The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-03-02
AS TO TAXES.

We are rejOlced that we nave sat-
isf1ed Mr.. A. w. Brabham. His let
ter this week calls for no comment
from US, although he might have
been as fair to us as we have been to
him and acquitted us of any mistate-
ment. We will here reiterate what
we have said before, that we are glad
to have articles not only from him
but from others Of our readers on
this question of taxation. We con-
slider it our most important problem
of government just now. The legis-
lature year after year makes excess
i've appropriations and then fixes a
levy not sufficient to meet these ap-
propriations. As a consequence the
State is forced to borrow money every
year to pay expenses and We are get
ting deeper in debt. It is not hard
to predict the result to private busl-
ness where the expenditures exceed
the income, and South Carolina will
finally be forced to meet the issue OF
expenses going and no revenue to
meet them. There must be some
thing done along this line, and the
burden of taxation relieved as far as
possible.
Of course some expenditures are
wise. While taxes are higher than
they were years ago, we are getting
more for our money. Good roads
and schools cost money and it is well
to have them. But new and useless
offices have been created, and all
along the line appropriations have
been excessive. We would not do or
say one word that would retard edu-
cation, but study of the tax figures
in this county is interesting. The fig-
ures published last week show that
we are paying fully twice as much
for schools as for running the county.
Most of this, too, comes from special
levies voted by the people them
selves. Nearly $4,000 raised for
schools in this county by special
levies alone, to say nothing of the
constitutional school tax and other
sources of income for the schools.
We are sure that our higher educa-
tional system is getting extravagant,
and the county schools should becare-
full that they do not fall into the same
error. We need education in South
Carolina, we have too much illiteracy
now, but we want to see the people
get value received for every dollar
they spend. In one school dis
trict of the county the enroll
ment of the school is only five pupils
and the teacher is paid $45 a month.
This is only one instance. Others
could be mentioned.
Of course no one will deny for a
moment that farm lands do not bear
their just proportion of taxation.
They are returned much lower than
other property. Land in Bamberg
county which could not be bought for
500 an acre-and more than that
has been offered in some cases-is
returned for taxation at $500. We
are against high taxes and we are
also against unjust values, and to the
remedying of these conditions we are
pledged in earnest. Of course it is
not popular, but We care little for
that.
1t is likewise true that some lands
worth only $40 to $50 an acre are
returned at $500. Is there any JUS
tice in this? We saw the statement
published a few days ago that. the
average value of farm lands for the
State, as returned for taxation, was
$3.50 an acre. Does anybody believe
that they could be bought for four
times that? Is it any wonder that
people at a distance think the farm
ing lands of South Carolina are poor
when they read statements like that?
Little wonder that the State needs
to be. advertised through the medium
of corn clubs and other agencies, in
the face of our tax returns.