The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-02-10
COLUMBIA LETTER.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Feb. 8. 1904.

In one may learn that the 40 days limit
OF the session is drawing near
The last week has seen a session
nearly every night and the appropria-
tion bill has been presented. SO an
adjournment may be looked for within
two weeks-say on Feb. Goth. SO fer
the only Important bill ratified is the
biennial aessiGns constitutional amend
ment. and as Gov. Hayward recon-
mended it no veto need be expected.
Each house has done q lot OF hard work
last week and the results will be soon
known. Debate has not been unusual
in either House or Senate, but little
time has been wasted in talk. 0ratOry
.s not the forte of this Legislature.
THE TAX MILLS.
BY vote Of 80 to 1s the House passed
the first of the revenue bills submitted
by che tax commission appointed by
the Legislature last year to find some
measures to- relieve the State from its
financial stringencies which have been
annoying of late years. The bill re-
ferred to ls the franchise tax measure
introduced by Mr.. Moses: The result
or the discussion was evident from the
beginning, but regardless of the over
Whelmlng majority against him, Ag7.
| Bomar made strong fight against the
| bill His argument on the constitu-
tlona! phase was very clear. The pre-
eencation OF the case by Mr.. Moses,
and later by w. j. johnson, was very
convincing that the pace has been set
by other States. and that the revenue
to be obtained by South Carolina will
be In excess ;f the annual deficit of the
last three or four years.
The bill! provides for tax of three
mills on the gross receipts of the fol-
loving corporations, to be paid before
the first of June of each year: Any
railroad, express company, navigation
company, waterworks company, power
company, light company, telephone
OF telegraph company, parior, dining
and sleeping car company
Upon companies which are not pub
lie utllitles-such as cotton mills,
banks, oil mills and such institutions
chartered by the State-the tax is to
be one half on one mill on the capital
stock. With the other concerns the
assessment is on tho gross receipts.
With the companies not public utilities
the payment Of the franchise tax must
be made before the first day OF April,
and with the public utilities the tax of
three mills on the gross receipts of the
preceding year is to be paid before the
hrst OF June, the time OF the year when
the State is most in need OF '.ready
cash."
On the motion to strike out the enact
ing words the vote was yeas 18, nays
80. The only ones who voted in oppo-
sition We're Messrs. Black, Bomar,
Brown, Doarr, Dorroh,. Doyle. Hendrix,
Lc ucaster, Lesesne, Mahaffey. Maui
din. MOrgan, Pearman. Peurifoy, Potts,
Sinkler, Walker and Youmans. There
were : {: :s5ssSSH s55ssSSHtSssss tSssss.
The house agreed to the committee
amendments making this tax apply to
stock ''paid in" and not to stock sub
scribed. The following amendments
were voted down:
By Mr.. Pollock, to exempt elec-
trio light and water plants owned
by towns and cities.
BY Mr; Williams, toilet mutual build
Ing and loan companies ont with an
annual fee of $40.
By Mr.. Bomar, to exempt non con-
vertible preferred stock, which he
vainly tried to show is debt and not
an asset.
One of the tax commissioners bills
was killed in the house. 1t ls bill to
amend the bill in reference to the State
board Of assessors. The bill provided
for one board to consist of the comp
Sroller general and of eight lay mem
bers, one from each judicial circuit.
This wonld have take. Ghe place oe
three boards-the assessors of real and
personal property, the assessors of
railroad property and the assessors Of
mill property. An added responsibility
would bRve been the assessing of bank
ing Institutions as cotton mills are now
assessed.
The objection to the bill as set forth
by Mr.. Rainsford is that it depriyes
each county of representation on this
semi-judicial board. Mr. Thomas and
Mr. Frasier made strong arguments to
show that this would be better, but
the house voted the bill down by
majority which disposed of it entirely.
LIQUOR BILLS.
Two importa liquor bills we're
presented in the house. One of these
came in the nature Of a committee re-
bill permitting the people of a COM
munity or of County to vote dis
pensary or dispansaries out of the
community. The committee on dis
pensary. through Mr.. Tatum as chair
man, brought in substitute bill which
is Mr.. Peurifoy's, with the added pro-
vision that in counties in. which there
voting the dispensaries out there shall
be q tax of behalf of one mill to pay
the cost Of the constabnlary in enforc-
ing the law. A prominent legislator
stated that the substitute had been
prepared by Mr. L. j. Williams, chair
man Of the directors.
The other liquor bill was introduced
by Mr: Hinton, of Pickens, and pro-
vided for tax of ten cents on every
gallon Of liquor manufactured or sold
within the State, and one cent on every
gallon of beer. Er. Holman introduced
bill to cut down the limits of dis
tances Of distilleries from churches and
school houses to one and one-half
miles instead of two az at present.
Under Mr. Hendricks bill the revenue
is to go to building rOads.
The friends Of Clemson College got
Descamp's bill providing for experi-
mental stations In the several counties
in tho State. The bill has many GOOD
features and might have accomplished