The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-02-15
THREE MILL LEVY
MAY BE POSSIBLE.
Legislature Endeavorinq to
Shift Tax Burden
BIG REDUCTION
IN APPROPRIATION

W
on Appropriation Bill to Reduce Ap-
preparation While House and Sem
ate Trying TO SHIFT Burden OF Tax
Payers.
Columbia, Feb. TO-. That the state
general property tax levy will be re-
duccd to either three or four mills this
year and practically eliminated in the
years to follow if the various TAX
measures now pending before the two
houses of the general assembly be-
come part of the law Of the state
was the prediction of e. ~ Hughes OF
Marion, chairman of the ways and
means committee, in the course of his
debate on the luXures tax, the last of
lhe series of revenue measures to be
given consideration in the house. The
appropriation bill for 1922, Mr.. Hughes
also intimated, would probably carry
reductions Of approximately $1,O0O,-
900 under the amount appropriated
last year. The state levy last year
totaled IL 1-2 mills, the special Cita-
del l-2 mill levy excluded.
The ways and means committee is
still engaged in the task Of drawing
up the appropriation bill and no ex-
act figures are available but, accord
ing to the figures presented by Mn.
hughes, the ways and means commit
tee IS preparing to raise only $5,465,-
oOO this year as compared with &c.
,925 last year, reduction Of ap-
proXimately $1,O7O,00O under last
years appropriation. This would also
indicate a $l,225,0O0 cut in the ap-
preparations recommended in the 1922
budget. which would have provided
for total appropriation Of $6,69l,-
25971. $780,. ..
The passage OF these new revenue
measures, according to Mr.. Hughes,
would provide for all but about ST.
100000 Of tile states revenue, which
would then be raised by the three or
four mill levy on visable property.
In preparing his estimate Mr.. Hughes
did not take into consideration the
inheritance tax, which as amended by
the senate would not furnish revenue
for this year but will be counted up-
on to aid in the total elimination of
the state levy on visible, tangible pro-
perty in 1923 and the succeeding
years. The motion picture license
bill, which Is in the hands Of the SEN
ate, and the brokers' license bill were
also not considered. Further reduc-
tion of the levy in 1923 may also be
made possible through the taxing OF
many forms of property that now es-
cape taxation, such as bonds, mort
cages, stocks, etc. This can only
come through the amendment of the
state constitution as proposed in the
Marion and Sapp resolutions now
pending in the two houses.
Taxes FOR 1921, according to Mr..
Hughes, were borne as follows: gem
eral property tax, $5,OOO,000; corpora
ton licenses and fees, $475.0O0; de-
partment fees and sales, $325,000, and
state institution fees, $175,0O0.
The estimated returns from all
sources for 1922 if the tax program
Is passed entirely were placed by Mr..
Hughes as follows: income tax. ST.
100000; general property tax, ST.
100000; luxuries tax, 100000; COR
poration licenses and fees. $650,O00;
gasoline and oils tax, $450,000; de-
partment fees and sales, $325,000;
state institution fees; $4,000, and
the hydro-electric tax $150,000.
VIII Glenn Acquitted
| 90 x,bo