Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-11

the treasury stating that the $4,000
which the United States government
holds In bonds belonging to the state
Of South Carolina and upon which the
national government has been paying
South Carolina per cent will soon be
due, and some action will have to be
taken. The South Carolina repre-
sentatives are looking into the matter.
Scarcely any Of them understand what
II Is for. II seems that just after the
war the state Of South Carolina had
claim against the government for
some lands confiscated. or something
like that, and upon this the United
States has been paying 4 per cent In
terest which has been used for the
school funds. IL will be necessary to
make a new deal now, and an act Of
congress will have to dispose OF 1t In
some way. Whether the state Will
ask that the full amount be paid over
to 1t out OF the United States treas
ury or whether a new loan shall be
made Is to be determined. 1t Is
thought at the treasury department
mere that II a new loan Is made L
bonds can not draw more than 81 per
cent interest.
The following sketch Of the new
speaker Of the house who was elected
last Tuesday is from the News and
Courier: Richard 8. Whaley Is a son
Of Mr.. w. B. Whaley Of this city. He
was born in Charleston on July 10,
1872. After completing the course OF
study at the high school here he con.
| tinued his education at the Episcopal
High school at Alexandria, Va, and.
In 1893, received his degree as bach
elor of law at the university OF vir.
ginia. He was prominently identified
with athletics while at the last named
| institution and did brilliant work as
member Of the foot ball team. He was
also q member Of that celebrated fra
tern!ty, the Eli Bananas. Mr.. Whsley
upon receiving his degree at the uni
versity Of Virginia took up the prac-
| tice of law in this city as member
Of the firm Of Trenholm. Rhett, Miller
and Whaley. Since that time MT.
trenholm has died and Mr.. Whaley is
now associated with Mr.. w. c. Miller
In the practice of his profession. he
was first elected to the house OF rep
resentatives six years ago. For four
years he has held the distinguished
position Of chairman OF the judiciary
committee. Among the Important leg
islative matters in which he took a
leading part may be mentioned the pas
sage OF the bill creating two new judi
cial circuits and the debate attend
/ ing the OeIedt III the last Sc55ioh Va
| the Raysor- Manning bill.
In his annual report to the legis-
lature to be made public In few days
| Comptroller General Jones urges In
/ Vigorous language as Immediately nec-
essary a thorough reorganization OF
| the tax assessment system OF the state
and Governor Hayward has backed
| him up in this move. In place OF the
| present cumbersome state board OF
equalization, consisting Of one member
| from each county whose deliberations
are a sort of race between them to gel
las low an assessment for their respec-
tive counties as possible. he wants 9
small state board which Will be free
from local influence. He renews his
recommendation for flexible levy
and shows how the failure of past leg
islatures to adopt this relief Is work
| ing great injustice to the honest TAI
payer who obeyed the law and made
returns at full market value, as the
law required, and who Is having MS
property actually confscated III
taxes, and how II something Is mol
done confusion will result "The refu-
SAL" says the report, ito pass the
provision for flexible levy created
CONSERVATION among the assessing or
ficers Of the state. Any attempt on
i u
ing officers to secure an assessment as
required by law would have resulted
In their sure defeat In the primary and
/ would have burdened the people with
excessive taxation. The tax depart
ment was paralyZed, as II were. Au-
ditors and county and township boards
became a law unto themselves. Real
estate values were cut from 10 TO bt
per cent in many counties IN tne
state. but the unfortunate taxpayer
who had returned his property at fuil
value failed to get relief. The STATE
board of equalization met as usual
but refused to even take INTO consiS-
Grafton the inequalities existing In the
state. We can never expect fair
assessment of property OF the state
nor can we eaualize or distribute the
tax burden. until the taxpayers OF the
\ state are satisfied In advance that re-
| ltef will be given under an assessment
as.reauired by law. And unless some
thing Is done the poorer classes ano
the taxpayer of moderate means VIII
continue to pay more than a just share
of the taxes. The conscientious tax
payer must fall in line with those wno
are evading. in order to keep his prop
erty from being confiscated because
of failure to enforce the law. Before
any change or reform in the tax laws
can be carried out successfully, we
must convince the people that an IN
crease In the taxable property OF the
state does not mean an increase Oh
taxes. On the other hand, the en-
| forcement Of the law means simply a
more equitable distribution OF the bur-
den of taxation. to the end that eacn
dollar of property should bear its just
proportion of the expenses Of govern
mant and no more"