The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 02, 1911, Image 2
Tl.MKNT t'KOM Mil. ltl.Alt
DON.
How I lie MuKri of lux l*uy
Cor t.cxxl IIimiU I.?n?L-? lo
?In.
Editor Dally Item:
I or article In yesterday's III in
beaded "Figures Don't Lie" shows
that the ? It Isens .?f Sumt.r pa>. Of
etty property alone, nearly one-third
of the total taxes of Sumter county,
end you soy that at least m third
of the country propcrt\ i* owned by
city people upon which tiny pay ta.\
ea. this makM at least two.thirds
of the total taxes of the count) of
Sumter paid Py cltU.-na of Sumt.r
aeeordlng to official records, and
your opinion. both of which, in my
opinion are reliable upon any ques?
tion of a public nature, or any other
matter.
1 hive made the statement re
peat.dlv that Sumt.r citizen* paid
more than half of the taxea of Sum
ter county, and I am clad that you
have shown that this statement is
not so erroneous ae some of the
bond Issue advocates maintain. The
editor of the Sumter Herald in an
editorial In his paper of yesterday
sold In reference to the proposed
toed In part, as follows: "The pro?
perty to be Improved Is all outside
of the city, hut more than half the
cost will be borne by thoso living
wlthifi the corporate limits of the
city of Sumter. The city can only
be benefHted In that the country peo?
ple are made more prosperous. If
It la a question of town against
country. It hi the town that is being
oppressed."
Now. Mr. dlt ER-).'* 2346? 666
No sr. Mr. Editor, aa you are al?
ways able and willing to give ad?
vice and Information and to 3how
your readers any thing of Interest In
connection with public affairs, I ask (
you lo tell me what the city of Sum
ter It going to do about the $239,000
bond Indebtedness of the cty of Rum- ?
ter for which there Is no sinking
fund being created as the city clerk |
and treasurer has Informed me twice
within the past week. Will not It re- '
quire several mills extra taxes Im?
mediately upon city property to
create this winking fund? Can the
city of Sumter continue to Ignore the
Constitution of South Carolina which ,
rsdulres that sinking funds be creat- ,
ed for each and every bond Issue? I
S? "f * W her.- a "' *h ?
i) r.f the future hno money in j.a .
as* el* . my roll??* ct unlmpro' ? d, ,
Ulis citj win h'.n ?r."' i
eee thereon without sewerage, water
pipes, fire protection, or electric
lights, and provide other necessities
if we continue to tax ourselves for,
the country districts and receive not (
a cent In return for municipal pur- (
poses, snd have to begin very soon to (
levy several mills extra taxes on city
property for taking care of our
$339.0*0 city bonded indebtedness. |
It Is true that the cly depends up
In the prosperity of th^ country to
a large extent. But If millions of
city people throughout the world
didn't eat or wear clothes, the farm?
er wouldn't stand much of a show
to market his cotton and his other
field products. City people are of
some Importance to the farmer al
I
One Is dependent upon the other ^
as a whole. Don't you think that tho
taxpayers of Sumter are entitled to (
some consideration who don't own
any country property, rnd don't you
know that the leaders In UM Cham?
ber of Commerce f .r this bond
Issue are every one of them not only
own?w of country land.*, hut are
arming these lands and th.it it Is
Individual and not altogether un
SMlflsh public sptrttedr."**. ?nd cvlc
pride whh-h actuate th.-s^ Chamber
of <'omm? r< . l< mI.m* t ? sp. : I *r,
much of th? Ir tlm? and burn so
much gasoline running around the
. rn?nlr\ begsing t h.? i.r f irmel to
bul'd fcejttlff road* and Iff the tav
p.i\.?r? "f the ? \" of rounder pay
half of th I cut of the aforesaid POftaV
wsvs?
I simply wanted to get myv lf
stmiirht with % numb r of p.opls
whom I |o?d that th ? hixpevera Of
Huml?>r will pay the Itealesl burd-n
of the Increased rountv ti\. < if the
bond l**oe i.-i \oted for next Tuesday.
I hn\e not tried to di t?te to any
one how |n \?>te. and I do ii"t t.1
Mr VIcKeand or any one else ?o
come i ? S .t. ? r to dictate t ? PAS
how t.? \o|. on good reaWM off any
other n -itter, and I would ?sell tllS
ad\he if th. t-tlitor of the Dally
Item In pr.f.rem ?. if I needed iol
vi<?. ? i:. L it."
\Ht W It li<?\ i i 'h PLAN,
Malten Htatemrnl of What Seem*.
tU^t Plan to Ulm f?r <., u,,,, ?, , ?|
?:..id-?.
Trne following has been received
snd printed it the r.-Mu.-st of Mr. W.
It. Boyle. In It he mak>a] I st it
ment of his plan for getting food
roads and why It In better than the
11' Mi in your valued columns to the.
following facta:
If Sumter County fottl the
UU0.00 bond issue for good roads, it
\\ill asecanary to loty ? tax of
- !-:> mills extra for || years to
meet tins obligation. The taxable
property of the oounty is $7.500,000
a.i.l the law rmuires that whenever
d d?t iS Incurred fdeps must he Imme?
diately taken towards wiping it out;
therefor, tl.a 1-3 mill tax will DO
I.NUUT] lo pay the interest on the
$1*00,000 bond issue, and create a
sutlh lent ?um at the 11p In I i??n of
20 years to take Op these bonds.
Interest ah ne on $-"0,000 at I pet
. tjfl will take $10,000 per ant.urn.
and it will take seven thousand live
hundred dollars every year bearing
I i. > est for 20 years to create a sum
Of $200,000 to take up those bonds
when due, 2 l-:i mill levy will only
amount to $17.500, hence It would
re nnte this levy for 20 year3 to care
for this bond Issue.
Now, I propose that we issue no
bonds save what the legislature has
already issued?$50,00s-?but that we
V ry the tax of I 1-2 mills and apply
this with our regular Income to im?
prove our public highways. In this
cas ? we would haw an Income as
follows:
Uegular County Income. , ..$14,000
Prom the fifty thousand dol?
lars bond issue already passed
by the legislature.10,000
I !?! mill levy.17,500
A total of $41,500
and only a $50,000 bond issue to
care for. At the end of 5 years in
tills case, we will have expended for
the Improvement of our roads the
sum of $207.500. Whereas, if we
vote the bond l?3ue as proposed, the
county will have for the Improve?
ment of her roads the following sum
for five years only:
Uegular County Income ... .$14.030
J rom $200.000 bond issue .. .40.000
A total of 154.000
The 2 extra mill levy will not be
, . .;' ibl? ? f,,r r .nd purposes for it
w ill require this sunv for 20 years to
simply take care of the $200,000 bond
Issue.
Now the difference in having $54,
(?00 per year and $41,500 per year Is
only $12.500 and mind you thi3 dif?
ferent* would only be for 5 years,
w h sj the county will have used up
?t> >ond Issue, and then have only
?*~ .lor ??ier?mp til 000 for fur
fb ? 1 o ? ? ro 11 i?ri; v rn<i tS.
it. mombor, plot n, b< 1-2 ...ill
i. v IS still on 1 led will be tcr 20
'or
the bond issue.
The WhOlS thing Is this: Will It
pay to Issue this bond creating a 20
ye'? debt on the county of $17.500
P r annum simply to get $12.520 ex?
tra for the next five years.
Now, after carefully considering this
subject, both pro and con, I am of
the opinion that a matter so vitally
Important as levying an extra tax,
should come before the people ny
a vote according to township, and
furthermore, I do not believe the
time Is ripe just now to Impose this
extra levy, unless, of course, this be
submitted to vote and carried ac?
cording to township.
It seems to me that if an annual
Income of $14,000, together with the
$18.000 per annum coming from tha
? 4 0.000 bond issue already pasted by
the Legislature, making a grand to?
tal of $24,000 per annum be Judi?
ciously spent, our roads would be
Improved about as much as we can
very w]\ .?..??.d. inder lb< present
labof conditions.
As a matter of fact, it would re
finite a sum elosc ?n to |l,90d(000 io
nu.kt all the roads In Sumtt r couu
ty really ? .od, and if the present
bond Issue should be carried, it will
by no means Indicate thai wo will
have good roads, except possibly In
seen* few localltlee.
Tool ? try truly,
\v. B. Boyle.
Mr. Brim r on Doyle Plan,
Bdltof of the Item:
? i uoii?. d in j sjterday'i Herald an
trtlclc from Mr. Boyle on the pro?
posed bond i>* we, which h so full of
j Inaccurate and confusing stateuieuts
las to roqulrs corrsotlon, and as the
Herald lose aot laaoe another paper
j before the election, ask that you ai
! low reply through rout columns,
ll the first place the bond issu ?
, win necoailate Increasing the proaent
j t.i . only one mill and OOt - !?!
i mi Iii tu la ted by Mr. Boyle. We are
at |i im ^peiidii g on the n?ad sys?
tem of the eoonty $11.000, Add to
ihin the proooodi of one mill levj on
the 17,600,001 of pro pert] as aittiitd
for las itlog and we have.
Now being spent ? ?. Coonty road
system yearly.111,000
Proc >eda of one mill levy .1,100
Total 111,600
Und r the bond Is. It]a plan, the
1100,101 hating boon osed to build a
complete ayotom of public roads for
'he county, this annual fund of 111,"
101 Will be Used as follows.
To maintain our t oad s\ stem . . $1,000
To pro. nb a sinking fund to
dl at maturity. . . 00
o pay Interest on 1100,000 si
I 1-2 per cent. Si,000
Total $21,600
i have secured the data si t" main-j
tenance cosl from the experience of
the RlchlanU county authorities, from
a number of Georgia counties, and
fr in the United State? ch partment ,
Of roads, and am satisfied $0,000 will '
he adequate, either wiih the split-i
log diag or patrols system; to main
lain the roada
The $0,500 sinking fund Item ll
a simple matter of arithmetical cal?
culation. The sum of $0,500 will
placed each year to the credit of
I. sinking fun.i in the local banks
at i l-L' per cent on the certificate of
deposit plan, and will amount to',
$103,142.62 attheend of 20 year3.!
and will take up the bonds and leave
a small balance.
The bonds will bo sold to bear 4
1*1 per cent, interest and not 6 per
??ut. as estimated by Mr. Boyle. The;
110,000 of bonds already sold bear j
only 4 1-2 per cent, interest. These!
figures apply to the full $200,000 and!
Will] take care of the entire issue for '
thi 20 years. The amount stated for ;
sinking fund and interest will not all ?
be needed till the end of the tifth
year. By that time the taxable prop?
erty of vhe county will probably have
Increased considerably, and a lower
levy than one mill may he adequate.
Xow note that Mr. Boyle proposes
lo use the proceeds of the $50.000 of
bonds already authorized in his cal- j
culation, hut provides no sinking
fund or interest to take care of the
same. Also that $10,000 of the bond3
have already been Issued, and that
j he will have only $40,000 more to
use. Further that he provides no
maintenance fund to take care of j
the old or new roads during the 5
year construction period, nor the
succeeding years.
Make proper deductions for these
items of maintenance, sinking fund,
Interest and $10,000 of bonds already
issued and you will fl. J that at the
end of five years he will have had
for building new roadt the sum of
$151,775 (calculating Interest at 4
1-2 per c-^nt. and maintenance at $6,
aoo -<s |i done in my plan), and not
$207.coo as Mr. Boyle figures It.
'"herefore, as he will be receiving
only $17,600 plus $14,000 equals $31,
500 and has to deduct from this $6,
000 for maintenance, and $3,375 In?
terest and sinking frnd on bonds is?
sued, making a total deduction of
|9,t?6i he will have to spend on
building new roads after the fifth
year only $20,625, and this would
take about 2 1-2 year* to complete
the balance of the 400 miles which
WS would still have to build.
Evidently, therefore, Mr. Boyle's
calculations will need some very rad?
ical revision before they on be made
to provide for a complete County
road system and its maintenance.
It would take at least a three mill
levy for six years, agaln3t a one mill
levy under my plan.
Furthermore Mr. Boyle forget3 to
take into consideration that if we
have to go down Into our pockets to i
raise the $200,000 to build the roads!
we are out of the use of this mon
I
ay, And ItJ use to US, the people of
thl County. Is worth $16.000 a year,
a total of $320.000 for the 20 years;
and that while we are getting the
money under my plan at 4 1-2 per
cent interest, under his plan we are
being made to pay out this same mon
ey which la worth 8 per cent to us,
so that under my plan we get for
$0,000 what under his plan would
cost us $10,000 a year, to wit: the
use of $200,000.
Note further, that there is abso?
lutely no provision for Mr. Boyle's
1 lan t<> i>e put into operation: that
at beat the Legislature of 1 'J 12
would have to provide for its sub
mlesion to the people, the i.egisla
ture of 1013 put on the propoaed
l?vy and that fumis derived from
the levy would not 1... available until
about -January 1014, Meantime most
of the $50,000 bond Issue would have
been used up without an engineer or
proper provision for its economical
expenditure, and the whole plan for
o complete system of good roads
disorganize, delayed and jeopardiz?
ed. On the one hand you have a
carefully thought out plan endorsed
by the best business men of the
community, provided for and safe?
guarded by proper legislative enact?
ment; on the other hand you have a
hastily prepared, ill considered prop?
osition, unprovided for by any legis?
lative enactment, and calculated to
accomplish nothing so much as the
confusion of the issue. In the one
case you have a definite, plan ready
for adoption; in the other a vague
possibility which may never take de?
finite form.
Which will you have?
R. B. Beteer.
F
HANDLE YOUR MONEY SKILFUIi
LY.
You can do this if you make your
purchases of cut glass and silverware
at this store. Here quality and price
each shine in the light of the other,
I from the smallest single pieces to the
large seta.
W. A. Thompson,
Jeweler and Optician.
0 S. Main St.
Snrau r, S. C
gBSMKajvmtriMfi sssassst mmmm vjss?vnc>
I Kl bLYHR COtlGHl
[amp eig?Bwtums$i
7amE}&) IttMs^s!
Iii.? 1--^'V". ? t$\
j jaw Ail *:??'?* ??r-'V
, TtiMSKwrc .. ?.. \r/,- ? . -
' 1 r"> * ? *
! v>i>v . : . v
DON'T
w<?? i^???????
WAIT
?YV'^i j?M Vvait K'r neXt Spring
1 vUM and higher prices buy
l,>*Vik)V\ now and reap the pro
'? rjS ^ fit yourself.
Stil ci the Choice Properties Listed With Us now at Quick Sale Prices
No. 331 West Hampton Avenue.
No. 212 West Hampton Avenue.
No. 24 Haskcll Street.
SUMTER REAL ESTATE? INSURANCE CO,,
Farmen' Bank & Trust Co. Bldg. Sumti'i, S. C.
Meaning of Good Bank
Management
2M).
To extend accommodations to individuals, firms and corporations
on approved .security is another feature that makes a well
mai aged hank. This policy, followed by the Peoples' Bank Is
one of great assistance in the development of the community.
If ou need funds to develop your business, our officers are al
WS] i ready to have you confer with them.
In Time of Peace.
prepare for war. In time of prosperity bank against adversity.
Yes, bank. We use the term advisedly. Use the bank. Its ad?
vantages are ill at your disposal. When in doubt ask th* rftSMer
if he knows he will tell you. Let our bookkeepers ha
ac "ounts. They'll keep them straight. Your checks
re :eipts when you pay an acccunt. When times are
ui a fund in the bank against your rain day. It will I
ycu more safely than you can keep it. Fire proof vault, insur?
er ce against burglary. Its subject to your check when you want
it. If you are not already banking with us the time to start is
n< w.
THE FARMERS' BANK & TRUST CO.
V TA>TT? /r^T?AyrC1'\TrP atme PLASTER, shingles
lANlEj, L>LiM?jNI, frapteHSETcRE BRICK' DRA1N
T-Toir Proin Rice Flonr. Ship Stuff. Bran.
I Id y. VJI dm, Mixed Cow and Chicken Feed.
Horses. Mules. BHsss!*' XT "?
.No Order Too Ijhi-ko Or Too small.
Booth-Harby Live Slock Co. ? 4
SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA.
. W: - &
' li
HI 1 W ?
sat
1 ^RohA
Ease and plenty in OLD AGE can come only from work
aid saving during your younger, energetic days.
Do you want to be old and poor 5
Make OUR Bank Your Bank.
We pay liberal interest consistent with safety at 4^.
Fir^t National Bank
OF SUMTER