The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-11-26

State and make his oversight continuous or daily in
stead of as now only at the annual settlements.
There is also an old balance due In kershaw CouH-
ty, coming over, however, from compromise OF
matters there In the settlement for the preceding
year The grand jury Of this county has taken the
matter in hand nnder order Of court and speedy ad'
ustmelt Is hoped for.
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
beg TO call your attention to the fact that the
from this sD,,rce fur less than the same
source IN other States coming under our observation
The law. of this State now require an annual License
fec Of $50, which amounted this year to $5,Sso
Also. each company doing business IN the State IL
required BY law to return "gross premiums" for tax
alton from which source the State received taxes on
about $350,9O0 This year the return VI premiums
amount to near $750, UOO.
The three largest life insurance companies doing
business in this State paid into the treasury of Geor
pa as reported by the comptroller general OF that
State $4,000, into the treasury of south Gar
Ona rs for the facts have been aSceraineo, sioQ
The gross receipts have not been returned regular
~ BY any cuss Uf companies doing business IN the
State excep, fire insuranc companies, and these have
largely returned only gross receipts sent oy agents
to the home office ahd thus largo amount escapes
taxation. There is another class Of companies which
slip into the State without complying with us laws
in any way end do more or less business
The aw should be made more stringent along this
line, with view to prohibiting such business AS
IL now stands the law affords adequate protection
to the assured in CASES Of losses whers contested and
judgments obtained, as In many cases no property
is owned in this State suiect to the process o law
necessary to compel payment. The only remedy
now Is for the comptroller general to revoke the
license of such companies which prohibit further
lawful business, bat does not afford relief to the
citizen OK the Btutv who took risks with such coir-
puntes. ,,,., ,.
the State In South Carolina bonds made with the
Stut. Treasurer. would remedy this difficulty, but
should not be SO large us to be ut oil burdensome TO
| :he insurance companies.
other difficulty with wild cat companies by prevent
ing their entering the State at a aud imposing upon
her citizens as now Is sometimes done. :,
all companies admitted into South Carolina shoulu
be charged OF lrast the same fees and charges that
South Carolina company would, by the state inc0r-
Doratiug such company to 10 business In such State
or county. In other words the comptroller general
or Insurance. commissioner should be gwen authority
| to grade the charges against COMPANY oy those
nude by the c0mpany's own State so US to make our
insurance law reciprocal as between the State or of
other counties.
The Comptroller General can discharge the duties
| Of insurance commissioner, but, with his present
experience incnes to the opinion that an Insurance.
drpa tment either separate subject to the control
of the Comptroller General, would DO matter oil
economy to the State, and properly guarded ny INV,
with efficient management would increase The rev.
cnues w .he State proporlionatey II that Of other
| States from this source.
II the une .dsbursng-offi idea advanced under
another head should prevail then there would De need
of subexaminer, and the insurance commissioner
could be given such authority this interest may
require. Then large number Of Interests and bus
mess in, and seeking to come into this State, that
now pay nothing or comparatively nothing under our
laws for the support OF the government.
Building and loan associations, foreign land and
loan associations cannot be reached advantngously
except by some system OF license and should be
cassed with insurance companies and ruade to con.
tribute their portion Of taxes toward the support oi
the government whose protection they enjoy.
There Is also large interest thnt now comes under
the law known that affecting hawGcrs and peddlcrs
" which should be placed under the same condition
of law and made to do their duty as TO taxation.
In concluding this subject the law shonld be So
amended that any and every class uf business III, or
seeking to enter the State, cun be reached and made
to pay tribute to the government whose citizens the
business seek to make money out ot or investments
nnong, This cannot be done except by some system
vi business which will trcc payment ther"i III ad'
vance, rs many ephemeru In character and vanish
from search or sight before the tax collector can gel
around.
Let every interest," Individual and business be forced
to pay just air aid equitable percentage OF tho cX
penscs necessary 70 guarantee pr0trcuOn " such
interest, individual or business by tile govern
mcnt under whose Jurisdiction the individual lnay
live or tue interest may lie Or business be done.
TAXABLE PROPERTY.
The total taxable property of the State for the sica
year ending 3lst October, lSJl is $lGS 6i9 asuns
|
$l164U,2lS over last year. About 50 per cent. o
this increase is due to the increased assessments upon
railroads, banks and other corporate property In thu
! State.
Some complaints have been made rs to this specia
class Of Increased assessments but 1t Is not believed
nor has it been shown that these assessment
are above the true value In money OF the property
asscssUd.
No complaints have reached this office from thu
increases other classes of personal property. L
is known that the increase comes almost entirel,
from taxable property other than real estate.
This Legislature, In my judgement should orde
reassessment of real estate in South Carolina, rs Il
IS known that the average assessment upon this clas
ui taxable property is not much above 81 per cen
OF its real money value which difficulty can now b
remediel only by the authority Of law comm:
through the action Of the Legislature.
There ere, as have good reasons 10 believe mill
ions of dollars Of other taxable property in this Stat
not now upon the tax books nur can bo airy reach
ed by the present laws prom ity aud ttiicientIy.
The fact that 4 argc ainuunt ot property escape
taxation altogether and that values placed low
upon other property makes the burden upon thu
unbealab IL and vicious, and hence largely the caus
fUr the complaints against high taxation from tina
class of taxpayers.
With The rp-assessnent Of real estate let the le2is
latu-e also provide systca law that Will reach an
, and every class Of taxable property I'm the State
Let mUnirs notes, bonds and taxable securities &
every class and and kim, be reached and placed up,
our TAX books.
The raiDifcutions Of that system Should DC so com
plete and thorough that no property can elude ii
grasp and the rich and the poor the high and the r,
be made to feel to realize, to know that he bears O