The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-03-07
WHY?

for reduction of taxes, and the leg
islature is being appealed to in this
respect. There is nothing new in this
state of the public mind. 1t has al
way been so except perhaps during
the DAYS of imitation when the people
spent regardless.
The average citizen and the average
legislator fails to differentiate be-
tween a reduction of taxes and re-
duction of the levy. And the pur-
pose of the legislature at the present
session seems more an effort IN ind
ing new sources Of revenue and
reduction of the levy, rather than IN
the real reduction of the taxes. But
if the levy can be cut from II to i've
mills it will be a great slogan Tor the
next campaign, to go out and tell the
people we reduced your taxes, be-
cause we cut the levy from Il mills
TO FIVE or six mills, and that IS Big
reduction in the levy. But how about
the real reduction of taxes, have they
been reduced. The acid test IS the
amount of the appropriation carried
in the bill which expends the money
The truth of the matter is, we are
too much governed, as we have many
times remarked. There are too many
government jobs that could be ds-
pensed with, and there is too great
tendency to regulate everything by
legislation and to have an army of
regulators. And these officials must
be paid, and to get the money the
producer must pay it, whether he
pays it in the shape of direct tax by
a levy on property, or whether ne
pays it by an indirect tax.
There should be the Strictest econ
omy in the expenditure Of the public
money in these times that is consistent
with an efficient management of the
affairs and functions of the govern
ment. We will all admit that. But
is it not also true that the cry Of high
taxes is more mental condition thar
we are willing to admit. The people
pass resolutions asking the legislator
not to abolish this Office and that Of
fee, and not to do away with tbs
commission and the other, according
to our personal interest, and then at
the same time call for a reduction of
taxes.
The college man says it will neve'
do to cripple the colleges of the state
by cutting the amounts they ask. Tho
public school man says the public
schools are the greatest asset of t
state and their demands should not be
ignored or neglected. The public Of
fcers think their pay should be in,
creased rather than reduced. The
highways should be built and bridges
across the rivers constructed at great
expense. All these things take moa-
ey, and the only way the government
has of raising the money is by taxing
the people and the property.
One thing has struck Us in the var4-
Gus resolut'o ons passed in this town
Nv tho chamber of commerce and sun
dry clubs and organizations is, that
they have asked that the health unit
be retained, they have passed resolu,
tons to retain the clinic and the home
demons rst'on agent and the farm
demonstration agent, and may be
some others, but never a resolution
have we seen asking that if possible
the 10000 children of this county be
not neglected il the schools. and that
instead of cutting down this appro
priation it should be increased sc
that these children. especially these in
the rural communit es, should at
least have a school Of seven months.
The health unit costs the county
$4,000 a year and the clinic costs the
county $4,000 year, besides, we un-
Gerstand. the town of Newberry has
been swing the clinic 4 like amount
If the seven thousands dollars given
to these activities were given to the
county board of education every ru-
raj school in this county could be
assured a term, not of seven months.
but of eight months. And as citi-
zen and an editor and an humble tax
payer, and not as a school official.
we can not help believing and saying
that the good resulting to the chill
dren by thus extending the school
term would be Of much greater and
more lasting benefit than that which
we are receiving from these two ac-
tivities.
And we are saying this in the face