Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-10-13
Tax Dodging...

Columbia Register shows that 43, 900 acres Of
land in the four townships of Richlaud
Comfy are not returned for taxes and sup.
posing this deficit to hold good throughout
tho State l2 per cent. of tho real estate in
South Carolina. amounting to l,4l9,000
acres, have 90 place on tho tux books and
furnish no income to tho government IIo
farther claims that NIL property on tho avc,
rage is assessed for taxation at u per cent.
below its real salo value.
81 If tho former statement be true, and we
have no reason to doubt it, somo steps should
certainly be taken to correct tho wrong. All
property, not exempt by law, should bear its
just proportion Of the burdens Of the govern
ment, and when it docs not tho law operates
q fraud and OPT rcssion on tho people. No
eystem cGh be perfect, and no agents can
perfectly operate any system, but 30 great
discrepancy in the actual and returned area
Of o county ought not to be overlooked. Be-
sides, If this discrepancy exists in the cons
trail county of tho State. we may conclude
reasonably that it would be found greater in
remote and broken counties. The Lcgisa-
turo will have before it tho tax lnws, and
should look to somo better scheme if any bo
practicable. 1t is a difficult matter to cor>
rect, as tho efficiency of any system vii! de-
pend largely on tho patriotism and integrity
of tho people, and without they choose to
make full and honest returns there will al
ways bo n discrepancy. Every acre of land
or other property not returned lowers tho
basis of taxation and increases the per cent.
loviod on all.
AS to tho valuation Of property being u
per cent. too low, wo agree with tho Register
that it is 25 if not 40 to SO per cent. lower
than the actual selling price Of land. What.
ever be tho valuation, if it TO relatively
equal between counties md between ndi-
viduals Of the samo county, tho burdens Of
government will full equally on all,
low valuation only serving to increase the
rate per cent. levied to raise u given sum.
A low valuation of property, however, has
this effect to give people abroad an incorrect
idea of tho character and value of our lands,
and thus to deter them from immigratng to
so poor country. 1t also produces the im
preston abroad that our taxes are ruinously
high, from the fact thet high rate per cent.
becomes q necessity to run the government,
gent immigrants. 10 thcso respects fair
and full valuation Of our property becomes
important to every man, especially when in
tho matter Of taxation it makes no difference
except in the item of tho school fund, as
shown by the Register. What would per-
son moving from tho North where land is
worth from $50 to 5000 per acre, or from
Germany, with its fertile soil. think Of an
old State whore the average value of lands
in counties varied from $3.50 to So per acre?
They would certainly conclude it was too
poor and unproductivc to live on and would
look elsewhere, especially when they would
see our high ratio Of taxation.
Returns are not now made so much on Tho
actual sale value of property rs on its relative
value. Neither the letter nor spirit of the
law is so much considered as the prco at
which others return like property. This is
true Of both land and personal property and
tho consequence is low or arbitrary yalua.
ton is tho rule and the actual value
the exception. In returning mules or horses
men want to know what such property is
generally valued at and return near that
value. We cannot say this is wrong, rs the
great object Of tho law is equality, and if tho
strictly scrnpulous citizen should value his
property as he would or could sell it, he would
bear an unequal proportion Of taxes. An
equalization board cannot remedy an inc.
quality in this respect, as not being able to
sec tho property, its members could not ac-
curately value it. In personal property We
bolieye nearer approach to fairness and
cnunlity cnuld bn obtained bv nm nrbitrorv
scale of values Put horses, mules, cows,
&C., at q fixed price, and colts, calves,
&C., also, and though often it would work
hardship, yet We think the general result
would be less unequal than at present. 1t
might do also to classify lands into first and
second class lowlands and highlands and
woodlands and fix q valuo to them, putting
mountain lands also Mt a certain price per
acre. No system can bo perfect and the
present in practice is greatly Objectionable.
No ono in this county would contend that
lands arc assessed ut their present selling
value or in any other county and generally
the large and valuable tracts Of land ar,
moro underyalued than tho small tracts O
ridge land. We do not think thcrc is equal
ity either in the same or between diAeren
counties, and whilo wo mako these sugges.
tions, wo will DO satisfied will, tho present O
any other arrangement. Tho great object O
the assessment Act is equality over tho Who'll
State.
A cotton dealer of New York has offere
to wager 30, 900 with dealer Of Memphi
hal q Al g. n