The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-13
GOVERNORS ANNUAL MESSAGE.

SfSH ""ci. ~ Il Oj
actual value Nd be plain viola
'tion of the ,sions Of the Consti
tuition. 1t makes little difference to
! the taxpayer what the basis of vulu
alton Is so that all property is assess
ed In the same ratio of value, for Il
certain amount Of money has to bc
raised to meet the expenses Of the
government, and il the valuation IS
high the rate is low, and vice versa
The inequality which now exists, how.
ever, makes the burden bear unevcnly
| and tho best plan Is to require that
| the mandate OF the Constitution be
followed. If one county Is assessed
! at so per cent. and another at SO pc!
cent Of actual value. one is paying
too much or the other is paying too
little of It's proportion Of the State
tax. Thc tax for county purposes
makes little difference. This il a
question which has puzzled lcgisla,
tors sincc government has been organ
lied and taxes paid. and the man who
can devise plan which will make the
burden Of taxation bear evenly on all
property will receive the we'll done of
the people of the State.
Equal and just taxation, levied on
all property proportionatcly and in &C
cordance with it's value, is the pro.
duct of the highest justice, and when
done to meet simply the demands of
government, economically administer
ed Is never burdensomc. On the
other hand, unequal or unjust taxation
is always burdensomG. II all proper
ty were returned honestly and fully ai
| It's just valuation the problem would
be solved, bat so long as human ma.
turc is frail and the impression DrC-
walls that It Is not expected to return
property at it's value, we may not OK.
pect this result.
The plan recommended in my last
message, | believe, will aid in get
ting all property on the tax books and
contribute largely to an equitable val
uaton, and ] repeat 1t here.
Under the present system the re
turns arc made to the County Aud
tor. There Is a Township Board OF
Assessors, which meets at the court
house after the Auditor has taken the
returns, and undertakes to go over
all OF them in one or two days. Then
there is County Board of Equal
Zation, which also meets at the cOurt
house and goes over the returns foi
the entire county in one or two days.
All OF this is done in somewhat of q
perfunctory manner and accomplshcs
little or nothing in securing an eQuit.
able assessment OF property. There
arc counties in the State in which
some OF tho land is assessed at one.
third or onchalf It's actual value
while other land is assessed at it's real
value. in fact, there may be two ad
joining plantations. the one worth
twice AS much as the other, and yet
under our system each Is assessed fcl
taxation at the same price per acre.
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
1t would be waste of words to
attempt to argue before any assem-
blagc of South Carolinians the impor.
tance of good roads and the necessity
for road Improvement Neither
Wou!d it be profitable to attempt to
argue before you the advantages of
good roads, for all are agreed uprn
that subject. The question which
concerns us is how best to sccur,,
them; to devise some plan by whicn
we can. at least. begin the building
of good roads. 1t is d business prop,
osition, ana should be taken hold of
III business way.
With the extension Of the rural dc.
livery OF mail, the necessity is upon
us ior road Improvement. for already
the department at Washington is dis.
cuSsing the impracticability OF extend
ing, or even Of carrying on this scr
vice of mail delivery unless there is
road Improvement. 1t has been stated
that the Postmaster General is to be
asked to consider a plan for the bet.
terment of our public roads, and the
request is based on the fact that ONLY
one serious obstacle stands in the
way OF extending and developing our
irec rural delivery service, and that
IS the condition Of public highways.
EDUCATION.
The strength ana stability of any
community arc largely in proportion
10 the intelligence of that community.
me intelligence Of the community is
always in proportion to the education
OF inc masses. The power and
strength Of a State are not in It's
material advance and deyclopment
howcVer valuable these may be, but
in an educated citiZenship---an cduca.
ton which trains it's citizenship intel
loctual!y. physically and morally. #
onr state IS to keep pace with the
other States OF the Union our people
must be cducated---not q few here
and there, but there must be q ger
cral education of the masses. The
wealth. producing power OF country
Is In proportion to the education OF
It's citizens. and as we increase the
efficiency OF every citizcn by cduca-
ton, SO we increase the wealth pro.
duclng power Of the State. "If we
should double the wages Of every man
in tho State. we should not thereby
increase its wealth a dollar. but If
We could double the efficiency of oy-
cry man in the State and then double
IN" wages wc should Quadruplc the
wealth OF the state" Said Mr.. Rus,
kin: "a piece Of land which will onIy
support ten idle, ignorant, and improv-
idcnt persons will support thirty or
forty intelligent and Industrious
nncs.' The value of country de-
Ponds rather upon the virtue and in.
t>lligcncc OF the people who inhabiL