Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-31
HOW To CUT The TAX
County Instead of State Unit Of As
SeSSmelt.
TOO MANY OFFICE HOLDERS ON SALARY
Assessed Valuations Rise Steadily and
Mills Levy Increase in Abous Same
Proportion-The End is Not Yet.

Assessed Valuations Rise Steadily ant
Mills Levy Increase in Abous sarn'
Proportion-The End is Not Yet.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
1t has about reached the point
where:
When a man has built a barn,
Go and tax him;
When he has cleared another farm,
Go and tax him!
When he lays another roof,
When he grows another hoof,
Hustle round and get the proof, ..
Then go and tax him.
Has a man a pot of money,
Don't tax him!
Though its sweet like honey,
Don't tax him!
Let him reap what others sow,
People are rather foo's you know;
If they were not, they would go,
And tax him.
erty in South Carolina was $220,OO0,0OO
The revenue at a rate Of IA mills
was $1,550,000. Ten years later the
assessed value was $310.907,101. The
levy was mills. So that in ten years
the increase in taxable values was
less than 5 per cent. and the increase
in expenditures was 100 per cent. In
1921, the assessed taxation was &c.
767,135 on a % mill levy, the assessed
valuation was $452, 400, 800, so that in
stead of the mills decreasing, they in
creased with higher valuation Of prop
erty.
During this period there has been an
increase of about Is per cent. in popu-
lation. Now all experts in taxation
agree that when taxes increase faster
than wealth and population, an un-
bearable burden is placed on the peo-
pie. Who is responsible?
No state, county or town official VIII
admit that this condition IS the result
OF his, administration. 1t is not. 1t Is
the system which piles up the expense
account, which the taxpayer Is COM
PEELED to settle. We have built up a
spoils system from the little town to
the congressional Pork Barrel, n gov
ernment by bureau instead Of a Demo-
cracy. The Taxpayers Of this state
have been bullied and brow beaten by
a bunch of pretentious tin horn poll
ticians until they have got into the
habit of standing milne to have their
pockets picked, ......
Unless boards Of commissions are
created each year, because of the
growing horde Of spoilsmen, seeking a
reward for services performed for the
and this demands constant
extension Of the system.
There has been little effort in this
state for real business administra-
ton. Taxes in South Carolina have
trebled in 20 years, yet who dares say
in maintenance of law or efficiency we
have been bettered?
This state and every other state In
the nation is flooded with political
leeches performing no essential work,
but bending their energies to keep up
a machine which will perpetuate their
jobs. Food inspectors. oil inspectors,
revenue agents, special tax
collectors, whisky constables, charity
pellagra experts, horse
doctors, hog doctors, bureau agents
and hundreds Of trustees, all moving
up and down the land at heavy ex-
pense, everlastingly drawing salaries
and piling up expense accounts to the
profit Of the political machine and the
of the ordinary citi-
zen, who pays the freight"
venture the assertion, that leaving
oat the lately enfranchised women that
one voter out of 20 in the primary is
on either state or federal pay roll in
some capacity. Only voters are useful
to the politician and this means the
balance of powers is held by the ma
chine.
Where is 1t to end?
Any man knows that such a course
would bankrupt any private business
within six months, and this govern
ment, state and national is only able
to survive the increasing drain at the
expense of the taxpayers.
Efficiency is the only basis for pro-
gress and the economic struggle de-
mands it,
The entire nation is in the dead sea-
son of it's fortunes. The reaction from
the exertion and fears of the war are
at their height. We were moved be-
yond endurance and never in the world
has the universal element in the soul
of man burned so feebly.
For who does not see that we do not
end war when we put q stop to actual
conflict between nations? This is only
4 superficial view. Any wide social
and industrial struggle that is attended
in its natural course with great suf-
fering is war.
The essence Of war is a needless
competition between states, corpora
tions and individuals that results in
wide spread suffering, and surely we
are in the midst of that.
Remedy.
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