-t and spend only one day going over the returns that have been made, and get them equalized. It Is also as Impracti cable for a County Board of Eqiializa dion to meet and In one or two days equalizo the assessmIenits uponi all the property in the County. Much more could be accomplished If the law were amended so as to require that the County Auditor shall, after notice in the public prints, take returns in each Townsip, and shall not. take these re turns except while present in the Township. lin case any taxpayer re - fuses or falls to make return while the Auditor Is present in the Town ship, the Auditor and the Township Board shall be required to ass*s sutch property, and notify the owner of the valuation placed upon his property. That there shall be appointed a Town ship Board of Assessors, consisting of three discreet freeholders, residents of the Township, who shall meet with the Auditor to receive the. returns and assess the property. That this Board shall be appointed by the County Audi tor and receive compensation for Its service. That all returns shall be made in public in the presence of the Auditor and the Township Board, and that the owner of the property shall be required to answer the questions as now pro vided by law, and make affidavit as to the correctness of his answer. If the Township Board thinks the return Is too high or too low It shall be Its du ty, in the presence of the owner of the property and the Auditor, to raise or lower the return in order to reach the true market valuo of the property. The Chairman of these Township Boards shall constitute th County Board of E.qualization, and this Board shall meet at the Court House and go over the returns for the County with the County Auditor and hear complatlts andic appeals, their dieision to be sub ject to appeal to thle State Board. The Auditor shlall not be0 pernmitted to go into a primary, but shall be appointed by tile G.overnor, as provided bty lawv, so as to be as free and Independent as it is possible. In this way I b)elievo much1 wvill be gained toward having all property assessed equitab)ly. The 110n est taxpayer would much prefer to reo turn his property at Its true value, if b)y doing so he would bear no more tihan lisa just portion of the burden, and the man who desires to evade shlould be made to hear is part of tile burden by having his property return ed at its triue value. Thlero Is no question that so much demands your earnest, your careful, your though-tful, and your diligent consideration, and that so much con cerns every citizen of the common wealth as tis question of taxation, It has received the attention of evcry Legislator whlo has hlad the interests of his peole at l'aart since taxes hlave b)een levied ana government organized, anld yet thlere) Is no subject in wvhieh there is more room for reform tIhan that of equalizing taxation and placing upon the books for taxation t.hat prop erty which is now evadilng '.he officers of the law. There has been a gratifying incr'easo in the taxable property during the year just closedl. In fact, the increase is greater than for any one yea-r for sev eral years past. This, of course, has made an increase in the amount of taxes collected, butt your ap)prop)rla tions were larger at the last session tIhan the year b)efore, and hut for the increase In taxabie values there would have been a doect and the appropria tionis could not hlave b)een met out of tile income for the year. Instead, howv over, of having one hun.dred ando eighty-nine million dollars of taxabla property we should have near four hlundlred million, The following comparative figures for 1900 and 1901 are taken from the Comptroller General's report: 1900 1001 Real ........ $102,148,427 $103,258,440 Porsonn.1 . .. .62,006,830 r.n030,424 in tIle t:txiiblk values for the p:ts i r o f '-.'61 N, L';7. For frther informat ion il regard to tIhis. d Mri itelt yollr attetition -is Ii rech'd to tilt excellent and uggestv repor-t of the Clomptroller eral. SINKIN FUIND. In 'ny last Me.s:go to the (h'teral Assondbdy attenltionl was cnAh'd to tho fa!.t th:.t at thaim. tite $241,030.8 of the $:'89,20'.2:P of asset s of I i e (uI til:a tive Sit1.:ng 10und f'or lIteduictionl of -. C. Irov.-Il per vent. were onl dth'sit inll ns anld althlotugh drawming' 4 1per1 celit. intor't were unseeih'el, except by the er it haf l th inlis wevirin de POitlfi'd. Thiis Co:dWit in no 0Wo - Vx Ists atul there h; now o' 1th fund s" doelositedl inl hnl oly 1$5 5! ' 1 . SI, WhIch w%Ill ,;oonl het drawnl m11it) o 0c 11 pllt('e tho Stte- Ifouse l(:m11. 'I hi.; h:w : het'nl accomplishod dutrinig thle pa.I;a )ear by the loal of $123.1,G1.:7 unik'r the Act, (if 1900 "'To povido for the comtpletiom of the State llousv," 'n1Id by the purchase du1riIng (th I"ast ycar by tile CoimmtInissiolters of the Sitli;in' liund of S. (!. Brown 4 11 per cent.. Uzads anld ,tock of the aggregate fak-e valuio (if $,78.012.00. thlest, bonds awol stocks Iave betn under te law conl verted ilto S. C. ilrown 4% ' per cent. %to:vk isstil inl tile Iaile of the (',mu illssiolers of tlle Sinking lnd, and althou1gh pitr-Ilsed at a pr-emiulim, be lwg 4%,, lwr venit. b<mids, w\Ill uintil ma1. turily pay almost, if not itite, 4 pvr cent. oil tihe price paid. 'nder t Ii o trust this is an ideally safe inlvestilent, being mt.ade in the very bonds th funld is ereated to retire. The deposits in htanks. un11seClr'd Qx eelt by tile credit of the banks where inl deposited, pay only four pmr ceit. interest, and this rate of Interest is liable at any time to dc-rearw, should intorest and tihe demand for money at tite money cenltres declinlo. Onl Decenber 31st, 1901. tho assets of the Clumtlative Sinking uiid for lIe duction of S. C. Irown 4% per vctt, amounted to $420,515.52 invested so as t) yield from four to five per celt. InteresM. The assets of tihe or1diaatry Sinking Find are now $49,397.22. The assets of tho Insurance Sinkiug Fiunld for State insurance of public buildilgs amotints to $3,111.22. GOOD ROADS. Durin~k the past year there ias been a general awaktoning throughout the couitry Oil the question of Good Roads and in every section great interest has been manifestted and movements begun looking to the Improvement of the public ilgh ways. There is no question that more directly and imore generally concerns the great body of our people. Tie South has possibly been a little slow in this matter, and the effects re sulting from her negligence are plain ly to be seen. For the past few years there has been a great influx of people into outr towns and cities and these have rn.pidly built tip alt the expense of the stirrounding country. This is an evil which if possible shotld be remedied, for it is to the people of the country, and not to the towns and elties, that tile State must principally look for the piviservation of her institutions. One of the prime catses of this great flow of population into the towns and cities is to be found inl tile condition of our public highways. In most of tite counties in tile State during cer tain seasons of the year some of the roads are altogether impassable, and all communlcation and rafillc with the cities and railroad points is cut. off. Such a condition of affairs must wvork great hardishi ps, espeelaily upon01 the rural districts, and1 the people of the rural districts compose the groat ntajority of outr poputlaition. LeavIng out of consideration alto gether the evils restulting from the condlitiont of our roads, hlowever, and lookinig at tho qulestion rrom a purely butsi ness standoin0 t, goodi roads pay, and are ono oft the best investments whieh can lie made by a County or State. Undler otur iresenlt meIthlods of road building, it is necessary to rebutild the roads after every washling rain, while if we built good, permanlent t'oadsa, thte cost of keeping them in re pair wouldl lbe a very small item in comparison to what our present roads aro costing. in fact, the saving in not hlaving to work the permanent roadis so often, wouild In a very short time pay for their buildling. Tis has b)een found to 1)e the case wherever good, piernanenlt roads have 1been From the Seventh Annutal Rleport of thte Commissioners of Pulic Roadls for tite State of New Jersey, one of the leadinig States in the Good Roadls Movement, the following is taken merely to showv in wvhat respect good roads are held by the 1)eop)1 Whlo have used theom and know of their ad vantages: "'The people seemt to lie so wond(er'fully impressedl with the liea that by good road1s tite value of land will 1)0 in)crealsedl, transpor'tation Chleapened, travel and business at. tratctedl, school htouses and chutrches filled, and civilization advanced, that they are piraying as earnestly for them as for great riches. Consequent ly tho pressurte for ne0w roads is so gteat it seems almlost im))possible to hoid the pecople hack. They are so anixlous that they are not willing to confine thtemselves wIthin the limit of State and County approprationsa. PTey are constantly insisting uplont building aheoIad of the State appropria tionl, in order that they may enjoy thtem nIow." It has 1)0en estimated that in forty Counties in Indliatna whlero good r-oadsn have 1)0en built, "tile a.verage inlcreasei in the selling pirice of landl, due) to ex isting improvedl highways, is $G.48 per acre. The estimated average I'n. crease per acre that would result from improving all the pulic roads 10 Is $9.00. Thw evti,at pnt aveago cost Of 'oliv'rting t hi volilmon publi, :i it to Im IIIpro1vull ligyihways Is $ .1-6 pvr mih-. 'The k-tImIlv:.( a er Ma 11,1 an u l 1w s tr 1410 acrc:-;, from Imor roak is $7i.2N." Oi the basts of 'it; calolllaticol the average anualluta los: s from poor imna is svventy-Mix etnsper aicre. It will be -woin diat it loss from i>oor ro!-)S would Boonl IY for the hubliing of the1 -i,md roads : 1 al 'ter ref:m ing tlt, al ni t paId I kI their const. 1cli )In, te I good roads wvill cuithile to) I ra.% . It' couI r1 . it c.in cot hoc exIle(t.ed I hat Smitlh Car-olinl-k shIol!d (10 aLS much iu; -olo of' (Ih' -.'a; ip.vo donl".. b ut lily aclionl wIich ;:.y ho itken, l . tio th hoeut-ri.c!. of cilur 1-itd,;, will Ile ofr gr at b1.1willt aind illt l.( 11ligt 1111 w ill a'-tuailly. ra.ve( 1!wmeyv. Nlu:it o tvinc' workl c :lk 1iv o rli* ICaiis' ~ , 1ccci i' i III,- rc(cila IHi silciply tilown aw:y. Tho builing Or publlli( .,w y Is a; much o(f 1 ,Cice1(0 :I1 il Iroad buii ildi 115-, n lid I in (nltcr to Iuil roaids will rii <' Iccccuc.v, m an\ m id in O ler to S I l'(' oncy I h1rO W ill h:tV<' tO be 1r-visiull ftri aisin it Icy tIxat II. Tho ("oOd tmi:s ('ocutimn. wbr eI \\;I! roconly hebtlil in irt en ill '.'-,ss 4l resoilutilonl, rc-quesi tng thle I.eisi li' I m I vach tic, ii c o y Ile "i" l the privilvg,v to dItrinllino by ''lt-till the right or vch illnty to li'vy a taN, not to extved two nild one hair iils O the taxale proiaty of sutch county. if so I1m11 he nwcssrary. inl order- to bibll good ro:abs, and tha11, voih i'outiItes ns dbr to do so begivenl altho-Ity to Issile halids to constru'lvt 1in1d min11taill t h ir publie highways and ibe au[tilthoriz' ed t(o issue holnds upon so deciding by county (hveLion. A resoltitilon wits also pas%otd itt (is coivvii lonl re uest.ing tie legislattiro to eilact such laws 11 will (11ncOllr ggo the use of broad tir.es. and also iat the C1oun(y Chalugan,mgs sihial b put to worlk exclusively onl building good, 1)e1a11n)int roads. Theso mugge,t1ions are practical - husiness propositl H and will workic grent bWnellt to o SIate if carried out. and I recomenllillid that they he followed. It is most gratifying to note ihn in terest which haq lalyt.y boevt taken by the people of South Carolina on this subject. Most of the (-ountites of thlo State are awikeinug to a realization of the ilipol'tanc of the subject and 111tich 1Is hlintg nccoiplishAl. In this ('cnILtionl tlt) woric which has been done and Is nlow bving dlono by the Southern Iailway in this dlirw fiot deserves conmieondat Ion, and Io doulbt uillehl of the good wh leih has re stilted from tihis awakening Is (1110 partly to Its eforts. Any action0 looking to the betterl ment of our roads which, in your wisdom, you may see fit to take, will . he so much done toward the pronio tionl of the general prosperity of tho people. Whatever plan You adopt should be eillielfent, economical tand equitable. And that you should adopt some plan Is patent to every thought ful citizen. CHTILD LABORl. In my last message I directed your ittention to the importance of giving enreful conilderation to the quiestion of Child Labor In our manufaeturing establishments. With the rapid growth of manufacturing industries in our State this has now becomo a question that directly concerns the people of South Caroliv and a problem that Is demandin, solution. The solution should work no injustice upon the mill owners; nor should the health and the fut.ure happiness and pros perity of the children, who will in a few years he citizens and voters, bo neglected. Nothing should be done that will injure the manufacturing In terests, nor retard the progress an development of South Carolina In material growth. There Is no doublt that to keep the snmall1 ehild (confinled at labor in the mills 1s inljuriouls to tIhe child pihysI cnlly and mienItally. WIthout time or recreation, play, execIse, sunshine, school, things so necessary for tho growth andl healthy development of the child body and child mind; noth lng but labor andl toll from before sulnrise unltil after (lark, is compelled b)y tihe laws of natuiro to dwarf the child mind and the child body, be cause It is ini dIllect confiet with the laws of nlatuire, and wvill have Its in fluence and effect ulpon the citizen ship of the future. Even looking at the situation from a cold business puoint of v'iew, It is better that we should not have child labor, in a good many instances the mill owners themselves have realized this fact, and have p)rohiiItedl chIld la bor in their mIlls. Looking to tile fu ture, they knowv inl eorder to have skill ed labor In the grown upl man anld We mani, it is necessary thlat thle child of the present shall not only not be dw,.rfed1 physically and mentally, by close confinement and labor durili* the tender years of youlth, but that It shlall have all the advantages offered by the schools of the community. ?i seine cases the par-ents whoe work in the mills are r-equiiredl to signl a pcon tract to force their chlldr-en hietwjen certain ages to at,tendl the public schools provIded. There are mill towns In thIs State which are moidels5 In ev crything that goes to mnake an Idteal cornmuniity. The mnills ('ontrilllato lar-gely for the eduttIon of the Chi dren andI In sonme of these communi tici; you will find as good school build Ings as In any of thle larger towns and cities. flesides, the mIll owners pay theIr part of the school tax, which goes Into the general fund, and the most pleasant r-elations exist betweoen the mill owners and tihe Operatives. The fact that the mIll owners, who are in the bestt plossible position to judige by experience, recognize biy sulch action the imnportanco of edut cating anid caring for these children, is a strong ar-gument in favor of the necessity of a law prohibitIng child labor. In many instances, however, the rulbes are not required, and the mill owners, finding child labor cheggpest, and looking only to the present, sub 1A