The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-02-13

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The administration tax commission
bill will be passed. II is said. but the
house. having already drawn its
teeth. the emasculated bill will be
almost impotent and worthless. Last
night the house by vote OF Sc TO 40
struck out section 10 Of the bill. which
reads as follows:
Tho state tax commission shall
have power TO equalize the assessment
OF all property In this State between
persons. firms or corporations Of the
same assessment district. between
cities. towns and townships of the
same county. and between different
counties OF the state. and the prop
erty assessed by said commission I'm
the first instance; such powers to be
possessed by said commission regard
less of any limitation"
IL the commission is not to have
power to equalize assessments, what
Is the use OF creating the commission?
The whole purpose OF the proposed
tax commission law is TO equalize tax
assessments throughout the state and
make OF the tax system a fair, just
and business-like process under the
operation OF which all property shall
bear its just share of the expenses OF
government. BY depriving the COM
mission of the power to equalize as
sessments II will not be able OF do
what II Is called into being to ac-
complish and will become Just one
more useless appurtenance OF the
state government. 1t will afford
roosting places for three additional
oiEcc-holders and salary consumers.
whose functions will De largely orua-
mental. but since tbs state has no
money 20 waste on ornamental figure
heads and is already over-manned in
this particular 1t is advisable that the
whole project be laid on the table un-
I'll there are enough men in the leg
islature with the backbone to enact a
measure that will accomplish some
good.
A state tax commission without the
power TO equalize assessments would
be a farce-as much so as a sheriff
without the authority to make arrests.
IL the majority of the legislature Is
opposed TO a system that will be rea-
sonably certain TO bring about uni
form assessments and "A fair and hon
est distribution Of the burdens OF tax
alton why not come out i'm the open
and say so. III they do not want a
tax commission that will accomplish
results. the thing TO do Is to kill the
bill out OF hand and quit wasting time
With long-winded and disingenuous
protestations OF belief In the principle
OF honest assessments and equal tax
alton. This sort OF buncombe de-
ceives nobody
The talk OF the danger OF central
izing the power TO equalize assess
ments for the entire State In the hands
Of a commission Is q man OF straw set
up by the opponents OF honest assess
ments TO hide behind. The only dan
ger In the plan is that tax dodgers
will be brought To light and made TO
pay their honest dues.
The railroads are to bc forbidden to
operate trains OF more than fifty cars.
AZ the Graydon bill. which has passed
the house. gets through the senate and
IS signed By the governor. This pro-
posed law Is analogous To a law that
would forbid farmer or drayman
hauling more than four bales Of cot
ton on two-hOrse wagon i'm a county
that had improved roads What would
the people Of a county that had levied
heavy tax To build good roads think
OF the enactment OF a law that denied
wagon do the work that required two
two-hOrse wagons before they had
spent many thousands Of dollars TO
build roads that would make this
saving In transportation expense pos
sible? This is precisely what the
Graydon bill proposes To do with the
railroads. Some Of them have spent
millionS OF dollars in improving their
roadways. strengthening their bridges.
building bigger engines and larger
freight cars 20 the end that they may
operate bigger and longer trains car
rying loads at less expense than they
have I'm the past. Now comes the
Graydon bill that says To the railroads