The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-02-01
THE FERTILIZER TAG TAX.
A REDUCTION BY THE HoUsE..
ThD Privilege Tax Cut Down to Fir.
teen Cents u TOn-Curtatiins The
inCOmo OF Clemson College.

teen cents u TOn-CurtatiinS tht
Iucomo OF Clemson College.
MIR. Ashley's bill to reduce the tax
on fertilizers has passed the House, by
which tho privilege tax on fertile err
will be reduced from IS to 10 c9nts &
toa, If the Senate cOncurs.
In speaking on the bill, Mr.. Ashley
contendad taat tho farmers are tue
only class Of people in the State winch
Is taxed on d special commodity. /,
was not right and not just. The time
will come when the people will rise W
and cut off this tax. He denied thaI
the tax fell upon the producer, and
said that the consumer paid this tax
Flo had been waiting to get figures tu
show that this tux nuG beea GuL " IL
cents in Georgia. He did net oppose
Clemeon or any othcr Stats lbs ltu
ttcn. But he was opposed to eXtrava
gance. The boys who went there
wore not educated to be farmers, they
were taught extravagance. Tne geo
pie who paid the tax on fertii zers
were too poor to bend their boys to
Clemson, and received 10 ben, Ii: from
that CO lege which received TIL, $G0,00u
Or $65, 600 from tac tax on fectTzars.
lilo wanted just TAX enough TO provide
for the inspection and protection o;
fertilizers.
AAls l)tJ uho IolSEESu w GuS CAuSS-
neces iitating the fertilizer or tag tax
Years ago there were suits in the
courts on account OF fraudulent ior,l
l'Zers. This called for n tax IT. provide
Tor the Inspection OF fertilizers to pre-.
vent fraud. This was long before
Clemson college was founded. Tnere
was d good deal of opposition to the
foundation OF the college, his cole que
Lieut.. Gov. Mauldin, casting the decd
ing vote. One of the arguments used
IN the campaigns was that this ferSi-
liar tax should DO used for the support
OF the agricultural college. 1t WAS on
this compact made On the stump aid
in the general assembly that the col
lege was founded. The law requires
the dealer to pay this TAX and TINS tal
1s not added into the price to. con-
sumers. Clemson was established IN
1889 In 1890 the IL " was passed Civ
ing Cit msOn the proceeds to conduct
the experiment station and the re-
matnder was TO go to operating the
college. Clemson is run without one
dollar OF appropriation from the State
treasury. Ii this tag tax is reduced, :,
Clemson will be ruined or the State
must make d direct appropriation to
keep up the institutiOn. Let Clemson
alone. Ii this institution goes down,
the assault will be maue on other insti-
tutions. Let South Carolina's educa.
tiOnal system alone.
Mr.. Mccullough stated that he had
heretofore opposed the reduction OF
the tax. as u matter OF expediency
Clemson has been established and h as
been equipped at great expenditure.
Its doors src open TO 4 |, irrespective
Of class or profession, and its support
should come in the Same way rs other
institutions. He asserted the necessity
of u privilege tax to have fertilizers
examined, but he thought it. wrong to
wiring from somebody, whether farmer
Or manufacturer, the TAX to run a State
guiee Of obtaining money for an in
spection to got funds for other pur.
poses. The supreme court Of the
United States has decreed that it Is q
violation Of the United States coastitu-
tion to divert these funds to purposes
other than to pay for the analysis. The
Lagislature would be playing the part
Of hypocrites to logger continue this
way Of raising funds in the face OF the
constitution. Let every State institu-
tion stand on its merits and receive q
direct appropriation-or fall.
Mr.. Prince agreed with Mr.. McCul-
Tough. AS to Mr.. Biythe's argument
that there has been tacit compact,
he recited the fact that while a great
leader Of one OF the factions" was msk-
ing the fight On the stump for this tag g
tax, there were some who were afraid
to contend shat 1t was class egisation.
Beyond the amount necessary for in
spection, there should not be a cent OF
tag tax. He would vote as much direct
appropriation as any other man. That
Is q State institN sion and should te
run just as any other State Institution:
Mr.. Stevenson had been tho author
of the bin which was designed last
year to settle the matter, but that bill
was killed in the Senate. He bad not
changed his views and had no apology
to make for them, but as 1t was impOs-
sible to pass the measure through the
Senate, he would favor the reduction.
He read Il showing Of the fiDances OF
Clemson College. The income last
year was $l2 900 from the Morrill, fund,
$l5 900 from tho Hatch fund and from
other sources $75, ,Gl3 o. A total OF
$1O2, ,6l3.O8. a reduction OF 10 cents q
Ton on fertilizers would give Clemson
$7S 65308 for l900-1. This in addition
to $4,000 not used last year. Mr.
Stevenson then claimed that reducing
the tax would not seriously cripple
Gleason as ts incomo alter t. G reduction
would then be $78, 900 and the expenCi
lures accounted for last year wore
something over 100000. 10 lot the
tax stand as 1t Is will put more money
In the institution than 1t nceds Rnt
will breed extravagance. Extrava
gance will work the ruin of the:instSl
tiOn.
Mr.. j. w. Ragsdale claimed that the
Virginia Carolina Chemical company
had bought all the fertil'zar factOrleI
and the taxes fell on the farmers sine,
competition had been dono away with
Mr.. e. D. Smith said that The manu-
facturers did not pay this $4,000 "a <
The last man who usee Au articls i
the one who pays tho tax on 1t. Th,
dealer charges the tax in the price q
which the article Is sold. Hs contend
cd that the prico per ton ought TO b.
merely enough to pay for the analysts
He wanted all STATE institutions !,
stand on their merits and get that sup
port of which they arc worthy.
Mr. G. e. Robinson contendcd tha
the farmer feels that he is being legia
tated asainst. AS analogous he showed
that the rnDaumnr mid tha reVpnl