The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-02-14
10 Raise Assessments,
Columbia State.

Comptroller General Ellerbe is MAX
ing every effort to get all of the work
possible out of the various township
boards of assessors in the State. He is
anxious to have them make an itemiZed
list of all real and personal property in
this State, and with that view he has had
printed number of blanks which have
been sent over the State with instructions
for their use.
It appears that one of the members of q
township board in Newberry county has
sounded an alarm, and so as to quiet it
elsewhere Comptroller General Ellerbe
to-day gave out the following cor
respondence, which will be self-eXplana-
tory:
St. Luke's, Newberry, Co., Feb 6, 1894
Hon. W. II. Eilerbe, Comptroller Gen.
eral-Dear Sir: see that you have sent
out abstracts for the township board of
assessors. want to know if the board
will have to fill out the blanks with the
name of each taxpayer and add up the
amount and then turn them over to the
auditor, or will the auditor have to fill
them out and the board sign them. If
the township board has to fill out the
blanks it will take our board at least two
weeks to do 1t, and as thetownship board
gets no pay, it is more time than can
give without pay. Please let me
know what is the duty of the board
and oblige. Yours truly,
R. T. G. HUNTER.
The following is the reply:
Mr.. r. T. c. Hunter, st. Luke's.-Dear
Sir: Replying to yours of the 9th instant,
stand how or W by it will take two weeks
to fill out these blanks. Ifyour board do
their work thoroughly they must of ne
cessity examine each separate item and
piece of property, personal and real, re-
turned in their township or tax district,
and as this Is done how easy for one
member of the board to enter the item Of
property as assessed under the head as as
sessed.
This done in g. line with name of tax
payer, and you will have your work, as
you progress, before you in an intelligent
and concrete form, which will enable or
aid you in adjusting and fixing the prop
er values upon the property Of your
township. II, however, your board of
assessors can do this work better and
with more accuracy in the assessing of
property without the aid of the blanks,
then, Of course, do not use them. Our
purpose was to aid these boards, and that
purpose to aid is based upon actual expe-
rience and observations in this work Of
the township board of assessors.
The auditor is not expected to have
anything to do with the work except
such aid as his position and information
can give, which we are assured such aid
will be cheerfully rendered.
The Comptroller seeks the cooperation,
aid and full sympathy of these boards OF
assessors in the proper assessment and
equalization of the taxable property of
the State, and has confidence in their in
telligence, patriotism and devotion
to duty, right and Justice to do their
work in most thorough and satisfactory
manner to themselves and the interested
public.
With the hope that you may under
stand and appreciate the efforts of this of.
fee, and act in the matter as judgment Of
your board indicates and the public inter-
est demands, I am, Yours respectfully,
w. II. ELLERBE.
Comptroller General.
There are three members on each of the
boards,