Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-02-17
THE TAX LEVY.


We see in our daily exchanges that the
Supply Bill as il passed the House last
Saturday, provides the following levy for
Oconee county:
Constitutional School Tax. 3 mills.
oGaCe lax. ................. mills.
Ordinary County Tax. 3 mills.
Interest on County Bonds.... ITO mills.
We would respectfully call the atten-
ton of the members of the Legislature
to the fact that it is impossible for three
mills to raise an amount sufficient to de-
fray the necessary expenses of the county
government for one year. The total
amount of our property as assessed for
taxation is 1884, 800 The proposed
levy of mills will raise only $40, ,O33. 80.
1t will require more than this sum to pay
the obligations fixed by law, over which
the Board of County Commissioners
have no control whatever, except to see
that the accounts presented for audit
are made out as required by law, such as
officers salaries, fees of jurors, wit
nesses, constables, court expenses, in
surance on public buildings, etc. Well,
what then ? Why, there is nothing left
for roads and bridges, except the commu-
tation tax of $1.O0, and the labor of the
few who do not pay. Last year less than
$4,000 was paid as Communication road
tax, and it is safe to assume that about
that sum will be paid again on this score.
1t is the supremest folly to expect the
roads and bridges of Oconee county to
be kept up from this source, and the
sooner the public understands this the
better it will be. Certainly our members
in the General Assembly ought to know
it.
We see bill has been introduced au-
thorizing or directing tho County Com
missioners of Oconee and Pickens
counties to purchase Ravenel's bridge for
the sum of $3.50, one-half to be paid
by each county. This would make Oco-
nee's share $775.
Already the contract has been let for
the rebuilding of Prather's bridge for
which there has been continuous de-
mand ever since it was washed away a
few years ago.
Thus Oconee's share of the cost of
these two bridges alone would practi-
oally exhaust the road tax, were it to be
used for this purpose, and there would
be nothing left for working the roads or
repairing other bridges during the year.
What then ? Must the County Com
missioners cease to work the roadsP Do
the people want them to do so? If so,
just as well abolish the Office, and let the
8 mill county tax be paid out on order of
the Clerk of Court for this year.
No, it will take at least $4,000 to do
the work and make the repairs neces-
sarily required on the roads and bridges
of the county this year and there is no
use in attempting to defer or dodge the
issue. No Board of County Commits
sioners ever labored more faithfully to re-
duce the expenses of the county to a mini
mum in every way possible than did d
F. McAlister, N. Phillips aud j. r. Zach
ary last year. In fact, during the entire
year they had to contend against kickers
in high and low places alike, when it
came to the enforcement of rigid econ
omy in the county expenditures under
their control. 1t is all very we'll to talk
about rigid economy and retrepchment,
but just go to applying it in actual prac-
tice and every fellow wants his particu-
Ter pie left alone. He will not do any
work for which the county has to pay
trouble is, more work has to be done.
AS the county grows the population in
creases and naturally more roads have to
be made and worked, as we'll as more
cases of lunacy to be adjudcated. So
there is more to be done, and instead of
taking less for the same work, the ten
dency is to demand more and still more.
One trouble, perhaps the chief one, is
the system on which all governments are
run, not only county, but both State and
National. 1t is the money basis. No
body does anything for the public with
out pay. This is commercial age and
the old time spirit of patriotism in the
public service has departed.
But to return to the levy. 1t is use
less to order or authorize the purchase
OF Raveneps bridge without providing a
levy to raise the money in Oconee, lust
as the delegation from Pickens proposes
to do. They provide one-fourth mill for
this purpose, notwithstanding their total
levy in some townships reaches 10 mills,
and in ali the others is mills. And the
people Of Pickens have been paying these
high taxes for years, and yet they are
prosperous and progressive. Who are
more so? They are wide-awake and en-
terprsing. Otherwise, they would not
be found willing to pay one-half for the
purchase Of RavenePs bridge, which is
wholly within Oconee county, and then
levy of three mills, if Oconee goes into
the DEAL it will have to be on credit,
and it is safe to say this will not be done.
If the wheels of the county government
have to be clogged and stopped, let the
levy remain at three mills, and it will be
effectively done. 1t will take at the very
lowest estimate five mills, if we should
be fortunate in escaping floods and
freshets, and the Board continues to
practice the most rigid economy, which
they will do so long as they remain in
Office. But there is no use in expecting
from them, or any one else an impossi.
bility. They cannot make "bricks with
out straw" now any more than in olden
times
But to give them only three mills and
then say to them: Run the county for
one year with this sum, and If you spend
moro you are guilty of a misdemanor
and should be punished, is something
that no reasonable man would expect or
ask.
Therefore, we urge upon our Senator
and Representatives to reconsider this
matter, and before adjournment remedy
this patent mistake before it is too late
We do not presume you intend the func