Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-08-09
SCIENCE OF TAXATlUN
Able Discussion Of All Important
Subject.
STATE NEEDS IMPROVED SYSTEM
Visible Property Carries Heavier Load
in South Carolina Than it Does in
any Other State in tie union-Peo-
ple Who are Able to Pay Most Really

Pay Least.
Dillon Herald.
All law making bodies are composed
of men who are suppo1ed to represent
the pcoplc. and in this representative
capacfty their earnest desire Is TO car
rv. ont the wishes of the majority by
whom they were elected. For this rea-
son Iaw-making bodies are more repJ
rescntative than progressive.
II is a pity that such is the case
Under these conditions the peop'c are
the leaders and the law w-makers the
followers. This may not be souho
Democratic doctrine, as the meaning
nf the term is constructed by demo-
Gratis of orthodox ideas, but IN the iasl
half century times have changed ana
if our political ideas do not chahse
with them we are bound to lag behlnd
in the march of progress
If a majority of the voters or state
are non-progressive in their ideas Oh
government it is political suicide Tor
an aggressive man to attempt to IN
Ntroducc progressive measures, and the
result is that while other states keep
up with the march Of progress MS own
state lags far behind.
South Carolina is suffering from this
condition of affairs. At the last ses-
sion of the general assembly several
uropressiye measures were introduced
and they died on the calendar or in
committee. makers, as rule, DO
not rise above the ideas of the people
they represent.
Time and again efforts have been
made TO bring about tax reforms IN
this state. 1t is well known that SouA
Carolina has the most antiquated tax
laws { any state in the union. It's tax
on real property is the highest in the
United States.
At recent meeting of the "Kosmos
Club" in Columbia, Mr. August kohn
read a very able paper on "TaXationN
in South Carolina" For many years
Mr.. Kohn has reported the proceedings
of the legislature for The News and
Courier and he has been in position to
study the tax problem from every
angle.
Mr.. KOm is convinced that if South
Carolina is to continue to develop edu-
cationally and socially it must have
more money and as visible property is
now carrying more than its share of
the tax burden, additional revenue
must come from other sources.
After n very able and exhaustive re-
view Of the tax problem Mr.. Kohn
makes the following practical sug-
gcStionS:
Get all property on the tax books,
especially all escaping visible proper
ty Get all matters of taxation out or
politics. Let the Tax Commission ap-
point the auditors on the basis OF ef-
ficicncy and absolutely remove all tax
officials from the primaries but seek
efficiency and character. Impose tax
of one per cent. per gallon on gasoline
used in motor vehicles. Enact Il
moderate inheritance tax law without
too much inquisition. Get money from
hose who enjoy all the advantages of
government and own no property. by
cnacting an occupation tax, as well as
o.''eis i'i ~ BUSINESS. i.nI,,Si,. -,
cages before the record is made. Pro-
vide tax on Observation-Disclosures NOV
ing PICTURES SOL urii'kS' p'"'eSS'o''"'
an" ''''l'
III i'4' '0'"''' >'' ''''''' ''''" '''''
iederal treasury 'he sl"sse'l"s SUN vi
$Z0'ooO'ooo While 'here was p"iu l".o
our own state lreaSu'! '''e
sum oi ohIE S''V'"'oVV' i"'S "4u' VII
'ere'ic' reP'eSe"''" eNCeS' wal
'"N'N' '">r' - '''' CIV ~ ''''>'''
'P'' - ''" '''''' iva mo
YIN "''''" '''1 ''''''
penny
1t Is aiIeSeu mat IiooS"""S vi iiie''
WhoSe annual buSiheSS luhs ihIo hli'-
hons ana whose lHcoii'eS run l'''" mum
urea" ol 'h"uSahu" vi uol'"'H e"'" !e"'
'rc paying '''e 'e''ei"l S'Ne' i'''i'n'
huSe sums III eNc5SS pi"'''' '"Ne" "'''''
'''! "'' P'H"'E ''''o '''' ''"'' e''
i'i'''' Nv" vi '"'ee "ol'"'' '''0'' 0' q"
hdhu'"I vi olHce luIi'''uie'
MOVING P'''u''S' p"S'""'' anu ot"e'
l"finS OF amusement are escaping taN-