The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-01-27
THE BROWNING BILL
ON FERTILIZER TAX
Place Tag Tax in Treasury-Dissats-
faction With Method of Support
ing Clemson.

One OF the most important measures
before, the general assembly at this
session is the bill introduced by Rep
resentative Browning of Union, chair
man of the house committee on ways
and means, providing that the fertili-
zer tag tax shall go into the State
treasury, instead Of going entirely to
the support of Clemson college. The
bill has received a divided report from
the committee on ways and means,
eight members being unfavorable to
its passage and seven favorable.
Dissatisfaction with the method of
providing for the support of Clemson
has been manifested at this session in
various bills introduced on the sub
ject, but what is known as the Brown
ing bill goes to the very root of The
matter. AS the revenue from the tag
tax will year by year continue to grow,
it is argued, it will eventually become
too large for the needs of one insti-
tuition, however large and useful, and
it is only "a matter Of time when some
other disposition of the fund will
have to be made. The Browning bill
would place the agricultural and me-
chanical college on the same plane
with the other State institutions OF
learning, all of which annually receive
appropriations direct from the State
treasury sufficient to their needs.
The Browning bill, in full, is as fol-
lows:
"Section 1. That section 1919 of the
oCde of Laws of South Carolina Of
1902, Volume 1, be, and the same is
hereby, amended by striking out after
the words be paid to thIe treasurer of
the State the words subject to the
order of the board of trustees of the
Clemson Agricultural college of South
Carolina; and so much of the money
so received as shall be necessary to
Gefrav the expenses of the board in
performing the duties now by this
chapter devolved upon them shall be
thus used, and the balance shall go to
the said college, for it's erection and
maintenance and inserting in lieu
thereof the following: to go into the
general funds to reimburse the State
for all expenses in connection with the
inspection Of fertilizers and expert
mentation as to thcir use provided for
by law so that the said section when
so amended shall read as follows:
Section 1919. All the privilege tax
ON fertilizers, heretofore required to
be paid to the commissioner of agri-
culture, shall in the future be paid to
the treasurer of the State, to go into
the general fund, to reimburse the
State for all expenses in connection
with tine inspection Of fertilizers and
experimentation as to their use pro-
vided by law.
"Sec. 2. That section 1886 Of the
Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1902,
Volume 1, be, and the same is hereby,
amended by striking out at the end
thereof, after the words the treasurer
shall hold the amount of the said in
spection tax, and all forfeitures col
lected and paid in as aforesaid the
words subject to the order of the
board of trustees of Clemson Agricul-
tural and Mechanical college of South
Carolina and inserting in lieu there
of the words subject to appropriation
by the general assembly, SO that the
said section when SO amended shall
read as follows:
"Soc+ion 1900 All -,or,~o~~ ~~~-~,