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IK STATE FINANCES. PEUDITUKHH KXCKED THE KM WITH EVERY YEAR. H. AaM Maya There la Some Radically Wrong aad the Oasjbt to Know A boat it. Mr E K Aull, ?dltor of the New berry Harald aad News and a mem bar of Mm leaislature from Newberry wounty. write* as follows on a very Importes i subject ? Comptroller Oeneral A. W. Jones Is out to the press of the state from the annual report to the assembly at the session at lift. Theas extracts contain a Cremt deal of very Important informa? tion a* to the finance* of the stats and taw. taaaoial system It la a great pity that every taxpayer In South Carollaa cannot receive and read what Mr. Jonas baa to say and study taw agmrea which he give*. It Is uafortunately too true that our people do not understand the finan? cial system of the state aa fully aa they might, aad It Is also a faot that m great many members of the legis? lature do not study these reports as ahoy should, aad whan It cornea to en laws which carry with them ?prtattona, or when It cornea to the consideration of the appropria? tion Mil itself they are not aa well Informed as they ought to be, and therefore, cannot consider theae Intelligently as they Jonea Is one of the hard? liner of the state officials, and one of the moat efficient officials that the state has ever hsd. He has weha endeavoring to lay before the legislature from year to year the true wonilttaw of our finances, and has wtede wuggretttons sad recommend %tk>rw which hare received vary little Srttiatlia from the law makers. He has urged frees time to time that gftaspte Justice demanded that a ihangT ahwaid he made so as to gel mm sasaaUe busts ass methods in the Sweats* of taxation and the collection rthod oapsaoetere of the public funds. 4M hae oaeae la the conclusion after rejuwfwl shady of the situation that teethe state U tp get relief from thle hue method It must come p ioenaad on the part of the aad taxpayers so that those they sis et to represent them mMOf mm* mm oa la the loose and slip method which have boon In dartag ssany years and which latgety from a lack of proper and study of the ques Jttoxt by the lawmakers themselves. mmm liiari la that the people shall bo Weans tew used aad demand a change lo'gaau* aad more just and more SO end gpetsan of assessment and tax* eaten Ha says that "no thoughtful rain cats study the situation aa It es? tate today without being iro pressed with the ataia faot that any busi aeea osatuotoi like that of the statt aad oewety weald soon bo bankrupt Urs ooawtltutlon of the stats says that ail property must be saaesasd for taxation at Its actual value. That ha? done, and even the tax te themselves when they domo Ue assess corporate property have teed at a basis of ?0 per cent or an) other per cent la fixed aa the baals. The Important question is to have all the property assessed at the same of per centage. Then the bur will fall evenly on all property. At oae time I felt that It would be rat that all property should be as at its actual value, but an ex? perience In the legislature and apxaewhat cloao observation of other legdeiaturee ha? convinced me that the iteadonc) to extravangance would be mach greater If the asaeasments were high than If they wars low. and s comparison of the figures for the past hen years will bear thla out. and the taxpayer* cannot be crltlxed If they do not Increaaa their assessments be? am aa? an examination of the figures will show ?hat as taxable values In USweeed the to levy did not decrease, vat the appropriation bill Increased In at eater proportion. The total taxable property In 8outh Carolina In 1897 was In round num? bers II7S.000.000. and the levy was aaty ftvo mill*. The total receipt? from all sources were I9K0.602.H9. The total expenditures were $S?9. 112 t > which showed an excess of revenue over expenditures of $101. ? 99 04 The receipts from the ogees of aecretary of state end Insurance fees for 1197 ware 920.?71.?2. The taxable property has gradually lacreased from year to year, and so base the feea from the office of secretary of ?tat?* In Insurance Itcenss fwas. In 1906 there was added the corporation license tax. which unounted In that year to $63.345 10 In 19S7 the tax levy was reduced op tour and one-half mills, but the In jreeae In the aaaaasment of railroad property amounted I? something over 111.900.ttS. and the Increase in other property amounted to about $6.ooo. let. making s total Increase of a*s? *? ad valu***? for that year about $17.000. The total assessed property fof ?7 wss in round numbers $J T", l.tss. hbawl $100.000.000 more th in m years before la 1907 the totnl |SM ffl*S I state taxes amounted to $1,228,630. 79; from the office of secretary of state, $20,656.69; from Insurance licensed fees $42,129.99; from corpor? ation license tax, $78,382.83 from all other sources, $22,391.73. making a to? tal Income to the state of $1,392,192. 03. The total expenditures for that year were $1,410,295.16 which shows a deficit of $68,103.12. The appro? priations bills for 1908 will exceed the one for 1907 nearly $200,000, and at the end of this year the deficit will be probably twice what It was In 1907. So It will be seen that with an Increase In ten years of $100,000,000 In the taxable property, an Incnease of $47,115.06 In receipts from the secretary of state and Insurance li? cense fees end $78,328.83 from cor? poration tax, the State was still spend? ing nearly $70,000 more than was be? ing raised, and therefore Instead of getting on a cash basis she Is mov? ing further away from It. There is no encouragement to have the taxpayer Increase his assessment so as even to approach an actual val? ue basis, and the taxpayer will con? tinue to hold his assessment down un? til he feels the legislature can be trusted to be less extravagant in the expenditure of public money. I am almost ready to reach the conclusion that if the taxable prop? erty was twice what It is and it would be that if it were assessed at its ac? tual value, there would be no reduc? tion in the tax levy. The legislature would find some place to spend the money thus raised. This certainly is a correct conclusion If we are to judge by the experience of the past ten years. There Is certainly a great inequali? ty in the assessment of our property not only as to Individual property, but as amomg the counties, and there is necessity for some changes in our methods of assessing, and there should be some change In the man? agement of our business as a State. It is not the purpose of this article to suggest changes, but simply to call attention to facts. If the people cen get ths Informa? tion which Mr\ Jones Is endeavoring to give them I am satisfied It will re? sult In a reformation, and men will be sent to the legislature who will give this subject thet thoughtful end business like sttention which it de? serves, and thsy will Inform them? selves so es to be fitted to do this. It Is really, In my judgment, ths most Important question before the people of the Stete today. It has always been e question since government was formed, end certainty business meth? ods could be applied and a more equitable assessment of the property secured and e more judicious expen? diture of ths public funds made. Several efforts have been made to enact legislation looking to e more equitable assessment, but thsse Of? ferte have met defect. Something Is nssded, especially Is this true as among the counties. The basis of valuation varies In different counties which makes the burden of State tax beer unevenly. Sixty per cent, is shout the maximum, end in meny counties It Is much lower. In one of the largest and wealthiest counties in the State the amount Invested in cot? ton mills alone Is as much as the total assessed value of the entire county. Some persons seem to have an idea that reducing the levy reduces the taxes. The levy must be large enough to raise sufficient revenue to meet the expendu .res. The place and time to reduce the levy Is when appropria? tions are being made. Manufacture of Postal Cards. The output of postals manufactur? ed in the United States now aggre? gate about 900,000,000 a year, and with the new machinery which is be? ing put Into the Oxford paper mills, at Rumford Falls, Me.?which con? tain the three largest digesters In the United States?a production of about 1.700.000,000 postal cards a year will be made possible. The cards produc? ed yearly at the present rate 'are enough to circulate the earth three times and leave enough to stretch from Boston to San Francisco and back. In one year about 7,000 cords of pulp wood are used, of which 5, 500 cords are spruce and 1,500 pop? lar. With the Installation of a big press, which will almost double the eapaclty of the print department, will eggej a new design for the McKinley series of postals now In use. The new press is a rotary press, the places from which the sheets of card re? ceive Impressions being placed on a revolving cylinder Instead of a wat bed. The vpresent contract with the ' xford mills expires In 1909. Dulls the scythe of Father Time. The electric spark goes through every part of your body, bringing new life and hope. Holllster's Itocky Moun? tain Tea brings back that feeling of by-gone diiys. 35c.. tea or tablets. gjhOFt'l Drug Store. Here conies the spring winds to chap, tan and freckle. Use I'lnesalve Carbotlsed. (Acts like a poultice) fOf cuts, sores, burns, chapped skin. TILE CITY COUNCIL. Business Transuded at Their Last Meeting?Reports of the Various Committees. City council held a regular meeting at 6 o'clock p. m. Wednesday. Present?Mayor W. B. Boyle, Al? dermen H. D. Barnett, Wm. Bultman, P. P. Finn, R. F. Haynsworth, H. C. Haynsworth. J. R. Llgon, W. G. Stubbs and R. I* Wright. Minutes of April 2 2d were read and approved. Mr. J. B. Barrett applied for per? mission to make internal repairs on a wooden building covered with cor? rugated iron, within the fire limits on Liberty street; and his request was referred to the fire department com? mittee, with power to aq$. Mr. Barnett, for the finance com? mittee, reported that the clerk and treasurer's report for April had been examined and found correct; that the lessee of the Opera House had tailed to pay rent for the current quarter and recommended that re? course be had upon his bond to en? force payment; that a loan of $15, 000 is necessary to pay current ex? penses and sewer work and materials for May; and suggested the advisa? bility of selling $25.000 sewer bonds. The report was adopted as a whole; and the mayor and clerk were au? thorized to 3ecure the required loan from the banks; and to execute prop? er certificates of indebtedness there? for. Mr. H. C. Haynsworth, for the com I mittee of public works, reported that I work on Green and Ke/hdrick streets I had been done as ordered by council; I that the streets had been cleared in I anticipation of the recent T. P. A. I convention, and that the street force I Is now engaged In repairing curbs. I He stated that citizens on Kendrlck j street had requested that the clay I sidewalks be extended one block I east of Magnolia street, and It was Iso ordered on Mr. Finn's motion. Mr. I Haynsworth further reported that 1 the 12-Inch drain on East Liberty I street had been laid; and that the I committee had granted permission to I the telephone company to erect poles I on Calhoun street between Church I street and Salem avenue; but had I subsequently ascertained that such I privileges are to be granted by coun I cil and not by the committee; and I suggested that power should be given I the committee to act in cases of that I tort, In order to avoid unnecessary I delays and the necessity of calling I council together to pass upon them. I The action of the committee was I confirmed, but action was deferred to I next meeting In reference to empow I erlng the committee to grant similar I permits. The committee stated also I that permission had been granted Mr. 1 I J. J. Kolb to cross the sidewalk on I Main street with empty wagons { I which were hauling earth from a I building excavation, and same was approved. Mr. Llgon, for the police comrnJt I tee, reported that they had held one I meeting since their appointment; at I which meeting charges were prefer? red against Sergeant A. H. Weeks for I drinking intoxicating liquors on the streets while on duty; that Mr. Weeks I admitted the truth of the charge, of I fered no excuse or justification and I expressed no regret; and the commit? tee recommended such action as will I serve as a suitable reprimand. After I free discussion the council adjudged j lhat Mr. Weeks be reduced to the rank cu* private; be suspended from j service for ten days without pay; j and that he be reprimanded and no I tided that a repetition of the offense I would result in his dismissal. Mr. Finn, for the Opera House I committee, reported that the iron stairs at the rear of the building will I be completed in a few days. The committee was authorized to have the windows serving as exits to the fire escapes cut down to the grade of the landings, and also to put In additional lights around the building as may be I necessary. Council then went Into election of city officers. Mr. H. C. Haynsworth nominated the present incumbent C. I M. Hurst for the office of recorder, ex officio clerk and treasurer, second? ed by Mr. Wright. Mr. Finn seconded j by Mr. Llgion, moved to amend by segregating the office of recorder from that of clerk and treasurer. Messrs. Finn, Ligon and Stubbs voted for the amendment. Messrs. Barnett, Bultmnn. R. F. Haynsworth, H. C. Haynsworth and Wright voted against It ami the amendment was lost Mr. Hurst was unanimously elected. Mr. ginn moved that the office of superintendent of streets be combined with that of city engineer, seconded by Mr. Llgon. The motion was de? feated and L. K. White was re-elect? ed. I Other officers were elected as fol? lows: Mayor pro tern, J. It. Llgon. City physician. A. China, chief of police, J. K. Bradford, First sergeant, J. M. Berwick, Second sergeant. Peter Gallagher. Third sergeant, W. G, Pierson. Privates, A. H. Weeks. J. H. Grady. A. I). Owens, J. A. Boykin and II il M,.|.' ..r?n Mr. Grady to serve :is R uniformed officer or in citizens' clothes, as the police committee may deem advisable. The question of continuing W. W. McKagen In Joint service of the city and the waterworks department was referred to the police committee for conference with the commissioners of public works. The election of a board of health was deferred to the next meeting. A proposal from the Osteen Pub? lishing Co. to do the public printing for two years was referred to the finance committee with request to se cure bids for the work. A letter was received from Mr. Thomas Wilson asking that the city engineer be allowed to locate the line of his fence on Broad street, ac? cording to the proposed plan to widen that street; and it was ordered that the engineer give the required line. A letter from the South Carolina railroad commissioners relative to complaints against railroad compa? nies for inadequate accommodations for travelers, was referred to the po? lice committee. Two letters from Health Officer E. I. Reardon were referred to Ifie com? mittee ,of public works, one in regard to cleaning out Turkey creek and one suggesting that the city unite with the county in building concrete walks on south side of the Court House square and on North Harvln street the entire length of the Court House square. The clerk presented a sewerage and plumbing ordinance prepared by the Joint committee from the board of health, sewerage commission and cquncil, appointed to prepare the same, together with a letter from Dr. S. C. Baker of the board of health asking that the sanitary portions of the ordinance be submitted to his betord before adoption. On motion of Mr. Wright the ordinance was referred to the board of health for any sug? gestions they may deem advisable. Mr. Stubbs suggested that the ho? tels of- the city should be provided with fire escapes. Action was de? ferred. Reports of sewerage expenses for April and of water department re? ceipts and disbursements for April were submitted and received as In* formation. Mr. Finn moved that advertisement be made from time to time for bids on all manner of supplies and repair work for the city; and that authority to contract for such supplies and re? pairs be given to the city ^engineer. Mr. R. F. Haynsworth expressed the opinion that the engineer would be too busily engaged otherwise to at? tend to matters of that kind; and sug? gested that purchasing committee of council be appointed for the purpose. Mr. Finn wlthdrow his original mo? tion and offered Mr. Haynsworth'* suggestion as a motion, which was adopted. The mayor asked for time for appointment of the committee. The following claims were referred to the finance committee: W. B. Boyle, $10.50. DeLorme's Pharmacy, $5.85. Durant Hardware Co., $27.34. Parker Lumber Co., $45.67. E. L. Vogel. $14.26. Epperson Feed & Coal Co., $83.07. R. W. Pradham, $2. A. W. Glbbs. $3. Herald Publishing Co., $2.75. Von Ohsen & Shira, $18.95. Pooth Live Stock Co., $6.93. China's Drug Store, $4.10. Boyle & Poyle, $1. T. B. Jenkins. $4.65. *Mr. E. Humphrey, who owns a large general store at Omega, O., and is president of the Adams County Tel? ephone Co., as well as of the Home Telephone Co., of Pike county, O., says of Dr. King's New Discovery: "It saved my life once. At least I think It did. It seemed to reach the spot)? the very seat of my cough?when ev? erything else failed." Dr. King's New Discovery not only reaches the cough spot; It heals the sore spots and the weak spots In throat, lungs and chest. Sold under guarantee at Slbert's Drug Store, 50c. and $1.00. Trial bottle free. Ella Wheeler WUcox thinks Plato didn't know much about love. Ella could certainly have given the old Greek a few pointers on that sub? ject. Biliousness and Constipation. ?For years I was trouble with bil? iousness and constipation, which made life miserable for me. My ap? petite failed me. I lost my usual force and vitality. Pepsin preparations and cathartics only made matters worse. I do not know where I should have been today had I not tried Chamberlnln's Stomach and Liver Tablets. The tablets relieve the 111 feeling at once, strengthen the diges? tive functions, purify the stomach, liver and blood, helping the system to do Its work naturally.?Mrs. Rosa Potts. Itirmingham, Ala. These tab? lets are for sale by all druggists. Bay Shore, L. I., took a mean ad? vantage of the sea-serpent towns by catching a devil-fish. ?For a burn or scald apply Cham? berlain's Salve. It will allay the pain almost instantly and quickly heal the Injured parts. For sale by all | druggists. The American navy Is still the un? tested wonder of the world. HUMAN ON CLEVELAND. DECLARES THAT HIS OPINION HAS UNDERGONE NO CHANGE. Talks About Instructions?Says He Was Misquoted In The News and Courier?South Carolina WIU Favor Bryan. Washington, Miy 12.?Senator Till man declares that it was not his in? tention to say anything further on the subject of politics but being, as he said, so widely misquoted on the subject of Grover Cleveland, he broke over today and expressed himself free? ly. . "You may set all minds r4 rest as to my opinion of Cleveland by saying that it nas not changed one lota since my first speech In the sen? ate denouncing him. , I would rather the Democratic party would now be defeated than to be victorious with Cleveland or any man like him at its head, and I was quite sure that no matter what the condition of his health, should he be nominated he would be beaten worse than Parker was. I am at a loss to understand how a man usually so acurate as Mr. Kohn is, should have so misquoted me. So far as I now recall I never mentioned Cleveland to him the other day. I certainly did not say that un der any circumstances I would favor his nomination or the nomination of any man like him. What I did say was that Wall street would welcome one of the old plutocrats as the Dem? ocratic nominee, preferring to sup? port such a so-called Democratic than Taft, who will be the Republi? can nominee, or Bryan who will be the Democratic nominee, and that if the Democratic party could unit? up? on one of these Eastern plutocrats, which it will of course not do, then Taft would be easily defeated. "I am, of course, for Bryan as the nominee of Denver, and I am satisfied that South Carolina's delegates will be for Bryan, but I am opposed to In? structing them because our convent? ion is not going to send men to Den? ver who can bamboozled or bought and instructions are necessary. "Now, having been goaded Into this thing, I am going to tell you what I think about this tempest in a tea pot about instructing delgation. Gonzales wants to make it appear that he is the biggest Bryan man in .the State so that if Bryan is elected the editor of The State can control the South Carolina patronage. The trouble with Hemphill is, that he has never been able to see anything in Cleveland but a demigod and he op? posed Bryan' in 1896, and he is of the kind who never changes his mind. Hemphill was in the wrong then and to support Bryan now might appear an admission that he was wrong. That's the whole cause of the mighty over instructions." Zack McGhee. LANDING PLACE FOR IMMI? GRANTS. Work on the Charleston Station Is Soon to Commence. Washington, May 14.?The immi? grant station at Charleston at last seems about to be built. Col. Watson was today informed by Commissioner of Immigration Sargent that Mayor Rhett was prepared to give a clear title to the property given the gov? ernment for the station and work will begin within the next few weeks. Commissioner Sargent will meet Com? missioner Watson in Charleston and all arrangements will be made. Col. Watson goes to New York to confer with some English steamship people about steamers stopping regu? larly in Charleston, a thing which has been held up on account of the delay in the immigrant station. Col. Watson is also trying to get a plant in Charleston which will bale cotton according to the East India system, recommended by Mr. C. C. Moore of Greenville, who went to England for the Farmers' union. Concerning immigration Col. Wat? son says that he is not turning a peg. and has not for IS months, devoting himself in this direction to getting the immigrant station settled and the line of steamers established. The agent whom he has had advertising South Carolina in Kent and Shrop? shire. England, is here at present, coming to confer with Col Watson and others interested in the same line. He will return to England Sat? urday.?The State. Its wonderful power goes to the seat < f your trouble, vitalizes, strengthens every part of your body There's nothing just as good; H<d lister's Rocky Mountain Tea never fails. IKc, tea or tablets. Bteert'f Drug Store. Language is the vehicle of thought, but a lot of times It travels empty.? Puck. ManZan Pile Remedy comes ready to use. In a collapsible tube, with noz? zle. One application soothes and heals, reduces inflammation and re? lieves soreness and itching. Price 50c. Sold by Blbert'e Drug Store. Charity begins at home, yet should not snd thero -Ormnn BUILDINGS HILL PASSED. House llu*lics Through Measure Pro? viding for Federal Buildings. Washington, May 15.?Under sus? pension of rules the House to-day passed the public buildings bill, carrying an appropriation of $23. 100,000. Mr. Bartholdt briefly ex? plained its provisions, which, he sa'd, would result In giving work to many now unemployed% In opposing tv:e bill Mr. Fitzgerald, of New York, of the committee on appropriations, protested against the lack of opportunity offered to con? sider it in detail. He charged that the spoils had been evenly distributed so as to forestall the veto with which he said President Roosevelt was cred? ited with threatening congress. "The bill," he said, "will go through to the cohesive power of public plun? der." Mr. Jenkins, of Wisconsin, vigor? ously resented the statement of Mr. Fitzgerald. The effect of his lan? guage, Mr. Jenkins charged. was that the members of the hou?e had been purchased. He wanted to know how many "Democratic Indians" the Republicans got yesterday on the cur? rency vote through knowledge of the fact that in the matter of public buildings they were equally as well treated as the Republicans. With corresponding vigor Mr. Fitzgerald disclaimed making any such suggestion. GREENVILLE CRITICISED. Two Trustees of Female College Claim Little Interest in School is Shown. Greenville, May 15.?During the college day celebration here today, Dr. C. C. Brown, of Sumter, and Mr. J. J. Gentry, of Spartanburg. both trustees of the Greenville Female College, took occasion to criticise se? verely the apparent lack of interest on the part of Greenville people for the educational institutions here. Mr. Gentry declared that there were other places in South Carolina who would like to have the Greenville Fe? male College, and he felt sure they would take a closer interest in the welfare of the institution than it seemed to get in Greenville. He ask? ed where three absent trustees were and why there were not more visit? ors in the auditorium. The trustees happened to be Greenville men and President James explained exactly why they were not present. Greenville people are rather indig? nant at this criticism, for, as they point out. both Furman University and the Greenvillle Female College have always received very liberal financial support from the people of this city, without regard to denomi? national lines. TARIFF REVISION PROMISED. Republicans Spring a Shrewd Scheme In the House. Washington, May 16.?Steps look? ing to a revision of the tariff were taken by the house today when it passed a resolution authorizing the committee on ways and means to sit during the coming recess of congress. Mr. Payne (N. Y.), who introduced the resolution, said that in order not to disquiet the country before elec? tion the committee would make no general inquiry involving the question of rate schedules. After the elec? tion, he said, much would be gone Into. Mr. Underwood (Ala.), a member of the committee, said that the reso? lution came as a surprise to the mi? nority. "The resolution," he said, "shows the usual Republican hand. Undoubtedly It is brought as a subter? fuge to extend to the country in one hand a promise to do something ard with the other withdraw it whenever desired." AX ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. Mr. Thos. C Martin. Father of State superintendent of Education. Tries to Drown Himself. Anderson, May 16.?Mr. Thomas C. Martin, father of State Superin? tendent of Education O. B. Martin and Mr. B. F. Martin, a leading An? derson attorney, made an unsuccess? ful attempt at suicide this morning by drowning. He jumped into a small pond on Mrs. Eva Murray's place in this city and was discovered soon afterwards. He was dragged to the bank by Mr. Duff Murray, who was attracted to the spot, and medi? cal attention was quickly secured. Mr. Martin tonight is recovering from the severe ihOCw at the Anderson hos? pital. Hlg Farmers' Mooting. Washington. May IS,?Representa? tive Ellerbe has arrai.ged for a big farmers' conference at Georgetown on May 26. He has been conferring with the officials of the department of agriculture for a number Of ex? pert* In various lines to go down. He \\a< today assured that St least three specialists will be present In Gc rge