The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-18
MILLION ACRES UNTAXED.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL JONES
RECOMMENDS RESURVEY
OF STATE.
Attention Called to Confusion Arising
and How Various Districts Escape.
Would Cost 100000.

After calling attention to the fact
that over 100000 acres Of land in
South Carolina are escaping taxation,
a. w. Jones, comptroller general, in
his annual report recommends a re-
survey OF the territory Of the Stat ?
so as TO show the number of acres in
each tax district. He calls attention
to the admirable map Of Spartanburg
made under the direction Of the
county commissioners.
The comptroller general urges upon
the general assembly to assist the
United States government in complet-
ing the soil survey Of the State. 1t is
estimated that about $4,000 will be
required to complete this work. He
says that such a survey would be Of
great value to the State in increasing
its revenue and securing a more
equable administration of the tax
laws.
He says in his report:
In my reports for 1909 and 1910
called attention to the fact that over
100000 acres of land in this State
are escaping taxation, for the rea-
son that they are not on the tax du-
plicates and can not be placed there
until definitely located in some par
ticular tax district.
Annually petitions are sent to this
office asking abatements on account
OF reductions in the acreage of plan
tatlons and other tracts Of land
shown by new surveys. But we never
hear of an increase in acreage. The
whole tendency is toward a shrink
age of land in both acre and value.
BY this process thousands of dollars
are annually lost to the State, county
and public school funds
To avoid this, / recommend a re-
survey of the territory Of the State
so as to show the number Of acres in
each tax district. The only official
survey Of the State is Mills Atlas pub
1
and parish lines then existing. 1t is
| extremely difficulty now to determine
in what particular school district lands
are located, and more difficult to de-
termine the quantity lying in any par
| ticular district. No one knows the
exact location of many of the dis
trict lines, and the taxpayer often
solves the difficulty by returning the
property in the district having the
lowest tax
Some of the counties have under
taken such surveys, and 1 call your
attention to the admirable map Of
J Spartanburg County made under the
direction of the county board Of COM
missioners for that county in 1910.
Inasmuch as the bureau Of soils of
the United States agricultural de-
partment has been since 1902 grad
ually making a soil survey in many
counties which now covers about 40
per cent. of the area of the State,
| to which the commissioner of agri-
culture, commerce and industries calls
your attention in his report for this
year, it would be of great benefit TO
| the tax department and all classes
| of our citizens and taxpayers for the
State to aid in the completion Of this
| survey, and have the county, town
| ship, school district and municipal
lines accurately located on such sur
Vey and maps showing the same. The
| additional cost OF locating these lines,
and also the public roads, would be
| paratiVely small. 1t is estimated
that the necessary field work to COM
plete the soil survey and locate there
on the school district, township and
| county boundaries, would be about
100000. An accurate survey and To-
cation Of the lines of the tax dis
trict and of the area Of the lands
in them would soon pay for itself in
the increased revenue from taxes on
lands now escaping taxation.
The location of the roads, streams,
bridges. fords and ferries would be
! of use to the ever increasing numbers
of automobilists, and would justify a
| special tax on such vehicles alone suf-
licicnt to pay the expense of the sur
Vcy, and making Of the map. Hence.
unite with the commissioner of ag-
riculture, commerce and industries i'm
recommending that the state assist
! ihe federal government in the compile
ton of tn" survey begun by them,
and locate thereon the boundaries of
'-' --'--T-- a"'1''-n'A-N- '..-'-sa-~-
for the accomplishment of this pur-
pose.