The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-03-17
Assessment of Property.

The following Assessment has been
placed on land by the Board OF Equal
isation for this County-on Fulton,
Calvary, Friendship, st. Pauls, St.
Marks, Concord, St. James, Manning,
Plowden's Mil, Harmony, and Sammy
Swamp. Ara, $3.50. Wood, $l.25.
Madwayand New Non-Ara, $3.50.
Wood, $l.0O. MtZion, Brewington,
Douglass, Sandy Grove, and Motifs
Bidge-Ara- $500. Wood, S1.00. AL
swamp lands at 20 cts. per acre.
The County Board of Equalization
viii hold its second meeting on the
oath March to hear all aggrieyances
and complaints in reference to assess
ments.
In the face of the oft repeated dec
laration made by some members on
the floor of the deadening and de-
pressing effect of the present low val
aation Of land upon the reputation and
business interests of the County and
extending to the State at large, every
effort at aHxing anything like an av-
erage cash valuation was promptly
voted down, and the assessment of the
year previous was reduced not fan
short of seventy-fye thousand dollars.
This was done too, against the wishes
Of the people expressed in their re-
turns, majority of whom desire to
have their lands properly appreciated
for the;r commercial value abroad.
By comparing figures and dollars
It viii be seen that the present Board
efCounty C Commissioners I'VE use them
only to illustrate the point in issue)
has done its work with less money
an the Board preceding, and unde,
a great strain, as for instance, the
enormous expense OF the Courts, with
the large criminal dockets, and the
host of witnesses. With ali this rig
id economy put into active ercise
the funds have fallen short the past
year over two thousand dollars, and 6
similar difficulty was prevented the
year before by small unexpended bal,
anees in the Treasury being brought
forward by act of the General Assem-
bly, to meet the deficit. To avoid 8
like trouble these, facts were brought
to the attention of the Board, and
while good minority saw the diff.
Guilty and appreciated the situation
the majority promptly vetoed the un-
dertaking. Owing to the low assess.
ment of the past year the levy of fou,
mills was necessary to raise the Coun-
ty tax for the fiscal year 1885. This
is an economy that carries no benefit
to the tax payer, that We can see. A
certainsmeunt OF money is necessary
for the support of the Government
whether the valuation be high or low,
But BY the present system there will
be 8 steady building up of a deicien-
cy, tom year to year, of thousand
or more dollars, for the payment Of
which a special tax must be levied,
Thsn why not pay as We go? Il pay
ment could be finally avoided we
might see the force OF the reasoning
The policy adopted by the EquaaziRe
Board places us as country and
State upon false basis and In a
damaging light before the world
which is detrimental in the extreme
to the material interest Of the coun,
try. The statistics of the State, unde,
existing valuations, will represent US
as desperately poor people, literally
taxed to death, when such is not the
ease. We only haze low assessments
and as natural consequence high lev.
les. We understand a petition is cir
eulating to- have undone what has
been done. The State Board is the
Board of final appeal; they may take
the matter. in hand and come to the
rescue.