The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-08-08

Necessary Changes in Corporation
Assessments-AIany Of the Mem
bers Frankly Admit That the Out
come of the Meeting Is Far From
Satisfactory.
Columbia, Aug. 2.-Said a member
of the State board of equalization, as
he was going down the steps Of the
Court House, after the adjournment
of the State board: 3'Well, let's go
and draw our money for the work
we have not DONE" Other members,
who were within hearing distance, ap-
proved the expression of this mem
Der.
Within the block Chairman Hill, Of
the State board of equalization, said
he did not know what the newspapers
would have to say about the matter
and the acton Of the board, but that
it did not meet with his approval at
all. He thought the board should
have done something more than it
did, and at least made some effort to
equahze real estate values.
Another active member of the COM
nnittee, and who was particularly
Jealous in getting cotton mills assess
nents up. said: .I think this is my
last meeting with the State board Of
equalization. I can not do any good,
as the board does not seem inclined
to do anything
Several days ago a wag wrote this
memorandum about what the bosrd
would do by way Of prediction: Soak
lie corporations, leave real estate
alone, draw their pay and adjourn.
The fact of the matter is that TIE
State board has done what it did
four years ago-nothing! When it
comes to assessing real estate it loses
heart. Whatever effort was made in
the, direction of equalizing property
was done through the influence of
Comptroller Jones and the county
boards
The curious part about the whole
thing is that most Of the members
Of the State board state honestly and
candidN that they had undertaken to
keep their assessments on real estate
as low as possible, because they be
lieved that the other counties were
going to do the same thing.
Yesterday afternoon an effort was
made to find out from the various
counties what they had really done in
the matter of assessments. The state
ments continued until Greenville
county was reached alphabetically,
when Mr.. Cleveland stated that the
real estate values in that county were
not so per cent; that they did not
try to get their property up to 80 per
cent. and that the effort really was
to get it as low as possible. This
seemed to break up the whole plan,
because it was evident that the board
would not have independence enough
to raise the Greenville assessment, be-
cause that would involve the raising
OF other assessments on real estate
This morning when the board met
Mr.. Derham undertook to have adj
increases limited to Is per cent. over
last years assessments.
Mr.. Adair, Of Laurerls, moved that
all abstracts on real estate be accept
ed exactly as they had been sent III by
the county officers.
This meant that the board was tc
do absolutely nothing to equalize reaI
estate. ard that its work was to quit
when it got through with the corpo-
ration assessments.
Mr. Derham, of Horny, and Mr.
Price. of Colleton, insisted that thell
! counties were too high, and to satisfy
! all parties Mr.. Hendricks offered ar
amen dment that the increase in Hor-
ry would not exceed so per cent, anc
the increase i'm Colleton should moi
exceed % per cent. This amendmen1
was agreed to. and after considerable
wrangling and protest the boare
adopted Mr.. Adair's resolution, ac'
cepting of the returns exactly as they
have beer sent in by the county au'
ditors and leaving the assessments aS
they were fixed by the county boards
with the exception made for HorrS
and Colleton counties through the IN
huences of Mr.. Derham and Dr.. Price
News and Courier.