The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-12-23
APPROPRIATION OF
100000 In 1921
ESTIMATE AS TO WHAT BUDGET
COMMISSION WILL.
RECOMMEND.

Columbia Dec. 20.-Speclal: The
State Budget Commission will re-
commend an appropriation of approx
imately 100000 for the operation
of the State Government, its depart
ments and institutions for 1921. This
will be a decrease of about two and
one-half million dollars from the eS-
Inmates submitted to it, which total
ed s9,S6S, ,205.59. This will mean a
levy of approximately fourteen mills
on a valuation of between $44S,000-
900 and $45O,O00,000 in tangible
property, as estimated by the State
Tax Commission. This levy, however,
could be reduced because of the mon
eys from other sources which must
be turned into the State treasury uri-
or the budget law.
II have not yet completed my stu
dy of our 1921 budget in all of its de-
tails," stated Governor Cooper, the
chairman of the Commission, today
when questioned relative to the tax
agation in the State at present,
"but / will recommend reduction Of
appropriations from the year, 1920.
with the exception of the appropria-
ton for the public schools. / am sat
isfied, further, that with other recon,-
nendations which will be submitted
to the legislature, the levy Of 1921
can, and will, be materially reduced
l expect to discuss the whole question
in detail in my annual message"
While he has made no statement to
the effect, it is understood that the
Governor will ask the General Assem-
bly, to propose a bond issue to the
people in a referendum election, the
issue to cover ten years Of permanent
improvements. The theory is that to
arrive at an adequate estimate of the
wants of the State along permanent
lines, a commission of engineers
should be appointed to make thor
!. ongh study of the wants of each in
stitution and activity and report in
detail to the legislative bodies before
the election is ordered.
VIII Turn Its Face.
Along this line it can be authorita-
lively stated that the budget commits
sion will turn it's face for an apprc-
priation for permanent improvements
for 1921, this, of course, Including
new buildings at State institutions OF
higher learnings and State operated
charitable and correctional activities.
There is cry throughout the State
at the present time for relief from the
burdens of taxation, and there have
been many and various remedies sug-
gested, but most of them have been
from the wrong angle. The general
cry seems to be that the burden is
from the State government. Even a
casual analysis of the States finances
shows that, should all but purely
government funtions acting for the
people as a whole, be, eliminated,
/ South Coralina could be operated on
tabout a one-mill levy, or S51S,S77.16,
Using the figures for expenditures in
1919, the only ones available at this
time. Of this amount, S2S8, ,296.41 is
*or the executive department, $780,
1854 for the legislative branch.
The efact of the matter is that the
great burden of taxation is from the
counties, mostly in levies for school
purposes voted by the people them
selves and from the municipal ties.
For instance, the City of Charleston
pays a 81 mill levy, the City of Co.
lumbia II 1-2 mills, the City of
Greenville 81 mills and the City of
Sumter so ga mills. Of these levies
only IL mills ore for the State. The
taxable property in Charleston S27-
74S, 900, in Sumter $6,0S1 ,09l, in
Greenville Ss,295,755 and in Columbia
tlsle abstract) $16.31O,27s, or an as
sc. sed valuation Of taxable property
will total S3,si%,70: and to this must
be added the license taxes and fines
aecruing during the year.
e Other Income Sources
In the city of Columbia for 1920 the
licenses will give the municipality a
revenue of S1O5,OO0 and police court
fines collected and bonds forfeited an
additional $4,000 or total of $685.
600. It is therefore reasonable to
estimate that the four cities mention
ed will aggregate total revenue of
, s5OO,OO0 from these sources. This
will make the total revenue to them
Saor the year s4,313,7O1 or just 81, 1885,
.40.39 less than was appropriated for
sthe State this year and s1,152,9 ,920.65
less than recommended by the bud
eS commission for 1920.