The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1921-01-19
Editorial Correspondence.)

!
doubtedly furnish the main theme for
discussion ut the present session of
the legislature. The statements in
the daily papers that the various
branches Of the state government
would ask for ten million dollars this
year raised a storm Of protest in many
counties of the state which culmi-
mated in taxpayers Convention in
which n resolution was passed urg-
ing the legislature to hold down ap-
preparations at the present time.
Many speeches were made at this
convention, but the best OF all was
that by Claude N .Sapp of Richland
county. who. told the convention that
he was in favor of close economy in
appropriations. but he was not willing
TO stop the progress sof5 the rural
schools. Mr.. Sapp pointed ,out the
fact that one district in his county
had voted upon themselves a tax of
10 extra mills for. schools. He pointed
out that no cut. in the amount of
Imoney spent by the state could lower
taxes appreciably while such levies
iwcre put OIL, he said he proposed to
stand by the rural schools.
Other speeches along the same lines
We're made by Senator George X.
;Laney OF Chesterfield and Senator
Niels Christensen of, Beaufort chair
man of the senate finance. committee,
both of whom expresses the desire to
keep taxes down to n minimum this
year. providing 1t could be done with
;out injury to the best interests of the
state. AS an indication of the gen.
eral feeling the house last week voted
down resolution limiting the size Of
the appropriation this year, which
does not mean that the body Is com
mittcd to extravagant, expenditures,
but only that it refused to tie the
/ hands Of the ways and means CONF
mittee. which will frame the appro-
priation bill to be submitted to s3the
house.
! On the senate side Senator Wight
man OF >Saluda has introduced n bill
TO decrease the salar:T &c every EN-
p'oyee of the state and county gov
: :ernments ~ flat 20 per cent and to
abolish tho tax commission, the board
oi pubic welfare and maybe some
other department. The several bills
are still in committee and conse-
uuenty no test of strength has been
had. The salary bill could not now
Ihccomc effective as to any constitu-
itional state officer, because the con-
istitution provides that their salary
snail be neither increased nor dimin-
,ished during their term Of office. The
new terms will begin next Tuesday,
so that the bill could not possible.
become law before tho oath of office
was administered. Should they be-
come operative the levy would hardly
be aifrclrd.
1t is entirely too early to predict
what will he done about taxes, but
this much can he said There can
not In a material reduction in the
state levy without injury to tn. work
of the state government. There are
! Il sufficient number OF progressive
But there is real concern among these
progressiv" members-somc of them
among the largest taxpayers in the
state-at the constantly growing
:
the buredn Of taxation be more nearly
equaliZcd and that much property
now escaping taxation be put upon
the boks. thus relieving land and vis-
den. Through the committee ap-
pointed last session to study the
question they have formulated n
program that ought to commend it
IL seems To offer the only hope of
permanent relief unless progress is
10 be sacrificed and we are to gu back
, to the day of the one-room log school
house with n dirt floor.
II any prediction about taxes is as
good as anoShcr it is safe to say that
ithc legislature will fight to keep the
appropriations as near TO last years
level az possible. that no new build
! ing" will be authorized at state COL
/ lcges and that some new sources of
revenue will he developed that will
adequately take care of the work AL
ready undertaken. Governor. Coopcr
has recommended Il program which if
adopted will finance the states needs