The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-11-14
ABBEvILLE'S ASSESSMENT.

hard Thd unkind words for the State
Board of Equalization, and more partic.
ularly for our este ned tOwnsman, Col.
j. n. Brown, who represented the Third
Congressional District on that Board for
no other reason than that Board, which
was composed Of as able financicrs rs the
State Of South Carolina possesses, deemed
it proper, in the faithful and impartial
discharge of their sworn duty, to raise
the valuation of real property in that
County, outside of incorporated towns
and villages, to the amount Of 80 per
cent. on the valuation fixed by the Audi
tor and approved by the County Board
of Equalization. On first thought the
casual thinker would justify the COM
plants made by our contemporary, whose
opinions, as general thing, are pretty
correct about most matters. But in this
particular instance we are inclined to
think that it has not only committed an
error, but has also done the State Board,
and particularly Col. Brown, great in.
justice, which the just and fair minded
citizens of its own County, we honestly
believe, will admit, when the facts Of the
case are given to them, and which the
Fress ard Banner Sc far he's failed 20 &c.
The facts are simply these, which we
hope our contemporary W.: S;ye &c :!s
readers, since it has seen proper 10 CEN
sure so severely the representative from
this district: When the State Board me:
they found that there was great falling
oir in the valuation of real property in
some of the counties, while in others it
had been returned ut about the same
valuation as heretofore. The counties
in which tho largest decrease was noticed
were Beaufort, Williamsburg, Abbevillc,
Chesterfield and Chester. The only al-
ternatiyes for the Board to adopt, in
order to equalize the valuation of the
real property in the varioi.. counties of
the State, was either to lo,rer the assess
mcnts in those counties where they ap-
proximated those Of former years, other
things being eGugl; or 10 reiss the assess
ment in those thut had fallen behind
of the two was necessary in order to
glse justice to the landowners of those
counties in which tho real estate had
been assessed at its former value that
the burthen of taxation might be equally
imposed upon the whole people. We
believe the Board acted wisely in pursu-
ing the latter coursc, the hue and cry of
:i.s P-sss ana Lanner 70 the can:.ary
notwithstanding. We do not believe the
iasslas.,,t.i,ii of ihu reui esiate in q single
county of the State is too high, and why
there should be so much dissatisfaction
and grumbling at the Board for the man.
ner in which they have discharged their
duty is moro than we are able to COM
prehend, r'uless there is a wilful desire
on the t of some TO avoid paying their
portion OF tho taxes. For. the sake of
argument, suppose the other plan had
been adopted, and the assessments OF
those counties in which the property had
been returned at an approximation of
the former valuation had been lowered in
proportion to the Others. Would the
taxes have been any lighter? Certainly
not, for in proportion to the decrease of
the value of the property of the State
will it be found necessary to increase the
tax levy, in order to raise the requisite
amount of money for carrying on the
gover- aent. This is certainly reason
able view of the matter, and when the
fact is made known that Abbeville CJun.
ty will pay taxes on $l1S,797 less next
year than it has this, and that, too, after
the 80 per cent. OF socalled Brown taxes
have been added, we are amazed that our
contemporary should censure the Board
IS it does. Instead of paying seven
thousand dollars more IF taxes next vaar
Abbeville will really pay more than two
thousand dollars less, provided the next
levy should be the same as the last.
We do not think the owners of real
estate i'll Abbevillc or any of the other
counties in which the assessment has
been increased, have room for grumbling
when all the facts Of the case are taken
into consideration.
Our contemporary complains also that
the assessment has been raised in Abbe-
vile and not in Anderson. Let us com
pare them: The Bc1,i found the lands
in Anderson County assessed at SAT-
per acre and in Abbeville County at
S3.45. BY aiding so per cent. to tho
value of the Abbevi,le lands We find it
at S4.49--still lower than Anderson.-
The Board did not raise the assessment
in this County simply because they found
it high enough. Anderson il the third
county in Che gtate in regard to The val-
nation of real estate as returned to the
Board. Newberfy was sos. York 4.S6,
Anderso9 4.75. ShonId Anderson's as
seasment be increaged?
Then, the EFess Snd Bda1ier thinks 1t q
0reat injustice to the citizens of Abbe-
vile County 10 set atnaught their solemn
baths as 10 the value Of their property,
when tho fact is the law governing the
Of zeal property does not re-
luire any 54.A from the Owner Of such
/. Z o. .