Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-01-21

oI tne aCtual value. ana in some cases
even lower To adopt percentage OF
actual value would be n plain viola
ticD OF the provisions of the Consti
tuition. II makes little difference tc
the taxpayer what the basis of valu
alton is so that all property is assess
cd In the same ratio of value. for
certain amount Of money has to be
raised TO meet the expenses of the
government, and IL the valuation Is
nigh the rate is low and vice versa
Tho inequality which now exists. how.
ever. makes the burden bear uneyepIv
and the best plan is to require THAI
the mandate of the Constitution he
followed. If one cmnty is assessed
at so per cent and another at so ne,
cent OF actual valuc. one is paying
too much or the other is paying toe
little OF it's proportion of the stair
tax The tax for county PURPOSES
makes little difference This is
question which has puzzled IegisIa
tors since government has been organ.
lzeG 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 well done of
the people Of the State.
Equal and just taxation. levied nm
all property proportionately ami in ac.
cordancC with its value, is the Drn
duct OF the highest Justice. and when
done to meet simply the demands OF
government. economically administer
cd. is never burdcnsome. On the
other hand unequal or unjust taxation
Is always hurdensomC. If all proper
~ were returned honestly and fully NJ
Its lust valuation the problem would
be solved, but so long as human ma.
ture is frail and the impression pre-
walls that It is not expected to return
property at its value. we may not eX-
pect this result.
The plan recommended in my last
message. | believe. will aid in get
ting ali property ON the tax books and
contribute largely To an equitable val
uatiou. and | repeat ii here
Under the present system the re-
turns are made to the County Aud
tor. There Is a Township Board OF
assessors. which meets ut the court
hous" after the Auditor has taken the
returns. and undertakes to 40 over
AL OF them in one or two DAYS. Then
there is County Board OF Equali-
zation, which also meets at the court
house and goes over the returns for
the cntir" county in one or two days
MI of this is done in somewhat OF a
pcrfunctory manner and accomplshcs
httle or nothing in securing an equit
abIe assessment of property. There
are counties in the State in which
some of the land is assessed at one
third or one.half its actual value.
while other land is assessed at its real
value. In fact, there may be two ad-
joining plantations. the one worth
twice as much as the other, and vet
under our system each is assessed fer
TAXATION at the same price per acre.
EDUCATION.
The strength and stability OF any
community are largely in proportion
TO the intelligence of that community.
The intelligence of the community is
always in proportion to the education
or the masses. The power and
strength OF State are not in it's
material advance and development.
however valuable these may be. but
In an educated citiZenship-an educa-
ton which trains its citizenship intel
leciual!y. physically and morally. II
our State IS to keep pace with the
other States OF the Union our peoDlc
must be educated-not few lt>rc
and there. but there must be geo
eral 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 citizen by educa-
ton. so We increase the wealth pro-
ducing power of the State. IF we
should double the wages OF every man
in the State, We should not thereby
increase its wealth a dollar. but II
We could double the efficiency OF ey-
cry man in the State and then doubls
the wages We should quadruple the
wealth of the State" Said Mr. Rus
Kin: "A piece of land which will ONLY
support ten idle. ignorant. and improv-
ident persons will support thirty or
forty intelligent and industrious
ones. The value OF country de-
pends rather upon the virtue and in
telligence Of the people who inhabit
II than upon the richness OF the soil.
All wealth has its basis in intelli-
gence
We should permit no child to grow
up to meet the responsible duties of
citizenship without at least the rudi.
ments OF good education. I'm the
South SO per cent of the criminals are
dehcient in education. while 60 per
cent. are totally illiterate." Statistics
show that 22 per cent of all the inhab
itants in the South over ten years OF
age are illiterate. while in New York
1t is only 12 per cent.
THE COMMON SCHOOLS.
There is marked increase in the
interest in public education. and there
are many encouraging evidences OF
Improvement. Yet the bare facts OF
the condition OF the average school in
some counties are shocking. Refer.
ence to the statistics in the rercrt of
ths state superintendent Of E1uca.
ton discloses that there are numer.
Gus schools with less than 2. three
months term, and still more with
teachers so badly paid that they can
not be supposed i'll any degree compe.