The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-11-16
Taxing IntelllSence.

Attention has already been calieu 10 tne CYL
dent injustice Of taxing gross receipts IN
trade;-a system which, in dull seasons, con-
ver;s profit into loss, and drags down mer-
chan. by making him pay heavy tax, even
when there has been positive loss upon the
business of the year. But, if tax upon the
gross amount of business done falls with
crushing force upon the merchant, broker or
general dealer, it strikes with additional
strength at newspaper proprietors, and i'm
| poses upon them burden which it is difficult
to bear.
Newspaper publishing in the South has
never been very lucrative business. During
the war it was conducted at loss, because the
price of subscription and rate Of advertising
could not be increased sufficiently to bring
them to the level of enhanced rates, paid for
paper, material, and manual and clerical
labor. After the war there was feverish
rush of business; and, for the time, newspapers
prospered. But, since the spring of 1866,
trade of every kind has been languishing, and
newspapers, which depend on their advertis-
ing patronage to save them from loss, have
shared in the general depression. This arose
from several causes. Subscriptions do not
much more than pay the cost of the blank
paper upon which newspaper is printed; but
even subscriptions were checked by the irregu-
larity of the mails and the difficulties of inter
nal communication. As postal routes were re-
opened, and subscription lists were filed, the
price of cotton fell and the price OF provisions
rose. Subscribers received their papers, but
were unable to pay Tor themi debts accumula-
ted, and but few country collections could be
made. In the city, trade was fiat and stag
nant. Advertisers could not advertise as libe-
orally as they wished to do; and, at the very
time that the secondary assistance OF receipts
from subscriptions Was cut of, the newspapers
f this City, and State, were deprived OF that
advertising patronage which is the backbone
of all newspaper enterprise. Debts due to
newspapers cannot well be pressed to payment.
A doctors bill, q tailor's bill, and newspaper
bill are usually the last to be paid; and most
indulgence is expected where most has usually
been granted.
This then was the position of the daily news
paper It was receiving but little from sub
scribers, its advertising was dull, and arrears
could not be collected. Paper, the greatest
item in newspaper expenditure, had risen
greatly in price; salaries were higher than be-
fore the war; compositors' wages, ink: mate
rial, gas, and the general expense of living
mad, one and all, advanced. But there was no
increase In the charges of the newspaper,
either for advertising or subscriptions, COM
msnsurate with It's additional cost. There
was, on every side, an increase of expense;
here was nowhere an increase in revenue to
meet it. More than this, the WORK on
newspaper must be paid for in cash. There
is no such thing as putting of compositOr's
bills, and paper and ink bills, or Of obtaining that
degree OF forbearancs from the creditor Of
newspaper which always is given to its debtor.
The bills of each week must be met as satur-
day comes round; newspaper pays cash, and
trusts to time for returns.
In addition to all other charges upon news
paper, there is, in this State, an onerous State
and City tax. The State tax is two dollars
upon every one hundred dollars of gross re-
ceipts, the City tax is seventy-fve cents upon
every ono hundred dollars of gross receipts;-
making in all tax Of tluo and three quarter, per
cent. newspaper which, upon business of
one hundred thousand dollars for the year
ending June S0th, 1867, made profit after
paying working expenses, of ten thousand dol
lars, did remarkably we'll. But then came the
taxes on gross receipts of one hundred thou
sand dollars, viz: State tax, at two dollars per
hundred, $1,000; City tax, at seventy-6ve cents
per hundred, $3.50, making S275o. This de-
Quoted from the $4,000 gross profits, left
$3.50 as the profit to the proprietors for one
wear of lsbour, one years interest of capital,
ord ons years wear and tear Of machinery.
The tax was, on its face, about thirty per cent.
of the profits, and, in reality, it was nearly
one-haJ.
This is a plain and unvarnished statement of
the case; and, if it is considered necessary that
there should lie newspapers in this State for
the dissemination of knowledge, and for the
good of both white and black, the taxes on
newspapers must be reduced Newspaper men
contribute more in charity, and for benevolent
purposes, than any other class Of men Of equal
means They work for the good Of the State
and the nhole country; and, now that change
can be made, they ask that intelligence shall
no longer be taxed to excess, and that come Of
that liberality may be extended TO them which
they always extend to, and advocate for.
otherr