The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-01-16
WILL. TAXES bic RAISED &?
Tho Present Rate is Not Sufficient
to Detray lixpcnses--An Income
and License Tax Suggested.

Tho Present hatG Is Not Sufficient
to Defray Expcnses--An Income
and License Tax Suggest
Columbia Cor. News and Courier.
There is IL provision in the new con.
stitution that tho General Assembly
may provide for u graduated tax on
incomes and for u graduated license
on occupations and business" 1t is
extremely likely that tho General
Assembly will be called upon to pass
some such law. AS yet Ihoro il moth
position is merely in the air, bat it has
been talked about and will very likely
be referred TO the General Assembly.
The prime reason for such a Suggcs-
tiOn Is that it is desired 10 keop the
State tax levy down to four and u half
mills, and the fear thDt with the tax
fixed at four and Il half mills the cur
rent expenses OF running the State
government cannot be met. The tax
levy for the fiscal year 1894-l895 ia four
and IL half mills on $l69, 44S,945, and if
all oi Ln> taxes assessed were collected
it would realize to tho State $7G2, $50.
81, but, rs is known, ali Of tho slssesseu
taxes are not collected, and with the
500, 900 derived from the State dispen-
sary this Will not be sufficient to pay
the general expenses Of the State,
which run from $SOO,000 to 5000, 600
under general conditions.
Now tho General Assembly, when
it meets next week, will have to
provide for the current expenses of
tho State for fourteen months, be-
cause, under the change OF the fiscal
year, there are two months out in the
cod that will have to be taken up in
amount TO about onG-sixth OF Il mill.
In addition there will havo to be an
appropriation OF about S230 to meet
the expenses OF the constitutional con-
vontion in addition to the $50, Coo that
has already been appropriated.
The suggestion OF graduated in
come tax rs we'll rs a tax on OCcupa.
llOns and business comes from this
fact: 1t is desired To keep the tax
levy as near four and q half mills as
possible. 1t is feared that four and u
half mills will not satisfy the actual de-
mands OF the government, and in the
| event that it does not then it is sug-
gcstcd that the special tax be pro-
vided for, something on the salue plan
Of the supplementary tax under the
| educational article in the new con-
| stitution. If the four and half mills
answers the needs of tho State trea-
sury then thore is no need for the in-
come tax that has been spoken of. The
| tax department is Of the opinion that
al u por cont levy will not supply
sufficient funds for the general State
expenses Judging from past expert
ences and especially now that the dis
pcLsary fund il not available for
general purposes.
| Comptroller General Norton was
asked whether ho thought thore would
be any increase in tho assessed val
uation of the property Of the State
lle did not seom to think that thcr,
would bo. There could be but littl
property are liable to Increases, an
he did not think that tho taxabl
values would run over $l7O,000, ,GC
under the assessment that was no.
, going on.
, There ia likely to bo another pro
position to increase tho funds for tn
, general expenses OF the State. Unde
! tho present law any insurance con
, panies doing business in tho State ar
required to pay to tho counties tn
regular tax levy on the not busines
dono by tho company in tho respectiv
counties. Tho proposition Is to pa
this tax on insurance directly to tn
State, and likely making 1t lowor b.
80 doing. 1t is said that tho insuranc
companies will prefer TO pay the taxo
directly to tho State than to max
returns in each OF the counties an,
pay it in tho various counties whcr
there is no regularity in tho rate o
taxation.
1t will be interesting to note tn,
tax assessments iOr u number of wear
past. These figures below do not in
c!ude the school levy: