The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-02-04
REVIEW AND FORECAST.
WHAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS DONE
AND IS LIKELY TO DO.
Five Prominent Events in the Work OF House
Last Week-A Bill to Ferret Out Prop.
erty Not Returned for Taxation.

aSScuUly uoS itS nO4h PAS9sy WSAA oA~PPSN
out, and from this time on the progress
of work ought to be steady and smooth:
The house has been working steadily,
and, while at the end of the session, there
may not be very much to show, in the
way of new statutes, there will have been
considerable work accomplished. 1t is as
hard, or harder, to kill bills, than to let
them run smoothly along and find place
on the statute books.
The past week it is to be distinguished
by fire things in the house:
The defeat Of all measures looking to
an increase in the number Of judicial cir
cults.
The final passage Of the joint resolution
looking to constitutional amendment,
providing for biennial sessions of the
general assembly.
Providing 1874 scholarships at Clemson
College, at 800 each.
The encouragement of building and
loan associations and the exemption OF
their stock for taxation.
The introduction of the series OF bills
prepared by and introduced under the
direction of the tax commission.
TAXATION OF CORPORATIONS.
The most important matter to be con-
sidered at this session is that of increased
taxation. The tax commission seems to
be having things pretty much its own
way thus far. For instance, when the
inheritance tax bill was presented it was
ordered printed without References most
unusual proceeding for so important q
measure. But the house seems to have
left this matter largely to the commits
sion. AS has already been said there will
not be and has not been any tight on the
license or excise tax measure by the cor
porations that are mostly affected. The
great trouble about the whole thing Is
that it is to 60 out that South Carolina is
imposing extra and additional taxes on
corporations and public utilities. Itmay
be true that the money is needed. 1tmay
be that this is the best way to raise the
tax, but the fact remains that corporate
interests are being largely singled out
for the additional tax. These sections
from the most important OF the commits
sion's bills show what is to be done:
Section 4. Every corporation organized
under the laws of this State to do busl-
ness for profit other than railroad CON-
panies, express companies, street. railway
com panies, navigation companies, watel-
works companies, power companies, light
companies, telephone companies, parloE,
dining and sleeping car companies, shall,
upon the fling of the report required OF
them in Section /, pay to the Secretary OF
State on or before the 1st day of April in
each wear an annual license fee Of one.
half of one mill upon each dollar sub.
scribed to the capital stock of said cor
poration, said license fee not to be- less
than ten dollars in any case.
Section s. Upon the fling of the report
required of foreign corporations in Sec
tion 2 the Secretary of State shall from
the facts thus reported, and any other
facts coming to his knowledge, determine
the value of the property OF suca corpor-
alton used within this State by them In
the conduct of their business, and shall
charge and collect from such company, in
addition to the initial fees provided for in
the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1902
and Acts amendatory thereto, an annual
license fee Of one half of one mill upon
each dollar of the value Of the property
of each corporation used within this State
in the conduct of its business.
Section 10. Thas the said State board OF
assessors shall, after ascertaining the
gross receipts for business done in South
Carolina or the gross earnings from its
operation within South Carolina of any
railroad company, express company,
street railway company, navigation COM
pany, water-works company, power COM
pany, light company, telephone company
telegraph company, parlor, dining ana
sleeping car company, notify the Secre-
tary of State of the amount thereof on or
before the lst day of May of each year,
and the Secretary of State shall there
upon proceed to charge and collect from
such company, and such company shall
pay to the said Secretary of State an an
nual license fee of three mills on the
gross income of such company for busl-
ness done within South Carolina for the
preceding fiscal year, which license fee
Shall be paid BY such corporation on or
before the 1st day of June in every year.
It NAV be small matter, but 1t is the
policy that may help to kill the "goose
that is laying the golden egg" other
States may have such laws, but generally
they are such States as are filed with
industries. Alabama and other States
that are forging ahead are leaving cor.
porate investments alone, and require OF
them only their full and equal share OF
taxation.
A straight increase of levy would reach
the corporations. >.
THE INCOME TAX BILL.
The income tax bill reported by the tax
commission proposes straight tax upon
ali 1ross incomes of more than 81 600. II
it meets with no more success than the
present statute, which imposes a tax on
incomes of over $2,5OO, it will simply be
piling up laws on the books that 60 un'
needed and make others on the books the
less observed.
The inheritance tax bill, which has been
offered, is largely patterned after the
statute of Minnesota.
TO FIND TAXABLE PROPERTY.
A yery good bill from the tax commis-
sion. and which ought to accomplish q
great deal of good if pushed as intended,
reads as follows:
Section l. That each chairman of the
boards of assessors of the cities, towns
and townships of the State shall, under
the direction and supervision of the coun-
tv auditor, canvass the territory within
Which his board is charged with the as
e for fov votInn