The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-11-17
Protest Against
Unequal Taxation
Secretary ReardOn Discusses thl
Burden of Taxation and IN
fair Assessments

II would seem, from the call for a
mass meeting In Sumter by four of
our representative. but well known
conservative citizens OF Sumter, name
Is Messrs. VI, Goldberg. Nein ODon-
nell. j. Il. Hearon and G. l.. Stubbs.
said call being published I'm this is
sue OF this paper, that some of our
taxpayers have at laSt reached the lin
IL where endurance. without protest
at least. has ceased L. be n virtue.
The city of sumter pays about fortv-
hve per cent ~ the state and county
taNes of sumter county. For wears II
has been the complaint that the as
sessments against city PROPERTY for
county ana state taxes. us Compared
win the assessed value of farm lands
outside of Suinter. aud the assessed
N0lue, OF the returned value which =
ever u may Oe or rural or agricultural
ustrict personal property is so I'M
equal that great burden, out of all
JUST proportion OF values. has been
paced upon city or town taxpayers.
~ IN said that farm lands selling for
from one hundrcd and nifty To three
hundred dollars per acre. and th,u-
sands OF acres Of farm lands valued by
her owners at an Cvcragc value o'
one hundred dollars per acr, nre re-
turned and are accepted for taxation
at AN average value or about S6.7S to
800 .'sr acre.
The personal property returns from
agricultural districts are said To- be "A
1oNe as compared with what the as
sessed value ought To be. Now II
io"hs IKE the cry taxpayer is going
I" Try to do something to kind of
rguaiize this tax burden. IL might Ie-
duire patience and time. and the pos
sable giving of more or less OF many
ciy taxpayers time and thought TO the
SOLUTION of this problem, but all re-
form movements must have a begin
ning. aud must bc iirs: well ganized
a thorough campaign of education
usually has tO bc -inaugurated In or-
Eapzc the voters an1 taxpayers for
concerted action. First of An "A
thorough investigation and rcport or
comparative property assessmen. 5
ousht to he made. show up the in
capabilities by townships and by indi-
vidual returns for comparative illus
tration.
JUST how the problem is To he solved
IA not clear as get. hut the pruning
kniie I'm city and county eXpcndi-
lures. and the establishment of econ
"hS' and increase In efficiency OF SER
vice might just possibly be some OF
the cures offered III these two are
found to be important factors In the
soiutIon. Any now, bc the story short
or fong. with or without a moral, the
TACT remains that city of Sumter tax
payers. mercantile firms i'm particular.
are aroused as never before over the
extraordinary burden of taxes they
are called upon to bear this year. They
are certainly kicking some no matter
whether their complaints be reason
abie or not. or whether the kicks can
do any good or not. Fifteen per cent
penalty Tor on-paymcnt OF city taxes
during November. especially i'm the
face OF present financial industrial
ana business depression Is considered
10y many as unnecessary aud arbitrary.
~ bears hard ON the poor Taxpayer.
MI who feel their burdens more
than they can stand arc therefore i'm
vitod to meet 1T Sumter Chamber OF
Commerce at o'clock Monday even
'ns. November 18th. 1920. IL will do
mo harm Ito discuss this matter. and
certainly an effort To equalize. propor-
uonate to values. the burdens of city
ard rural taxes. will result i'm the
dissemination OF information that
every taxpayer and every voter ought
Co know
When public spirited. yet conserva-
i've. and representative citizens of the
type OF Messrs. Neil O'Donncll, J. H.
iiearon. NJ. Goldberg. and G.. l..
stubs feel called upon to take the
kad i'm any public matter. and can
their FELLOW citizens together i'm mass
Iuceting. IL ~ safe t. conclude that
there - some very good reason for
their Sction, ana that there is some
thing behind the cali.
Occasionally history repcars itself
hN the masses OF the taxpay ers and the
voters becoming aroused and getting
together To- adjust public affairs. The
pubic when aroused usually gets there
whcn u starts Out To- stir up things. \
government "Of 'he people, for the
people by the people" Is periodically
Propagandered and realized. While
rot frequently rosorted To this era of
elimination ~ inaccuracies. real or
imaginary, Is pronounced and effective
Tubilc sentiment ~ mighty wcapon
when aroused ond 60 Cnservatively uti-
hzed T. paa,.i,,,