The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-05-20


-. r. n. Asll Says There n some-
Thing Radically Wrong and the
Psepas 0~shs to Know About IL.
Mr. =. H Auli. editor of the New
berry Itsrald and News and q mem
esr of shs legislature from Newberry
county. writes ~ follows on q very
emportant subject:
Comptro,ier General A. w. Jones ID
esndtng out 10 the press of the state
sxtrace .froa the annual report to the
~ geaeraa assembly at the session
- isee. These extracts contain a
ersas deal az very important informa-
e>on - " the finances of the state and
sheI onaaoaai system. Il Ia q great
PITT that svesy taxpayer In South
CasoliAa cannot receive and read
What Mr.. Jones has to say and study
, ehs hsures which he gives.
It y safortunatsly too true that our
people 90 not understand the nnan-
c1al system Of the state a. fully as
ehsy mishe and Il II also faot that
= grsat many members Of the iegis-
1aturs DO not study these reports as
9hsy should. and when IL comes to en-
aotipg laws which carry with them
appropriations. or when Il comes to
che consideration Of the appropria-
tion ban itself they are not as well
Informed ~ they ought to be, and
~hsrseors. cannot consider these
Ossssioas ~ intelligentiy as they
&noulA.
oensrai Jones h one OF the hard
~ vorkiag Of tho state oficials. and
one of the most eficisnt onicials
that the state has ever had. He has
Ssen snasavorins to lay before the
1eo1slature from year to year the true
o0nditioa Of our finances. and has
rnade xuggrstieos and recpmmsnd.
Ations which have received very little
oeesntioa from the law makers. He
bas urUs1 from time to time that
olupes tustice demanded that .
ohanGo s>psl1 ~ made % a. to get
- oenDae busiaess methods Ia the
DnnGeoe g taxation and the collection
scn1 egpsadllsss of the public funds.
- has osas 10 the CONCLUSION after
sonrtfnl ses1y oe che situation that
- - s>ats = p Get relief from this
tnhpsansss we method Il must come
ooA > esaAaA On the part Of the
yeeD,e anA tazpaysrs, - that those
-~oe4 thsv .sescs 70 represent them
~uq ~ ~ on ta the loose and slip-
uAoa nstAol which have been In
oseoe lustnG many years and which
eo0s iaFes>y from q lack Of proper
hsssnaGses ana stsdy Of the ques-
- ~ ths lawmakers themselves.
- essae u thst chs people shall be-
veuDo asesss1 aad demand q change
oo*oAnDR ed more Just and more
sOun1 0stsm q asssssment and tax
en>ss Ne says that mo thoughtful
nAn 60 saudy the situation n Il ex-
onks soeay without being Impressed
vtth ne psais fact that any busi-
ness' csaAucesd Nike that of the state
ed 'esuntv would soon bs bankrupt"
T,Rs cesssitution Of the state says
Nat ail property must be assessed for
caxation ~ its actual value. That has
Devsr been done. and even the tax
o0osss Themselves when they oome
- asssas corporate property have
med at basis OF 80 per cent or any
ether per cent In fixed as the basis.
The important question In to have all
the property assessed at the same
hasis Of per centage. Then the bur.
den VIII fall evenly on all property.
AZ one time felt that II would be
bsst thai al property should be as
seesod at It's actual value. but an ex-
psrience In the legislature and a
eomewhat close observation Of other
lsgislatures has convinced me that the
ieondency to extravangance would be
much greater II the assessments were
high than II they were low. and a
comparison OF the figures for the past
IN years will bear this out. and the
taxpayers cannot be critized IL they
Do not increase their assessments be-
cause an examination OF the figures
VIII show that as taxable values In
crsased the tax levy did not decrease.
bot the appropriation bill increased In
sryater proportion.
The total taxable property In South
Carolina In 1897 was In round num-
bsrs si7e.ooo. 200. and the levy was
oniy fivc mills. The total receipts
nrom all sources were $3.50, ,s02.4s.