Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-09-09
EQUALIZATION PROBLEM
York County Merchants Have Con,
ference With Tax Commission.
PURPOSE IN VIEW MUCH CLARIFIED

Any Except those who are now Pay
ina Less Than the others-commis
sion Proposes ITO Check UP All
Dodgers and Make them Sweat.
Between forty and fifty York county
merchants fairly representative of all
parts of the county met Hon. w. g.
Query, of the state tax commission
in the courthouse, last Friday pur-
suant to. the published invitation OF
Auditor Love.
The meeting had its origin in mis-
understanding and confusion growing
out of the efforts. of the state tax
commission to secure an equitable re-
adjustment of property values through
out the state, as assessed for taxation.
The first general shake-up in con-
nection with this matter occurred
several months ago when. the tax COM
mission sent out qucstionnaires that
sought to get at the true value of all
mercantile property, with view to
arriving, at something like equaliza-
ton on a basis of AZ per cent. of such
true value.
The returns made out in accordance
with the QUESTIONABLE of the COM
mission naturally. showed results in
alarming excess over those previously
filed with the county auditor, and one
of the most immediate outcomes of the
whole development was more intelli-
I gent and deeply concerned considera-
ton than the tax assessment subject
had received for more than a genera
ton.
Why is the states tax commission
picking on the merchants? Does it ex-
poet the merchants to pay all the
taxes? Why should the commission
want to make merchants pay on mort
cages, bills receivable and the like and
not require other people to pay on the
same class Of property These were
some of the questions that arose in
connection with the whole matter and
when lists became available showing
what the different merchants of q
given locality were giving in as true
values there was naturally q consider
able amount of comparison that still
further added>to the general stock
of dissatisfaction,
At various local meetings through
out the state, including different parts
i.ofetheS county, 1t developed that many
lof the returns to the state tax COM
mission appeared to be far short of
true values. 1t appeared also that "a
certain number of merchants had made
no returns at all. AS the outcome of
these developments conference was
arranged between York county mer-
chants and the state tax commission,
and that explains the meeting that was
| held in the courthouse Friday.
j. s. Brice, Esq, acting for the audi
tor, explained the object of the meet
Ing. He told how the state tax COM
mission, although established for sew
eral years, is now only fairly getting
on its feet. The commission has dis-s
cretionary powers as, to assessing prop
erty, and is in no way bound by the
findings or recommendations of the
county board Of assessors. The object
of the commission and the only object
Is to secure equalization, and because
of the extent of the undertaking that
Is a slow and tedious job. There is no
idea of discrimination against the mcr-
La oil olo h,tt ~
been held by the courts that in accord
artce with the constitution equalization
CT all property in n class-likc mer-
camille property, for instance, is all
right. The commission is seeking to
secure the assessment Of mercantile
property ct AZ per cent Of it's true
value, and after it finishes with mer-
camille property it will be ready to
take up the property of other classes.
He went on to explain that while the
entire tax commission had been ex-
pccted, it was found that the other
members could not come, and Mr.
Query was here with the full power to
act for the commission. He pointed
out also that no doubt some of the
merchants had made improper returns
under misapprehension. Mr.. Query
had these returns with him and would
gladly permit such corrections as
might be proper.
Mr.. Query made a few remarks
along the lines previously followed by
Mr.. Brice. He stressed the ridiculous
situation South Carolina has been in
for so many years in the matter of tax
equalization, and explained some of
the steps that are being taken in the
direction Of correction. Hc said that
so far the tax commission had added
to the list of taxable property several
millions of dollars worth of stuff that
had been escaping taxation altogether.
Without mentioning names he gave
several specific instances of firms tha,
were worth hundreds of thousands of
dollars that We're paying on less than
one twentieth Of what they were
worth. Many of these had been re-
quired TO go on the books on a basis
of AZ per cent of the true value of
their property. He said that the COM
mission has the name, address and
worth of overv merchant in South Car