The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-17
THE STATE is SPENDING ALL OF
ITS MONEY.
Something Mast be Done to Raise
More Revenue.

WV
been spendine more money than she
has been making. The inevitable re-
suit of this kind of procedure would
be a hopeless state of Indebtedness.
The fnanciers Of the State are en-
deavoring to find some way to bring
the revenues up to the amount OF ex-
penditures provided in the approprla-
tion acts. The estimated revenue Tor
this year will be about 81, 600, 600 and
the expenses provided for in the ap-
propriation act will be nearly 500, 600
in excess of that amount.
That was the condition of affairs
which confronted the general assembly
last session. When the question OF
expenditures came up before the senate
committee on finance some OF the
members of that committee wanted
TO increase the levy from mills to
SO mills, with the hope that the ad-
difiona1 = of mill would add some
thing to fund to be accumulated for
the purpose of putting the State on a
cash basis. But that idea was rejected
and the rate of taxation for the sup
port of the State government was lett
at 5 mills.
After celebrating over the matter it
was decided to make appropriations
in the most economical manner posi-
ble and to introduce resolution
authorizing the appointment Of a com
mission TO consider the tax question
in all of its phases and to bring in
report at the next meeting of the general
assembly. The resolution was adopted
by both houses and the following COM
mission was appointed: Senators Now.
er of Newberry and Manning OF
Sumter, and Representatives Moses OF
Sumter, Thomas of Columbia and
Tatum of Orangeburg. Senator Mower
is chairman of the finance committee
of the senate and Mr.. Moses is chair
man of the ways and means committee
of the house-tbe two committees
which pass upon the proposed appro-
priations before the bills are submitted
in open assembly.
Senator Manning, who was in the
city Saturday evening, says that the
commission has not been called to-
gether, but the members are studying
the situation and are making IN,
vestigations individually. There will
be many propositions advanced when
the commission meets, for many sug-
gestions have come to the members.
One is that the Office of county auditor
be taken out of the primary elections,
for it is alleged that the pressure
brought to beaf ON auditors to prevent
them from being aggressive in the
discharge of their duties is such that
they at times must let returns slip Ey
atsfgures which are manifestly far be-
low the real value Of the property. The
auditor is an executive officer, as well
as ministerial, and ne can do more to
increase the States income than any
other servant of the government.
Another proposition as to adopt the
New York law on franchise tax. Sen
atcr Manning has been IN correspon-
dence with Gov. B. B. Odell of New
York, who writes that the system OF
taxing franchises there is more than
satisfactory and the law has stood the
test of all the courts of the State. By
it operation the income of the State OF
New York has increased two or three
times its former value.
There will be many other PROPOSE
tions advanced, and it is probable
that some definite recommendations
will be made to the general assembly.
The argument against the increased
tax levy is that the legislature might
appropriate all of the additional funds
accruing and leave nothing for the
sinking fund. AS the matter now
stands, the State is eating up the as
sets of $500, ,000 since the enactlon OF
the law increasing the pensions for
Confederate soldiers from 500, 600 to
| $500, 900.
It is expected that there will be
some additional revenue this year on
account of the raised assessments on
railroad and other such property. The
State board of assessors of railroad
property has increased the valuation
| placed upon railroad property to such
an extent that nearly $4,000 addl-
tional may be obtained from these cor
porations this year. The railroad COM
panies have the right to make an ap-
peal, and it is possible that some OF
the assessments may not be increased
| by the time the State board gets its
| final report ready.
Another source of revenue which is
UOI uASO as ySG 10 GuO oSSOSSAAA0ao W
textile and like manufacturing prop
critics. The State board of assessors of
this class of property has not been
called together, but it is probable that
an effort will be made to increase the
revenue from the mills. However,
| the destruction of valuable property
| in the upper part of the State means
| that a hole will be made in the total
amount of taxable property and that it
will be hard to make up this loss
from the valuation of property placed
on the tax books since the assessment
made last year, although there has been
lot of mill building.
At any rate the people are confronted
with serious proposition, that of
making both ends meet, !" and the
cause is that the State is growing and
developing so that it costs more to
keep up the goyernment.-State, June
Is.
State Law Set Aside.