The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-01-10

the valuation were high the rate could be
reduced, vet in the end it amounts to the
same thing The question that concerns
the taxpayer is to have uniform value
of assessment whether it be the actual
value or one-half the actual value. The
burden of taxation would then fall equally
on all the taxpayers in proportion to the
, property they own, but if one mans prop
erty is assessed at It's actual value and
another mans at one-half its actual value
the one either contributes more than his
share to the support OF the government or
the other does not measure up to his duty
in this matter The main desderatum is
to secure such mode of assessment as
will give uniform valuation to all prop
ertv subject 10 taxation. That such re-
suits are not obtained now I am sure.
Whether it is the fault of the law or its
administration am not prepared to say.
We have township boards of assessors and
county boards of equalization, but the
manner in which they as rule discharge
their duties and the time they allot to the
discharge of these duties does not secure
a uniform valuation of property for the
purposes of taxation. Nor indeed could
they do it under the present plan if they
gave more time to it. They may secure
an approximate uniformity for valuation
in each county, and SO far as county pur-
poses are concerned that might suffice,
but the average in the counties varies and
the burden of State taxation does not fall
equally on the several counties. l have
no fully matured plan to submit for your
consideration as remedy for this evil,
but l am persuaded that if some plan
could be devised BY which the Constitu-
ton could be obeyed and all property as
sessed at its actual value the burden would
bear more easily and equitably upon all
taxpayers. AS the law now stands the
County Auditor is required to go into
each township and take returns OF prop
ertv and then the township boards meet
and go over these returns and then they
are gone over by the county boards OF
equalization. I submit for Your consld
Grafton the advisability Of requiring that
the Constitution be carried out and all
property assessed at its actual value and
that the County Auditor take returns only
in the townships and that the township
| boards be required to attend while these
returns are being made and if any cues
on arises as to the valuation olthe property
| it could be settled by the Auditor. the
| board of assessors and the owner of the
property. These township boards should
| be men of ability and character and
should be in position to determine the
actual value Of the property. l believe
that some such plan if properly carried
out would materially increase the taxable
property of the State and go far towards
equalizing the burden of taxation. There
is need for something to be done along
this line
There is also some complaint of the IL
regularity in which some County Treas
urers remit taxes collected by them to the
State Treasurer The law fixes the times
at which they shall remit but many of
them do not observe it. think it would
be advisable to place them on salary the
same as County Auditors and require
| monthly statements from them and with
hold their salary until the statements
were received Aud also require them
to submit with their monthly statement
statement from the bank of deposit show
ing the amount of money to their credit
as Treasurer. And penalty should be
provided for the failure to turn over
funds and make reports as required by
law and power given the Governor to
suspend or remove such as perslstently
refuse or neglect to obey the law.
This subject of taxation is one that
more directly concerns the people than
any other with which you will have to
deal and it deserves your most earnest
consideration and in whatever you do you
should endeavor to make the burden bear
equally upon all the property of the State.
By comparison Of the figures in the
Comptroller Generals reports you will
see that the taxable property for the fis-
cal year commencing January 7, 1880, is
S3,IS5,IS3 more than for the preceding
fiscal year
Total taxable property for the
fiscal year commencing Jan
uary Ist, 1899. o.................- S176, AZ, 2SS
Total taxable property for the
fiscal year commencing Jan
uary Ist, ISeS...... ........... 175, ,25I1o5
Increase ....... 5,1S5, IS5
SINKING FUND.
beg to direct your attention to the re-
port of the Commissioners Of the Sinking
Fund from which it appears that the Gu
mula,ive Phosphate Sinking Fund now
amounts to S547,731.3S. This shows an
increase Of these assets Of S5I,125.94
since the report of last year. Of this
amount SII, 6.65 is derived from interest
and S5e,379.2S is derived from phosphate
royalty during the year. The assets of
this fund consist of the following:
State stocks...........-.... S5,72S. So
Bank loan secured by State
BOndS.........-..-....... ..-........ 2O,OCO %
Loans to Countless. ............ 1I3,oS4.S5
Interest bearing deposits in
Total. ........................"S347 5o
The assests of the Ordinary Sinking
Fund amount to S45,55o.6+ of which
| $50, 200. 90 is loaned to counties and SI5,
1906. deposited in banks. This shows
decrease of this fund of S2,I43. a. since
the last report. This is covered by the
purchase OF eseheated lands which have
since been sold at a profit but>the terms
of sale have not yet been fully complied
with by the purchaser. The report gives
full details OF the work of the Commits
sioners for the year and l invite your
careful attention to it and the recomnen-
5o+iors contained therein