The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-11-20
From The News and Courierl
TAXATION I'm THE STATE
THE BOARD OF EQUAL.
EXAT4QNs
BROADBRIM.

The action of the State Board of
Equalization has been sharply criti-
cised in Abbeville, Lexington, Ian
caster, and other counties, where it is
asserted that the valuation CT property
proposed by the State Board is an in
crease upon the assessment on which
taxes is now paid and in excess of
the true value Of the property. Our
contemporaries misunderstood the Of
feet of the action of the Board, and
have not been correctly Informed as
to the proposed assessment. But
dissatisfaction with any procedure is,
at least, the best way of provoking
that discussion by which the whole
truth can be brought out, and We are
glad to give our aid in exposing the
modes of taxation in South Carolina,
SO that any existing evils may be In
telligently considered and permanently
cured. The first step is to review the
tax system in South Carolina. We
give clear summary:
Taxes are raised as follows:
l. An Appropriation Act is passed
providing for the necessities Of the
Government.
2. Then BY comparison Of the ag-
gregate so obtained with the assessed
value of the taxable property Of the
State, the number of mills is as
certained which will raise the amount
necessary, and shat number of mills is
levied as tax.
It will be seen, therefore, that the
absolute valuation Of the property of
the taxpayer is matter Of no con-
sequence to him; for instance, if 5
mills upon an assessment will raise the
sum needed, % mills will be levied if
the assessment be doubled, but the
sum taken from the people will be the
same. Reduce the assessment ope-
half, and to raise the sum needed 10
mills will be levied. While the ab-
solute valuation is thus of little mat.
ter, the relative assessme ent of property
is of the greatest consequence. In
justice is done demanding prompt
reparation when the property of an in
dividual is valued higher than similar
property Of his fellow taxpayers.
The law of assessment is as fol-
lows:
l, Personal property being much Of
it invisible, is subjected to an in
quisitorial process. The taxpayer is
required to list it and himself values
it on oath. HIS oath determines its
vazue, and is so taken unless fraud,
&C., is suspected; then the County
Auditor and Board Of Equalization
are vested with very high powers in
ascertaining the true amount and
value. These finally settle the value
for assessment Of personally in each
county for itself, subject only to an
appeal to the Comptroller General by
a taxpayer deeming himselfaggrieved.
2. Real property, being visible, is
assessed by a different method. The
County Auditors themselves make
list of each tract and lot Of realty in
the county and fix value upon it. In
doing this they are aided by assessors
regularly appointed, are vested with
powers of inspection, &C., and when
his land has escaped the Auditors
attention or new structures have been
erected, the owner is required to re-
port the same. (AA. 1874, 63l, sec.
5S, SO, 125. Rev. Stats. p. 66,
sec. 6l.) The Taxpayers oath is not
required By the Ian as to the vaIue
Of his land.
While relative valuations are alone
of consequence, some standard must
be adopted; the Auditor is, therefore,
required to assess the land at the
usual selling price Of similar property
at the place where the returns are
made. (AA. 1874, No. 63l, sec. 50.)
The Auditor submits his list of
lands and valuations to the County
Board of Equalization, who proceed to
equalize the sum by adding to or de-
ducting from the valuations of the
several parcels so that each tract or
lot be entered at its true value, buS
the Board cannot gsduce The aggre-
gate ualue Of the County below the
aggregate returned By the auditor.
ibid, Section 81, AA. 1875, 1887
A just relative valuation having
thus, in contemplation oflaW, been at
taincd between the taxpayers in their
respective Counties, the law now at
tcmpts to secure just relative valua-
tion between the Counties themselves,
and for this purpose creates the State
Board of Equalization, consisting of
one member from each Congressional
District resident therein, to be ap-
pointed by the Governor, and three ct
the State officers, to Wit: Secretary
of State, Treasurer and Conn., roller
GENERAL are eallea into play. On
u1 tne'F a .Aollng the Comptroller
General, lays before them the ab-
stracts of the real property OF each
County made up as described, and
afterwards communicates its actions to
the County Auditors.
The members take an oath to dis