The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-22
A Tale OF Two States.
(News and conrier)


The following editorial articl.
from the Greensboro Daily News
refers to matter which has re-
Gently attracted considerable at
tention in the North Carolina
newspapers, where the experience
of the landowner to whom refer
ence is made. has been cited in
justification of the North Carolina
tax system, now under attack; the
claim being that the North Caro-
lima plan is here shown, by COM
parison with that Of South Car
DINA, to be immeasurably the bet
ter. Says the Daily News.
Several times within recent
months the Daily News has had
occasion to refer to the plantation
of Representative W. n. Everett
of Richmond county, which is splis
by the North and South Carolina
line.
This farm is taxed by both
states. It is the. same kind Of
soil and grows the same sort Of
crops. It is the same in every re-
spect. In South Carolina, where a
fictitious system places on one
half valuation of s34,985, Mr..
Everett and his family pay 81, ,614.-
81, and in North Carolina, where
the truth is spoken in the tax books
(Richmond county never having
|repudiated revaluation), valua-
ito nof s6I,O40 exacts tax Of
only s3s2.S0.
South Carolina, therefore. takes
in taxes two and a half times as
much money from the Everetts as
North Carolina does and exacts it
on valuations 40 per cent less than
North yCarolina's. And South Car
iolina takes it without being able to
show any governmental achieve
ments comparable to North Caro-
|lina's. In writing to Josephus
Daniels of Raleigh, Mr.. Everett
says: :'It is not necessary for me
to go into an analysis of what we
get in North Carolina and in South
Carolina, further than to say that
in North Carolina the value of the
roads to our operations is worth
more than the tax we pay. This
leaves out of consideration all other
objects to which money raised by
taxation is applied. In South Car
DINA, or at least in that part OF
South Carolina where our farms
are located we have no roads, and
get very little benefit either direct
IL or indirectly, from either state
or county government.
There is another thing in Mr..
Everests letter which should shame
the apologists for the old menda-
cious tax system TO which they
would return. He participated in
the revaluation of North Carolina
property and though he lives
where lands went highest he says:
although we are now in the midst
of the ravages of the boil weevil,
our lands in North Carolina will
sell for at least as much as they
were valued at under the revalua-
ton machinery
Afflicted, but heads up and un-
willing to tell lies in order to get
little reduction in taxes. Verify
that man Everett of Richmond
county. is q peculiar sort of citi-
ZEN"
Richmond county, North Caro-
lima, is directly across the line
from Marlboro county. South Car
olina, long known as one Of the
most fertile and in many respects
one of the most progressive coun-
ties in this state or in the south.
1t would be interesting to hear
from the Pee Dee Advocate Of
Bennettsville with regard to the
statements made by Mr.. Everett
as to land values, taxes and condi-
tions generally. We should like to
know. in particular whether s3S2.S0
was all the taxes which this land
paid in North Carolina or simply
tht state tax; and in any event it
would be worth while to have Edi-
tor Freeman find out for us how
much of the North Carolina taxes
wen. to the state and how much to
;; the county. Mr.. Freeman's views
will be the more interesting for the
reason that he is to represent
Marlboro county in the state senate
next year and in that capacity will
be in position to do his part to-
ward effecting such tax reforms as
may be desirable for South Caro-
lima.
From the price asked We think