The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-07-16
EQUALIZATION Of STATE TAyEs.
Stale Board Of Equalization Set
Ties on Plans for Fixing Assess
raents of Corporations.

rnenis of Corporations.
Columbia, July lo.-The several
committees of the State board Of
equalization charged with the equali-
-zation Of. assessments Of real estate IN
South Carolina for taxation, and also
with the assessment of cotton
mill, fertilizer mill and cotton oil mill
plants worked all Of Tuesday after
noon and evening and all of Wednes-.
gov morning as well, and it was not
until O'Clock that they were ready.
to report their action to. the full
board. That body then met with
Chairman W. w. Bradley in the chair
and proceeded to consider the reports
submitted. The important per cent.
committee recommended the adoption
of q Is per cent. basis OF market value
for taxation Of all property subjected.
to equalization by the board, provided
that after obtaining proper inforna-
ton from the counties the board may.
lower the percentage if not Injurious
to the several counties. A strenuous
effort was made to change this SO as
TO make the. basis of valuation SO per
cent. but this failed by a vote OF Il
to IL, the chairman casting the decls-
i've vote In favor of the committees
report. This report was then adopted
as follows:
Your committee appointed to fix
the percentage on property beg leave
TO report that they recommend that
the following resolution be adopted:
6 Resolved, That ali property sab
ieet to equalization by this board be
.put on q basis Of Is per cent. of its
market value, and that the county au-.
ditor and county chairman OF each
county be required to furnish the
comptroller general, before the next
meeting OF. this hoard, sworn state
ment, according tos;their best knoWl-5
edge and belief, showing what per
cent. of its market valne property was
assessed In their county. Provided,
That when this information has been
obtained, that the board may lower
this percentage to such figure as.
VIII equalfze the taxes, and at, the
same time provide sufficient amount
to meet the requir emensssef the Varl-
ous counties. s3
The report Of the committee on. cot
.tonseed oil mills was then presented
as fellows:
. Your committee on OIL mills begs
to report as follows The matter Of
assessing property Of this kind has
been very imperfectay done. There
should be some more equitable plan OF
reaching values. For instance We
find two ton mills assessed at s6, 600
each, whilst mills of same capacity are
valued some as high as $40, 600. We
would suggest that some regular and
complete blanks be furnished managers
Of mills and they be required to COM
ply, giving capacity, condition and
stock issued, etc., ETC.. of mill and
upon this basis assessments to be ar
ranged. The market value of that
stock should also appear, we find that
not less. than Is mills have failed to
make their returns. We respectfully
recommned that all mills who have
failed to make their returns, also who
have failed to make same in accord
ance with forms furnished, be required
to make same in time for our next
meeting. We have endeavored to fix
values at full cash basis as evidenced
by returns expecting whatever reduc-
ton as may be agreed upon by this
board for actual taxation.
The committee was unable to report
any definite valuations.
The report was adopted after some
discussion, as was also the following
offered by Mr.. Quinby:
Resolved, That in arriving at the
cash value of the cotton seed Oil mills
of the State the State board adopt the
following basis, 70 wit: That each mill
be valued at 81, coo for each ton of its
daily capacity, subject to such per
centum reduction as may be adopted
by the State board.
The report of the committee on fer
tilizer plants was presented as follows
Your committee, to whom was re-
ferred the assessment on fertilizer
plants begs to make the following re-
pors, and recommend that the follow
ing assessments be fixed:
Anderson Fertilizer COM
pany, SllS, 40o.OO
Virginia-Carolina Chemical
C. company, lBeaufort] 1ss, ooo.oo
pany, 1oe, $50. 90
p pany, n.y. - So, 9s5. 90
Virginia Carolina Chemical
company, in Charleston
(Edisto) 1l,35oo0