Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-16
it must not be forgotten that the tax for the

it must not be forgotten that the tax for the
construction, repair and maintenance of
bridges and ferries is now collected on prop
erty alone; so an equitable distribution
of the burden of a road tax can be best ac-
complished in the manner indicated by a
personal or head tax.
1t has occurred to me that provision
might be incorporated in the supplemental
sections proposed that criminals undergoing
sentence in the county jails for petty crimes
might be made to pay their board at least by
being made to work on the highways under
the direction Of the supervisor. do not
know how far this may be practicable, or
whether it will meet the appreciation of the
public. For myself I can see no objection
to it, and it is worthy of consideration. The
courts might be authorized to impose fine,
and, in default of payment, 50 many days
work on the public highways. 1t would be
a great saving of expense to the county, and
where fines are paid they might be paid
over to the county commissioners and be-
come part of the fund for working the
roads
If this scheme is practicable and can be
carried out in all essential particulars, l
should feel quite confident we should have
rapid and permanent improvement in our
roads, and an increase of about twenty-five
per cent. in the value Of real estate Wherev-
er good roads are made. In fact, should
have no doubt about it. Other advantages
accruing are SO numerous that l shall not
attempt to enumerate them in this imme-
diate connection. NJ. G.. BUTLER.
CRAVE OBJECTION TO ONE OF GEN. BUT
LEIpS PROPOSITIONS.
A correspondent of the Ne,Cs and Courier,
in which Senator Buffers articles originally
appear, under date of Sumter, August 3rd,
raises the following very grave objections to
the Senator's proposed plan for working the
public roads by levying per capita taxa
ton:
The people of this State are much inter-
ested in Senator Buffers discussion of the
"Road Law" the more especially as they
had hoped with his aid to find a practical
solution Of this vexed question.
The two prominent difficulties in the way
seemed to be first, how to raise the neces-
sary means for the repair, Of the highways
and, second, in what mode this fund should
be disbursed in order to do the most good.
Senator Butler in his article in tO-day's S
Ne,cs and Courier proposes to meet the first
of these difficulties in the following man.
ner: "I should levy tax of one dollar a
head on every able-bodied male person liza
BILE to road duty, to be levied and collected
by the county treasurer" &c.
This mode would be simple enough, but
can the General Assembly levy such a tax
In Section 3, Article TX, of the Constitution
it is provided: "The General Assembly may
provide annually for poll tax not to eX-
ceed one dollar on each poll which shall be
applied exclusively to the public school
| fund"
In Section 5, Article X, it is provided:
'There shall be assessed on all taxable polls
in the State an annual tax Of one dollar on
each poll, the proceeds of which tax shall be
applied solely to educational purposes.
No other poll or capitation tax shall be lev
led in the State, nor shall the amount as
sessed on each poll exceed the limit given
in this section"
In view of these provisions of the Consti-
tuition, is Senator Buffers scheme practical
BILE?
1t has been decided by theSupreme Court
of this State (see State VS.. Hayne, South
Carolina Reports, 403,) that tax may be
constitutionally imposed upon occupations
or professions" and it may be that under
this provision the necessary means may be
raised for repairing our highways; but
Senator Buffers proposition "to levy tax
of one dollar head" is hardly tenable, as
the poll or capitation tax cannot be in
creased and, as the property tax in South
Carolina is high enough already, the "occu-
patton" tax will be the only source of reve-
nue.. LEX.