The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-12-05
Local Taxation---Beware, Regulators.

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ss-' Local Taxation---Beware, Regulators
In the calendar Of our House oil Nepcesenta. 4
tives, we find among unfinished business con.
tinued from session Of 1878 TO session ofl1sI9 I
the following. &,
'"No. l6 A Bill Ereport- favorable, with
amendment,1 toprovide for the establishments
of new school districts in thsf fssS<taA xfiti<&,
towns and Incorporated Villages 6x xy66 sSt6ts,;
and to authorize the levy and eolIestien ofsstS1
oial taxes therein. [Fos yes3hl rsedia6
,.SI,s n: sss e. s ss { ~
fticm on their guard agaiust it.s Il is nothing
moro nor less than Bin TO; reyiS ifheS Solious
and Ubiquitous local taxation poMsr. We ~
surprised that-it was reported ON f4vorably and
stands WOW, for acoead resaiqs S4ss .,s,.E'
u Surely sur peoPletA mot forgo hat
power to levy alocal'tax for the suppdft or pub
lie schools was conferred on School Districts 10y
Statute (Gcn. Stat, Chap. xNXiN, Sect. 10,
4th.)
Surely our people have not forgotten the
abuses to which the local taxation power led,-
the heavy burdens which in its exercise were
laid on the shoulders Of our people.
Surely our representatives have not forgotten
that one Of the first things done by our Iegisla-
ture in the extra session. of 1877 was to pass
''An Act 10 amend Section ID Of Chapter MINK
>-aof General Statutes, relating to iheapower in
School Districts to levy aud collect special taxes
for school purposes by which Act the said
Section was "amcndcd by striking out all of
subdivision !, in other words, that the power
20 levy local school tax was revoked
And yet there is Il Bill for second reading, re-
ported on nyorably, which proposes to rcinstate
in 20 what was repealed in II. Do we live in
circumstances so different and so improved as to
Warrant this?
True the promoters of this Bill may say that il
villa be 3&dcily The sasae the one repealed
that whereas under the oil law all voters could
- IA.
sions of this new Act none but property llers
will be empowered TO vote. Saying nSfsisg
about the unjust and undcmocratic discrimna.
tion against certain class of voters which This
Involves, we would beg our representatives to
consider wisely and well before they vote for tho
resurrection of this old enemy with new lace
even if that face is white.
Is it the purpose Of the supporters of this
local tax Bill to provide for the entire suppor,
of public education by taxes? If 50, let them
first count the cost. They do things cheaper il
the North than we ever can in the South, ami il
the economical Northern States the annual cost
to the taxpayers of each child ut the rubli,
schools is not less than 50. In many places il
is Sl2, SIS, SIG, or even more.
Our present School Fund, made up of two
mill tax and pol-taX, contributes Sl.Gj IL ycal
foe each school child. DO We propose to burden
ourselves with additional taxation so rs to raise
the other $7.3j2 Are we willing to submit tc
nine or ten mill levy?
Another thing worth considering is this -
fy cur constitution, it is made the duty of tho
general assembly to provide for the compulsory
attendance ut school of all children of xto.siX
teen years, jus. rs SOoE as facilities have been
Afforded for free education. Now lucal TAXATION
Plus State school fund, means absolutely free ed
ucation. But free education means compulsory
attendance for Il period not less than "lwculy.
four month" i'll all. Arc our people ready tc
submit 10 this and send all the boys and girls
Il
least "siX months in each year?
Let our representatives consider this also
that while local taxation suits large cities, where
property is valuable and population dense it is
utterly uladaptcd to an agricultural State like
this. IL suits Charleston very well il dc not
suit small towns sad villages. The rule in local
taxation is almost paradox, bat facts show it
to he that where the tax on the dollar is lghtcst
the amount furnished per school child is great
est where the rate per dollar is lowest the sc
per child is highest. Bostou'S local school TAX
is only one mill on the dollar; this yields : l6 a
year .or each school cnild. In the rural dis
tiicts Of Massachusetts, on the contrary, where
the local tax is nearly three mills, il yields only
ST per school child. The cost OF public
education in Charleston is abuu, - per school
child. Small towns ccull ust get il any cheaper
and to raise J? per school child small towns
would have TO be taxed at least thrc" times a3
much as ChAr!cstOn
Is il not worth oUr while to think Of ail those
things ANIL to a~> our representatives. to ihiu,
Of them also, AN! !coh before they leap?
One more qucS,ion-ilavc not the taxpayers
ofSputh CLvolml, i. a.rea " contributing about
&iJ0UVJ year for public clucalion. done their
duty to the public schools ?--tjjcr@lc Press aaI
Bd!,ECr.
NoU5EHoLD RECIPES.
Pork AID EEANS-nick over beans
an. put to boil with water to cover. TO
test blow on one and if the skin cracks. they
arc done then place iii bran.pot "a jar vita
an carthen cover, sold for the purpose Il
piece Of salt pork, about half lean ana half
tlt is best, or even more fat, then half the