The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-25
JONES URGES TAX REFORM.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL WANT
LAW ENFORCED.
apparent Inequalities In Assessments
Brought Out in Mr.. Jones' Annual
Report to the Legislature-Gover.
nor Ansels Attitude Given,

Columbia, Dec. 21.-"Well, what's
doing on the assessment PROPOSE
tion?" Comptroller General Jones
was asked today.
"The law of this State requires
that all property be assessed at its
true value in money" he replied. "It
looks as If the 'malefactors of great
wealth have set aside the laws and
adopted low assessment and a high
rate. 1t catches the wage-earner and
man Of moderate means 'acoming
and agwing.'"
And the Comptroller reached
among the mass of papers on his desk
and handed out the following state
ment to be included in his annual re-
port Of the assessment of street rail-
ways for Charleston and Columbia to
illustrate his point:
Columbia Electric Street Railway,
Light and Power Company, Colum-
bia Water Power Company. (Colum-
bia CanaD and the City Railway and
Electric Light Company. Estimated
value $3,500,000: gross receipts,
sS7S.1S6; assessment for taxation,
$41s,sS0; per cent of value assessed
for taxation, IL per cent.
Charleston Consolidated Railway
and Electric Company, City Railway,
Seashore Railway. Edison Light and
Power Company, and Gas Light Com
pany, Of Charleston, estimated values,
$5,oo0,0o0; gross receipts $727,s12;
assessment for taxation $54s,1s5;
per cent Of value assessed for taxa
ton. II per cent.
And It's not only the street rail-
ways" concluded Mr.. Jones. what
said just now refers also to the
banks assessments and other prop
erty the inequality in the taxation of
which have been pointing out"
That there is inequality in the as
sessment of street railways. power
companies and such enterprises will
be pointed out in the annual report
of Comptroller General Jones. Espe-
cially does Mr.. Jones direct attention
to the assessment Of the Charleston
Light and Power, Company, which is
assessed at s.S per cent Of it's capital
stock. The capital paid in. OF this
company Is 100000, while the as
sessment for taxation is S9S.090.
Comptroller General Jones is trying
to get more information as to the
lighting and power plants OF the
state. In many cases the value of
the property was not given so that
It cannot be seen exactly upon what
basis TIE taxes are placed. A strik-
Ing example Is the case Of the Green.
Vile Gas and Electric Company, the
capital stock Of which is s53,5OO,
while the assessment for taxation is
$143.2S5 or 268 per cent of the CAP
ital paid In. Evidently the property
must be worth this much or it would
not have been assessed at this rate,
while In the case Of other companies
the per cent. Of capital assessed for
taxation appears to Comptroller Gen.
eral Jones to be much lower than
1t should be.
The Columbia Gas Light Company
has paid in capital of 100000;
gross receipts. $5s.74S; assessed for
taxation s5o.soo; per cent Of capital
assessed for taxation. sos.
Charleston Light and Power Com.
pany. capital paid in, $1,000, 900:
gross receipts. $11S.s7s; assessed for
taxation, $ss,oso; per cent. of capital
assessed for taxation, 9.S.
Greenville Gas and Light Com
pany. capital paid in. $53,50o, gross
receipts. $5S.047: assessed for tax
alton, $143,2S5: per cent. of capital
assessed for taxation, 268.
Paris Mountain Water Company
Capital paid in. 5000. 900; gross re:
ceipts. $45,0ss; assessed for taxation,
$S4,61O; per cent of capital assessed
for taxation, 43.
Union Power Company-Capital
paid in. 100000; gross receipts,
$SO,213; assessed for taxation $780,
600: per cent. Of capital assessed for
taxation, SO. b..
The Greenville Company.
Greenville-Carolina Power Com
pany-Capital paid in, $45O,O00;
gross receipts. $51,225, assessed for
taxation, $71,2O5; per cent. Of capital
assessed for taxation, 1873.