The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-11

IOtal value. 10000. ftO
The average value Of each article Of per-
sonal property, where it can be shown, is
as follows: Horses $7s 40; cattle SO 55;
mules and asses $92; sheep and goats 81 20;
hogs So 90; piano fOrtes and melodeons
500 81; carriages $47 &c; dogs So OF.
The system Of taxation under which the
foregoing assessments are made being alto
gether new in this State, we have no de-
tailed returns Of former years with which
10 compare the results. Some few inter
esting points may, however, be made.
According to the census Of 1860, the total
valus.of personal property in South Caro-
lima was, at that time, $S5o,54e, ,444 De-
Quoting from the amount thus shown the
estimated value Of the slaves, the remain
ing personal property was worth $l9S, ,5S4,-
044, in 1860, IS sgainst $3S. 1923, 446 ct this
time. Making all due allowance for exces-
sive estimates in 1860, and undue depreci-
tion at this moment, as well as for the fact
that there are now included in the tax list
many values which were not included be-
fore, we have still the striking fact that the
personal property in the State is now worth
from Sl25, 900 900 10 $3.50, 900, 600 less than
it was worth before the war. We may also
notice that We have now only so, OIL horses,
against 81, 125 in 1860, and only 39,257
mules and asses, against 56, ,456 in 1850.
These figures show the fearful loss in live
stock caused by the war; and while they &C
count for many ofthe difficulties under which
our farmers have labored, will also indicate
our great deficiency in animals required for
agricultural purposes Much Of the falling
off in the number Of horses may he accoun-
ted for by the general inability Of our peo-
pie to keep animals for purposes Of pleas
ure; but this has had no effect in reducing
the number of work animals Of other kinds.
or hogs, in 1860, we had $685. ,779 We have
now but 46s.373. It is well known that in
many parts Of the State the predatory
habits Of the freedmen made it almost im.
possible to raise hogs in large numbers.
But for this we might now have as many
hogs as in 1860, our people being fully
awakened to the necessity Of making meat
for home consumption. In the face of these Q
unpleasant results, it is gratifying to NO: g
that we have 34l 900 pianos and melodeons
in the State, and that notwithstanding the
ravsges Of General Sherman, we have still
nearly $1,000 pleasure carriages. In
Charleston County there are but 396 pleas
ure carriages all told. Before the war,
nearly every family had carriage Of some
| kind.
Oae very surprising feature in the return
for the State, is the amount set down as the
value of all credits. Under the present
system, the term credits mesus the remain
der due, or to become dus to person, after
deducting from all debts and obligations
due him The amount of all debts and de-
mauds due by him. 1t does, then, seen
passing strange that the total value o.
credits in the State should be only 50, lI4,'
32l. But it is even more strange that the
average mouthly value of the stocks Of al
the merchants in the State should be nc
more than S., ,39l ,2s3.
As We have had occasion to say before,
the tax law is so intricate in its machinery,
and so tediously confusing in its language,
that it was very difficult to make returns
which would be strictly correct. Every
taxpayer had, more or less, to put his own
construction upon the law, and it is only
natural that every one should have taken 10
himself the benefit of the ambiguous clauses
Of which the tax law is full. tits still certain
that our personal property has deprecated
to terrible extent since 1860; but we may
confidently hope that the returns Of next
year will show, on account Of the improve
ment In tho value Of property and greater
familiarity with the law, far more graft
fyine result than we record TO- day.