The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-12-22

...;.,.n ~ has reason TO suspecs bensteI
an. there is any desire or purpose on inc
n.rt Of the taxpayer or his agent 10 evsas
foII return Of all property, he shcaid oy
proper questions and Investigation 9rios ou.
all the facts AM secz.-S san, SSinp'c'o snu
inst return Of all taxable property p re-
auired by law to DO made.
Great care should be exercised IN tne
..,ec,ion and appointment Of the township
board. of assessors. None but clear, fair,
impar,ial men Of good sound business ludg-
m.nt and Information should be appointed
members Of these boards. III these boards
will exercise d secretion and take pains ID
getting at and placing on returns every
| species Of taxable property and justly
ea,alize as between individual taxi ayers in
| their respective townships or tax dis'ric's'
and the county boards Of equalization, com
posed of the chairmen Of the townsnip
boards, will exercise the same discretion
care and judgment as between townships,
and in oil cases of appeal. the crying evil
OF gross inequalities Of assessments Will
d;sappear and no longer be heard.
Gxass iueaualilies of assessments do no"
duties, aud in these boards appointed by
the Auditors to value and cqualize assess
ments.
There is no law for assessing aud equaliz
ing taxable property upon basis of GG %
per cent, or any other basis than its "trut
value in money" Our laws require al
taxable property real, personal aud posses
sorry, TO be placed upon the tax books at the
"true value in money. Lands worth 81
So, $40. $50, or more, should be assessed a.
that value, no more and no less. Bank
stock worth $50 above the par value of 500
should be assessed at Sl2O per share, and
others in proportion. Bank stock wortl
less than par value should be assessed ut its
value, and no more. Corporations other
than banks, stock of which is non-taXable
must have n taxable interest equal TO The
real or market value of stock. and this
market va'ne Of stock will furnish
fair basis for assessment of the tuxabl,
Interest of such corporations rs it may have
in machinery, material. etc.
| The productive powers of taxable propeity
real, personal or possessory, is an important
factor i'll fixing the "true money values
for taxation. Lands producing one bale Of
cotton or twenty-five bushels of corn and
oats per acre are worth more than thos,
producing ope-half Of these amounts. S
with other classes CT taxable property
Values are influenced by income derived
from such property. The greater percent
age Of the burden Of taxation rests now too
heavily upon the less productive properties
of the State and should DC remeded.
Personal friendships, neighborly inter.
course and primary elections should not in.
| huence Auditors nor boards in these matters
Of assessments, but they should be aclua' ed
by the broad principles of absolute justice
to oil taxpayers and the full, true
value in money placed up,n each aid every
taxable intercs', c'ass and character of prop.
erty in the State.
If the boards of assessors do their work
in haphazard way, and the boarls OF
| equalization do not correct these gross
inequalities, We shall insist upon Auditors
proceeding in each case, as is required by
Section 239, ETC., General Statutes, as con-
| strued by the Legislature in 1892. aller the