The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-18
MONEY, OR YOUR oFFICE.l
The ComptroIler.General Goes onthe
War Path -: He. Wants Higher
Valuations or the Official Heads OF
the Auditors.
The state,


The action OF thssou4ty board Of equaliza-
tion. of Marion, mentioned yesterday, In re-
ducing the anditor's retorn Of the valuation
of stock 25 per cent. and some other similar
matters concerning the putting Of property
on the books at its true valuation. has placed
the com ptroller general on his mettle, and
last evening he issued some strlpgent instruc-
tions, az previously indicated In The State
His Instructions are in the fern OF circu'
lar letter and here IL is:
When county boards OF equalization have
reduced the valuation Of the property OF any
Individual, company, or corporation :, ana ulo
not apportion the amount 50 reduced 70 tne
yalualfon OF the property Of other individual
com panies, or corporations, OF their respec-
tive counties, auditors are Instructed 10 dis
regard the action OF such boards and TO enter
the property OF such individuals, company l r, OF
corporation upon thelr uupllcatest ils 'ue
Section Isl, rule 3rd, general statutes, pro-
hibits county boards from reducing 1.-The ag-
gregate value Of real aud personal properly perry
thereof as returned by the county auditor"
The provisions Of section ~ prohloltlng
county auditors from increasing the returns
made by payers ms or ner ssssaors sgsso, eH Is
meant to prevent the arbitaTy exercise OF
power, without notice TO the taxpayer
through spite. spleen or prejudice, thus CUT.
ting off appeal. Section 239 OF this chapter
mrkes IL the duty Of the county auditor, II
he shall suspect, or be informed, that any per.
son, or persons, corporations or company nae
made false returns of his her or their person
al property Tor taxation, or have not maze q
| full return. or the valuation returned ls less
| than IL should hive been, the auditor Is bound
under his oath Of office to notify such parties
and such witnesses as he may deem proper to
appear at his office, &c.
| Auditors will notice the law specifies four
causes, viz: No returns, false returns, par.
tial returns, and valuation returned At leSs
\ than IT should have been, and auditors Will
! tpll rpnnirpmentS.
| further provisions, sections 2iO, 2il. etc.
| AS before stated, auditors are not limited
| In time AZ To the performance OF these dutles
except by the settlement with the treasurer
that Is, the auditor has until the settlement
with the treasurer in 1892 to get at and upon
his tax publIcate ut its true value In money
all the taxable personal property In Ills coun
| ty for his calendar year 1SH09l.
The comptroller general, under tne law
will insist upon this being done, and as ai
as possible every collar OF taxable property
| In the State made tn bear Its just and equita
| bic portion OF the burdens Of taxation, and II
auditors now In office will not or can not dis
charge these duties fully and fearlessly, 9th
ers will be, from the very exisencies Of m tne
public interest, substituted In these places
who can and Will do their duty.
| No idle thought Of boast or superior posi-
ton induces this demand, but the Interests o
the State and the people OF south Carolina
demand 1t and IL must be done.
There are reasons for believing that very
large percentage Of actual cash deposited IN
banks, etc., escape taxation.
| To remedy this particular deficiency In the
return of personal property, the attention o.
auditors is called TO section 2DO. general sta
tutes which authorize them, "durine business
hours" to enter the Office Of such bank OF
banking association and obtain Il list Of al
the persons, parties, corporations, companies
or agents who may at any time have any de-
posit either personal or general In such bank
! No individual corporation or company liz
BILE TO taxation in his county should escape
| the vigilance of the auditors. Any person Ol
persons commencing since lst January, should
be required 10 return and pay pro rata wheth
er by individual, stock company or othel
party.
Lie, fire, marine and other insurance conf
panies are taxable and must be locke aftel
here returns have not been made.
Respectfully,