The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1921-11-30
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 80, 1921
ABOUT TAXES

are now in the midst of taxpaying
time the minds Of many throughout
the state are turned toward the sub
ject Of taxation. To a great number
of people taxes this year are high be-
cause they are without the means to
nay them, and they are turning anx-
ious eyes to the next general assembly
in the hope that conditions can be I'M
proved., When it comes to tax re-
. form in South Carolina there are two
schools of thought-one which be-
lieves that the way to reduce taxes IS
to abolish what they are pleased to
call useless offices, boards and COM
missions, carrying with them horde
of clerical help who are more or less
:. parasites on the body polite; the
other side taking the view that in
the main the states business is eco
nomically and we'll managed by a
corps Of people who are far from
overpaid for the services rendered.
These latter admit glaring inequali-
ties in the tax burdens, but believe
that the trouble arises mainly from
an archaic system of levying taxes,
which while bearing hardly upon
those least able to pay, still fails to
raise revenue sufficient to allow
South Carolina to take its deserved
place in the family of states.
The first school of thought points
to the ever increasing appropriations
by the legislature, losing all sight OF
the purpose for which these appro-
priattons are used, and accounting the
states tax bill as the entire burden
of taxation. Let us see wherein they
are right, or wrong.
The state levy this year is II mills.
There are two school districts in Lex
ington county this year which have
special levies Of "a and 36 mills, or
practically three times the amount
paid for state taxes. There are eight
others which have special levies as
large as the state tax. In every school
district in this county there is spe-
cial levy, the average special levy
being slightly more than { mills. The
entire county and state levy for this
county is 80 mills, exclusive of special
1evies. So that we find the aver
age levy in the school districts of Lex
ington county is 81 mills, of which
the states portion constitutes ~ mills.
or slightly less than one-third. Let it
not be forgotten also that last year
almost half of what this county paid
to the state government was returned
to us in the form of aid for the rural
schools. The entire abolition of the
state taxes would leave some people
with tax burden. Let it not be for
gotten too that the special levies were
voted on by the people themselves.
And we are proud that they are will
ing to vote money for the education of
sheir children. We are suffering to-
day from ignorance because those who
preceded US did not have the cour-
age to dig deep in their pockets for
education. But there is a new spirit
abroad in 1.-the land, and the people,
no matter how hardly they complain
Of taxes, are going to be unwilling to
turn back in the program Of educa-
ton which within the past few years
has taken a firm hold.
But we started out to say some
thing about state taxes primarily and
ssto call attention to summary of
the states expenditures for the current
year, as-shown by statement COM
piled by the State Tax Commission,
and published elsewhere. The first
: item in this statement shows little
less. than 5 per cent. Of the total ap-
propriated at the last session was for
salaries Tof all state officers, boards
and commissions, not including the
judiciary. In other words levy of
about three-fourths Of a mill would
be adequate for this charge. SO far
as lowering taxes is concerned if the
state government were stripped to the
outline provided by the constitution
the reduction in taxes would be imma-
terial should the expenditures for edu-
cation, pensions, penal and charitable