The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-03-06
-sa-5 Z! rs e & 81 ~ ~ ;
FERTILIZER TAG TAX 4

AI4kA AA/AG3AJxka \ q " ! n a
Is Greatly Increased This Year over
Last Year.
The Columbia State says there b as
been a remarkable squirt in the re-.
ceipts Of tag tax" or fertilizer tax.
Up to the lst Of March the receipts
will be $4,000 more than for the
same period last year, or 4 gain OF so
per cent. Whether this stride will
keep up or not cannot be foretold.
There are three possible causes for
the heavy purchases of fertilizers. One
is that the farmers are making their
purchases earlier than usual because
money dceS not appear to be as tight
this year. s is customary. Another Is
that the acreage in crops requiring
fertilizers will be materially Increased,
and another possible reason Is that the
fertilizers will be used more intensive
ly or more thoroughly.
1t may be that this rush Of orders
will soon be over and that the sales of
the entire year will aggregate little
more than in other years, but the
amount Of tax received so far is a rec.
ord breaker and there are two months
yet before the sales OF fertilizers for
tile year will practically be over.
A comparative table Of the sales in
different years might be Of interest at
this time. The receipts to date in
| 903 are S6l .99I. SIS: same Time last,
year $40. $3.50. So, and for the yeur he
fore s51 ,697.G3. Following are the
totals for the several years since.the
Inauguration of the '.tag" tax systems;
Year. ..v Amount.
1880 -01 s53.2s5.S5
1892 ..... ~ .e 36,Ios. 90
1888. ~ g -. SO, ,243.95
1884. .... .y$ 43,423.SS
1895. ..... s.. 3O,135. 90
1886. ..... ~~ Sd, 524.37
1897. 59,352.33
1898. 65, ,494. 81
1880 ....i.#.a...... 62,123.88
1900 ..... 75,2l4.34
1901 ~. S4,O73.43
1902. -. S1,744.94
] All Of the receipts from this fund
go to Clemson College-4:ayowedly for
the purpose Of paying for the inspec-
tion of the commercial fertilizers to
protect the farmers from being i'm
posed upon. Really less than $40, 900
Il year is spent upon the analysis of
commercial fertilizers. Clemson thus
gets for operating expenses from the
privilege tax more than the combined
appropriations to the South Carolina
College, the Citadel and thesgState
Colored College. In addition tostf,isi
Clemson gets revenue from other
sources. There is $4,000 from the
Hatch fund; 5000 from the interest
on MIR. Clemson's bcquest; Sc, 900 from
the land scrip fund, and about $50, 900
from the cadet fund" which, as
stated In tile annual report Of, the
1eg!Sia tises fnSpec ctiHg coinmi rtee, is.
expended on board, laundry, etc. for
the cadets. Clemson has indeed a
princcly income, just how much can
not be told from the annual reports,
and is doing superb ~crk. Out OF
the Income the permanent improve
ments are made. Last year nearly
$4,000 was paid out for new build
lngs The question arises: When
Clemson gets through putting up
buildings and adding to the equip
ment, Will there not be an annual res
idue from the tag tax receipts"
That question has worried the gen
eral assembly for several years-but
was not touched upon at the session
just ended, although there were sew
eral ollls to reduce the tag tax from
20 cents ton to ID cents, to raise it
10 90 cents, etc. But the proposition
"nlch mas ever attracted the greatest
'atlehbloh is TO nave Clemson divide
The privilege tax with Winthrop.
ms mas been opposed on the ground
tnat the State has no right to levy a
special tax and that this inspection"
tax is but a subtcrfuge for special
tax on u commodity. Should the in
come be diverted from the inspecting
agency Of the government, then the
whole scheme might be declared un-
constitutional and Clemson suffer q
serious loss. II Clemson continues to
develop and extend her magnificent
plant, 1T is probable that all Of this
inspection tax may BIZ required for op-
Grating expenses and that there would
be no residue.
Judge Lyon, who attends to the fer
tilzer tax books in the State treasur-
cr's Office, stated Friday that there
comnouies tO dnfroud tbe State gov
ernmcnt. Inc companies are liable to
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