The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-01-01
NO EXTENTION
FOR TAAPAYING
The Usual Penalties will
be Added Today.
LEVY MAY BE RAISED.
Likely That the Legislature Will Raise
Levy Two Mills on Recommendation
Of the Governor.

Of the Governor.
Columbia, Dec. 29.--Gov. Ansel was
asked today by the correspondent of
the News and Courier whether he
would extend the time for paying taxes.
His reply indicated that he is not
disposed to do so, but he stated that he
would tomorrow talk the matter over
with Comptroller General Jones, and
would then announce his conclusion.
Gov. Ansel said that he had thought
of the matter, but had not had it put
before him in any definite form, and he
was very glad to have the suggestion
made for his consideration. He said,
however, that at this time he was not
inclined to favor an extension of the
time for two reasons. In the first place,
the State has some heavy obligations
to meet on the 31st of December, in
the form of notes held in New York,
and these would have to be renewed if
the payment of taxes was postponed.
This would mean an admission that the
States finances are not in the best con-
dition, and besides would entail an in
crease in interest charges. In the Sec
ond place, the penalty for non-payment
of taxes is not very heavy for the first
month after the time expires, being
only one per cent. up to the first day
of February; and to the average tax
payer, who cannot pay at this time,
this penalty will not amount to great
deal. For the second thirty days the
penalty is an additional one per cent,
and after March 1 it is an additional
five per cent
The governor has been in consulta-
ton during the last week with the
State treasurer in regard to the pay
ment of the interest and the notes due
on the 31st of December, and it has
heen apparent that the State will have
a close shave on this matter The
county treasurers have, for some rea-
son, been very slow about sending in
the tax money, and if collections have
not been slow with the county treasu-
rers some of them have been dilatory
about transmitting to the State treasu-
rer. The State treasurer recently sent
out letter, urging that they forward
the money as quickly as possible, and
this action met with the governors ap-
proYal.
The governor realizes that financial
conditions have much to do with the
slowness with which tax money is COM
ing in, but he fears that to extend the
time would be merely to transfer the
difficulty from the taxpayers to the
State itself, and might not in the end
afford any real relief Gov. Ansel has
given careful study to the tax question
and to the financial condition of the
State. He has determined to make a
recommendation in his message which
will be somewhat startling to many, and
which requires good nerve to make. He
will urge that the levy be raised two
mills, or that special levy of two
mills be made for the purpose of plac-
ing the State on cash basis, and to
put stop to the practice of paying in
terest on interest.
The General Assembly, at the last
session, reduced the levy on-half of one
mill, bringing it down from five to four
and one-half mills.
Governor Hayward had two years ago
recommended that the levy be increased
to five mills, making gradual increase
for the purpose OF placing the State on
cash basis and raising revenue suffi-
cient to provide for the appropriation
made by the General Assembly each
year, and this was done by the Legisla-
ture. Gev. Ansel is going still further,
and will recommend levy of two mills
for this purpose, to be kept up until
the State is able to pay its debts and
meet the interest on the bonded debt
without having to borrow money to pay
interest. Gov Ansel considers it bad
business judgment to proceed in the
present way. and thinks that the levy
should be commensurate with the ap-
preparations if the appropriations are
not reduced to come within the levy.
II