The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-01-28
The GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The Principal Problem is The AS
certainnent of Taxable Prop
erty in the State and Its Ju-
dicious Assessment.

CO1uMDla, January Zo.--Ine Oen6Tal
Assembly has now been in sessionsfor
ten days. Nothing much has yet been
done. The session has been quiet and
peaceful, and there appears to be nc
desire for sensational legislation.
The general laws that have been en-
acted since the Constitution Of 1895
have settled the more important issues.
There are now general county gov
eminent, county salary, county road
laws and similar general statutes and
the disposition is to leave them alone
until fair trial is given them.
Take a look at the Calendar Of the
House and it will be noticed that the
important bills are corrections or ex-
plantations of the Code, measures to
stop cock-fghting, to extend the chain
gangs, to provide for the distribution
Of dispensary profits, to abolish the
Office of phosphate inspector to repeal
the lien law and to further protect
druggists.
The point is that there are no
radically new measures proposed.
There has beer nothing new
of Importance thus far this session,
and this is always an excellent sign
that the body is made up Of conserva-
i've and sensible men.
There are more young men in the
House this session than is usual and
they are showing their good judgment
by going SLOW.
Several assessment propositions have
been presented, but none Of them is a
decided innovation, but all intend
carrying out the present laws upon
the subject in a more exact manner
than at present, and to put more safe
guards than at present against incor-
rect or fraudulent tax returns, for it
is now generally admitted that if the
property that there is now in the State
could all be assessed at what the law
contemplates there would not be any
demand for the proposed assessment
laws.
The first thing that ought to be done
is to see that all taxable property
gets on the tax books and then this
should be followed by getting at tie
correct values after the property is put
on the books. Of course, it is ad-
mitted that the basis Of assessment
varies all the way from % per cent
to hundred cents on the dollar, but
no amount of legislation can make
folks do the right thing in their re-
turns or get the proper men for coun-
ty auditors-that is one of the misfor-
tunes of the primary system which
while it may have it's advantages
has also its bad features.
There was time when the members
of the General Assembly talked about
the dispensary from the time the ses-
sion opened until the last day of the
session. Now everybody seems to be
afraid of the thing and there is but
little talk. The system it seems is
going to remain for years to come in
its present form and the only thing
that is likely to happen within the
next few years is radical change IN
management. 1t will be year before
there will>be any election for the ex-
ecutive Offices and then there promises
to be a great scramble for the positions
in connection with the establishment
in fact lines are already being put
out for the position.
Tuesday at l O'Clock the election of
an Associate Justice and Code COM
missioner will be held. There is no
unusual interest in either of these cleo
tions and from the candidates now
in the field who stand the best chance
there will be good selections and
competent men will be elected. The
important work this session is likely
to be done in the ways and means COM
mittee room were the financial condi-
tion of the State and the appropriation
bills are to be considered.
Thus far no special bills have been
Introduced carrying direct appropria-
tions. This very ordinary form
of bringing such things to the atten-
ton OF the General Assembly.
During the week the bill looking
to an exhibit at the st. Louis Ex-
position will be presented, and if any
exception is to be made in making
appropriations outside of the fixed
charges so to speak, for the conduct
of the State Government, then it
ought TO be for the St. Louis Exposi-
ton. It is a good investment and the
State ought never to be too poor to
make good investments. As matter
of fact, however, the State at large
has never been more prosperous, and
the present fnanciai condition Of the
State Government is only the result OF
a bad system that has been in vogue
for years, and for which no one AS
sembly is directly responsible, and fo1
which pittance such as is to be ask
ed for st. Louis. could not affect. 1t
is quite likely that an effort will be
made to establish two additional
| judicial circuits. There is consider
able talk of the necessity for such an
addition, but a proposition Of this
kind would be certain to meet with
serious opposition, both on the ground
of cost and necessity. Tkere are some
folks who are so uncharitable as to
suggest that the fault lies more with
the tardy attorneys than with the avail
able Courts for the trial of causes,
and that lawyers ale often not ready
to 90 ahead with their cases.
There have been efforts made to
hold night sessions. These efforts
have failed. Experience has shown
that every General Assembly does q
certain amount of work and then
| Ao.a ,o1 &borc ic no T1co tO DuSh