The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-12-09
TO REDUCE TAXES

TO REDUCE TAXES
That sounds good at this time Of
the year. Every one talks abou the
high taxes about tax paying time and
during the campaigns. Our entire tax
system should be revised. 1t is anti
quated. The burden bears too heavl-
ly on one class of property.
The joint legislative committee on
economy issues a statement setting
forsh certain recommendations that
will be made to the legislature, and
The committee suggests that the tax
levy may be reduced at least one
third, or from II mills now levied for
state purposes to mills. That will
make quite difference. The Herald
and News publishes the statement.
As we gather from this statement the
main way by which this reduction may
be brought about is to curtail the
building program for state institu-
tions, and to devise some other source
of income besides the property, or ad
valorem, tax.
The building program was pret-
ty extensive one, especially with the
state institutions, and there is good
sense in curtailing, and in fact some
of the schemes should never have
been undertaken. And then it has
seemed to US, even before this great
demand came from the people fer a
reduction in taxes, tnat the bu.ldi:-.g
scheme at some, and in fact n:soss Of
our state institutions, was rather
elaborate for state the size and
wealth of South Carolina.
There sould be no curtailment for
the building nor the support Of t,ic
rural schools. We agree most heart
lily with Mr.. j. J. Tigert, the federal
commissioner Of education, that the
greatest need in the United States 20
day is tae country school. Net Only
is it the greatvst need, but it is really
the foundation cf Our very civiliZa-
ton, and if we do not foster and en-
courage and improve cur country
schools our very government is IN
danger of being undermined. These
country schools are row underfed and
undernourished.
We are top heavy. The structure
is getting too big at the top and the
foundation needs to be strengthened,
and if it is not the whole building is
in danger Of being thrown over from
its own top load. There is also most
too much supervision, and no doubt
the legislature can cut off some of
the supervision and some Of the COM
missions and committees. The truth
of the matter is, the sentiment is too
great toward looking to the govern
ment to do everything, and it has a
tendency to destroy all individuality
and self-reliance. In other words,
what we mean is that we are being
governed too much. We want too
much to correct everything by law
and regulate everything by statute.
When something goes wrong, as we
imagine, the first thought is 10 pass
law regulating it, and then there
must be some one or a dozen or a
hundred to see that the law is en-
forced. There is an old saying of
some Of the old men in the days when
the country produced statesmen thai
the least governed people were the
best governed. The principle under
lying our government is that the peo-
pie are the government, and then
why should we be all the time looking
to the government to do that which
we should do without any law to
force US to do it.
We say great deal about health
and sanitation, ard We pass laws on
these subjects, and then it takes
great boards Of health and health un-
its with health officers and trained
nurses TO force the people to he