The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-12-13

ssna Of I;ls Causes q Tax 1oagisg
Particularly Specified
os!IARIEs7' 99.a,i1ALsss TE n: WORST OF all
There Has Been "a Gratifying Increase
IA Tax Values ia Twenty EeaTs. Gis
Nothing like the actual Growth IN
Property.

IN Tax Values IN T.yeEts EeaTs. Eut
Nothing Like the 4Actuai Growth IN
P2opcrty.
Columbia. December 11.-On the
principle trat society everywhere has
the criminals that it deserves and de-
serves the criminals il has. it is likely
that the conditions Of public morals
in the matter of making returns for
taxations is more largely responsible
than all other cause combined for the
ridiculous inequality and rank injus-
tice of tax values throughout this
State, and it is this factor which has
to be reckoned with in the campaign
which the comptroller general has
started to get property on the books
throughout the State at its true mar
ket value Not only do individuals
dodge local taxes by false returns, but
there is a struggle between the differ
ent sections of county to get the re-
turns low in order to throw the bur-
den Of the county taxes on their
neighbors, and this struggle is en-
couraged by the prospect Of furth-
er avoidance of State taxes. A brave
fight was made a few years ago in
Rock Hill to get the values up to such
point as would allow the issue of a
certain amount Of bonds which had
been voted for by a big majority. but
the board of special expert assessors
feiled to get the necessary amount be-
cause of the cry that was raised about
State and county taxes. Of course this
condition can no more be suddenly
cured than it can be instantly forgot
ten, but if the idea can get good,
firm general hold on the minds of the
taxpayers of the State that all classes
of property is to be put on the books
at the real market valuation few
determined men in each community
who see the sense and the justice as
we'll as the honesty Of the campaign
can carry the fight to a successful is.
sue, and give the outside world a
splendid advertisement and encour-
agement to invest in this State.
In this connection and in view of
the Importance OF the work before the
coming convention Of county auditors
to be held here this week, it might be
of interest to note that the tax values
have steadily increased as whole.
Since 1882 they have climbed nearly
so per cent.-from S145,000,000 in
1882 to over s21O,0oG,0O0 for the pre-
sent-although railroad values have
nearly doubled in that time. Several
hundred thousand acres of land have
been added since then; the State has
grown in area, but some marsh lands
have been recovered and some land
has gone on the books that had been
escaping taxation altogether.
The most striking cases of county
increases since 1882 are those Of Rich
land and Spartanburg, each having
added over six million dollars worth
Anderson has climbed up four mil
lions and Orangebur. Nias added three
millions.
The county which shows decrease
is Charleston, which has fallen off two
millions. Now while Charleston is not
the only tax lodging community in
the State it has the reputation of be-
ing about the worst. The Charleston
county auditors report, which is
study in comedy as is the case with
many other such reports, demon
strates this. Charleston's tax situa-
ton is holding the town down. The
total local levy is something like 4
per cent. The natural presumption is
that the valuations are kept nown in
order to escape the State tax to such
ali extent that it is necessary to maze
the levy for local expenses about twice
what it ought to be-