The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-07-15
ulcct the FIRST M"ndny in August, prox.
J. b. ERWIN, Chmn..
JOHN BNOwS, Src'y.
TIE STATE TAXES.

him, on the subject of the present sy''
TEN of State taxation:
STATE SuUrH tARolISA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA. July Z. 1859.
Mrssrs. Stc"honsr. Diercks and GiLs"n,
T"r p"yrrs:
GENTLEMEN-My attention has been
callrd 10 your communication IN tfe
Phenix OF Saturday, in which you state
that number Of persons arc complain
ing Of he assessments of taxes made III
the State: and y"u wish 10 asc' rtaln
what urse W, uld be best to pursue to
acnre redress. Th. re is some indefinite
ness rs TO the nature of the wmngsto be
redrrs<rd, but there is specific allega'
iion az to the onoruus amount ot the
assessments. ,,-".,..
The course provided hy lawjip SUCH
cases is for the corplairant tuHpreal
TO the Comfy Audir"r, with q state
mrnt of his case. VIII" will f.,wari. It
to the Auditor of State, who has full
power To nnukruny Abatement "r c"Ircc-
Iio" Which, in his Judgment, Is just and
proper. As to tie general charge
which is infcrable from SoIir note, that
the taxation is t,n h.avv. have to say
hat the amount provided f"r is required
10y The necrs>itirs ut the State, and must
he c"lIerird to meet its ex'ge 'clcs, and
+" fulfil efficiently its engagements AMI
responsibilities. =
The estimated expenses of The State
Government nrlhe current year amount
10 about $3.50. .000-sunlcwllat in excess
Of prc,i i"us years. which is attributable
~ the increased sum required for lrs's.
lative expenses during the pr''lnnS' d
>cssi"rs required fur the passage OF laws
IN conInrnity with the new cons'l"i'l II;
and also to the arrcaragcs If salaries
and iecs Of judges, shrritfs, &c. which
were properly chargeable TO the pre-
creding administration, but which II
did not provide FIR. 'Fhe interest "n
the State 'cht, which had n"s been
paid the preceding year, required for
the two years s'i 5000. and the rSial.-
li>hment and ,maintainancc Of tie"
schunls about Sli5, 900 mosc-irakl"g
in all 81 ,23O,lGS which had to be pro-
vidcd Tor by taxation. The c"Ii>Il'u
rion required that taxes should he le-
vicd upon the personal properly in The
State in prop rlion TO its valur; and to
ascertain it's amount assessors wrr. up
pnint,d d ,hrnug gh"ut tho State 10 exam:
inc and aprraise it Many OF thee
proved 10 be inexperienced in such
business. and their riilrns Indicated 80
much caprice and irrcpularlty, AID
worked 50 unfairly in many counties ot
the State, hat the Boa.l Of EIuallza,
ton, whose dury it is to equalizc Taxa.
tion among the counties, made material
changes. As an Illustration "f the dis
crepancics in the valuation, the arabic
plough lards in Ahbcvi!le County
were appraised at SIS 25 per acre; III
Anderson, 30; IN C"lleton. 81. y; in
Darlington, S6.S3; in Newbcrry, S. 81,
and in Oconcc, s9.2S, while the saDc
character and quality of land Wis aP-
praised in Chesterfield at s. per acre;
in Edgcfcd, SO; in Marion, S3.27 and
in OrangcburG, 81 II. The Board Of
Equalization made such corrections IN
these returns as were required By JUS.
ice and fairness, and to prevent dis
proportionate share Of taxation being
thrown upon Counties which had mani
Tested something like reasonableness in
estimating the value of their lahds'-
The aggregate value of the property oi
the State, as established by the Board
of Equalization, was 65,022,3l2,
which, | am convinced, is still far be-
low its real value; and that ifthc as
SCISSORS had done their duty honestly
and fearlessly, the amount would Lave
been at least S200,000.000.
Upon the sum fixed by the Board OF
Equalization, the State Auditor levied
tax of thee -fourths of Ole par cent,
which should yield revenue OF Sl,23o,
l6S; but, allowing for defaults, not
more than 81, ,0UO,0O0, the amount pre-
scribcd by the Legislature, can be re-
allied. 0f this sum, 5000, 1000 will be
paid out for our own citizens; the bal
auce will be returned to our people IN
cxtinguishing the floating DEBT accn'
mulated during the past three ycars,
and in the establishment and maintain
ance Of public schools. r.
By this statement you will perceive,
gentlemen, there is nothing in the pre-.
sent system Of taxation to justify the
charges of unfairness or oppression; no'
is it excessive or extraordinary, either
as compared with the past experience
of our own State, or with the existing
rates of taxation in other States OF the
Union.
The amount levied in this State
for current expenses was, IN looi
S474 $40; in 1868, S459,27l, and io'
the present year, S549, ,474, the increase
being satisfactorily accounted Tor by the
arrcarogcs LETT from the preceding az
,,;n;otro,;ons md the expenses vi the