The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-20
BILL OF INSTRUCTIONS.
THE COUNTY AUDITORS MUST DO THEIR
PULL DUTY.
No Basis of Assessment But the True
Value in Money-No More and no
Less--Every Dollar of Taxable
Property Must Go on the Books.


Comptroller General Ellerbe issued the cir
sular printed below to the Auditors OF the
Dear Sir-Returns for taxation from the lst
|of January, 1894, to the 10th of February,
must embrace both real and persona y, PROD TOD
ing these returns. Returns OF every species
OF taxable property should be secured, ano
in every case where the Auditor or nus ASSIST
ant has reason to suspect or believe that tnefe
is any desire or purpose on the part OF tax;
payer or his agent to evade full return OF all
property, he should by proper qnestions ana
Investigation bring out oil the 1acts ana re-
cure q full, complete and Just return OF an
taxable property as required by law TO be
made.
ton and appointment OF the toWnship ooaros ,as
of assessors. None but clear, fair, lInpartlal
men OF good sound business Judgment ana IN.
formation should he appointed members OF
these boards. If these boards Will exercise
discretion, and take pains in getting at ana
placing on ref urns every. species of taxable
property, and justly equalize, us between To-
dividual taxpayers In their respective town-
ships or tax districts and the county boards
of equalization, composed OF the chairmen OF
the township boards, will exercise the same
discretion, care and judgment as between
townships, and in all cases OF appeal, tne
crying evil OF gross inequalities Or assess
ments will disappear and no longer be heard.
Gross inequalities Of assessments do now
exist, and the remedy is largely In the hands
OF Auditors In the discharge OF their duties,
and In these boards appointed by the Audit
ors to value and equalize assessments.
There Is no law for assessing and eqnal1z,
ing taxable property upon basls OF 20 20
per cent. or any other basis than It's true
value in money" Our laws require all taxa
BILE property, real. personal and possessory,
to be placed upon the tax books at the true
value in money" Lands worth 81. So. Sl0,
no more and no less. Bank stock worth $40
above the par value of Sl00 should be assessed
at Sl20 per share, and others In proportion;
Bank stock worth less than par value should
porations. other than banks, stock OF which
Is non.taXable, must have taxable interest
equal 10 the real or market value or It's stock
and this market value OF STOCK VIII iu:nlsn
fair basis for assessment OF the taxable inter
est OF such corporations as it may have In
machinery, material, etc.
The productive powers of taxable property,
real, personal or possessory, Is an lmportant
factor In fixing the "true money values" for
taxation. Lands producing one bale OF cot
ton or twenty-five bushels OF corn or oats per
acre ore worth more than those producing
one half Of these amounts. SO with otner
classes Of taxable property. Values are inf1u.
enced by income derived from such property.
The greater percentage Of the burden OF taxa
ton rests now too heavily upon the less pro-
ductive properties OF the State and should be
Personal friendships, neighborly intercourse
and primary elections should not influence
Auditors nor boards In these matters OF as
sessments, but they should be actuated by the
broad principles OF absolute justice TO all tax
payers and the full, true value In money
placed upon each and every taxable Interest.
class and character OF property In the State.
III the boards OF assessors do their work In a
haphazard way, and the boards OF equaliza-
tion do not correct these gross inequalities,
we shall insist upon Auditors proceeding In
each case, as Is required by Section 23s: etc..
General Statutes, as construed by the Legis.
lature in 1892, after the construction by the
courts OF this and other germane sections.
Your especial attention is called TO the fact
that millions OF dollars In credits, such as
bonds, mortgages, notes. accounts, cash, etc.,
now escape partially or wholly from their
just share OF taxation. Let us have every
dollar of taxable property In the State at its
true value in money upon the tax cooks and
the levy IN now made can be reduced by
something like one-half
Respectfully,
W. II. ELLERBE,
Comptroller General.