The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-01-09
Supplement- to THE HERALD AND NEWS

the valuation were high the rate could be
reduced, yet i'll the end it amounts to the
same thing. The question that concerns
inc taxpayer Is to have 4 uniform value
ol assessment whether it be the actual
valuc or onc-half the actual vlluc. The
burden OF taxation would then fall equally
on all thc taxpayers III proportion to the
property they own, but If one nlal,'s DrOp-
clty Is assessed at its actual value and
another mans at onc-half it's actual value
the one either contributes more than his
share to the support OF the government or
The other docs not measure up TO his duty
i'll this matter. The main dcsi,lcra,un IS
To- secure such mode OF aSScSsincnt as
VIII give uniform valuation to all prop
Crty subject to taxation. That such re-
suits arc not obtained now am SuiC.
Whether II is the fault OF the law or its
administration am not prepared to saw
We have township boards Of assessors and
county boards OF equalization, but the
manner i'll which they as rule DISCHARGE
their dutieSand the time they allot to the
discharge @! these duties does not secure.
uniform valuation Of property for the
purposes ct taxation. Nor indeed could
they do il under the present plan if they
All approximate uniformity for valuation
Ill each county, and SO far as county pur-
poses arc concerned that might suffice,
but the average i'll the counties varies and
the Durdcn OF State taxation docs not fall
equally OH the several counties. have,
no fully naturcd plan TO submit for your
consideration as Il remedy for this evil,
but | am persuaded that if some plan
could be devised by which the Consii,u
ton could be obcyed and all property as
Scsscd at its actual value the burden would
bear more easily and cpuitably upon all
taxpayers. AS the law now stands the
County Auditor is required to 20 into
each township and take returns OF pruD-
erty and then the township boards meet
| and go over these returns and then they
are gone over by the county boards OF
| equalization. | submit for your cOnSil
| Grafton the advisabilily Of requiring that
the Constitution BE- carried ont and all
property assessed at It's actual value and
that the County Auditor take returns only
III the townships and that the township
boards be required to attend while lhcs,
| returns are being made and if any uucs-
on arises as to the valuation Of the property
| ii could be settled bv the Auditor the
board Of assessors and the owner OF the
| property. These township boards should
| he men of ability and character and
should be i'll position to determine the
actual value Of the property. believe
that some such plan if properly carried
| ont would materially increase the taxable
property Of the State and 90 far towards
cqualizing the burden Of taxation. There
IS need for something to be done alonp.
| this line.
There Is also some complaint Of the ir-
| regularity Ill which some County Treas
urcrs remit taxes collected bv them to the
| State Treasurer. The law fixes the times
a 1trlt Il,
| them do not observe it, think il would
bc 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 then,
to submit with their monthly statement q
statement from the bank of dcposit 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 pcrsistently
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 Won
should endcavor 10 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 iis.
Cal year commencing January T, 1900 is
50, 1855, IS3 more than for the prccediuu
fiscal year.
Total taxable property for the
hScal year commencing Jan
uary lSt, lS99."...............SI Sic, ,l22. 2SS
lotal taxable property for the
hScal year commencing Ian
nary Ist, IS0S..... ............ 177.2s7,
i'i~i e'"e' '''''' '''' 3,IS5, ,IS3
SINKING FUND.
beg to direct your attention to the re-
port OF the commissioners of the Sinkinp
fund from which it appears that the Gu,
h'"la'lte phosphate Sinking Fund now
amounts to f3A7,73I.3S. This shows an
increase OF these assets of S5I,I25.ol
since the report Of last year. or ihis
amount SII,746.6 IS is derived from interest
ana S393792S 2S is derived from phosphate
royalty during the year. The assets of
THIS fund consist of the following:
State stocks. * 100 -6
Bank loan secured by State
hohdS".................. ............ 10000 Oo
Loans to COunticS.... .....,. II, rs, >,
Interest bearing deposits III " ~
n'''NS '''.'.'..''................. I7S,9IS.i0
lo'ai''''' ''''.................."..S34773I.3 3S
The asscsts Of the Ordinary Sinking
tund amount TO $l3S3o.64 of which
$50, POO 90 is loaned to counties and sra
1904 deposited in banks. This shows a
decrease of this fund Of 2,Id3.A2 since
INC last report. This is covered by the
purchase of cscllcatcd lands which have
since been sold at profit but the terms
OF SAFE nave not yet been fully complied
WIN VIZ, ny thc purchaser. The report gives
full details of the work Of the Commits.
sioners for The year and | invite your
careful attention TO it and the rccomIucu-
dations contained therein.
PENSIONS.
generation has passed since the War
Ret ,vppn tbn afoc rIl,o