The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-06-22
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CARRYING more than their portion OF
the load, however. Bamberg county is
MT crying out tor charity at tAle
hands of the state tax commission.
but it is protesting against assessing
the lands of Bamberg county more
than the lands of neighboring and ad-
Joining counties, which, With few eX-
ceptions, are equally as able to pay
their taxes as Bamberg. The county
is askinc only for fair treatment at
the hands of the state tax commission.
All of these facts, and a great
many more, came out at the meeting
of citizens held at the court house
Friday morning, when two members
of the state tax commission, j. P.
Derham and J. Frasier Lyon, met
with the people and discussed the in
crease of land assessments in this
county an average of $3.50 over the
assessment of previous recent years.
F. Carter was made chairman OF
the meeting and w. D. Rowell and
r. NJ. Hit were requested to act as
secretaries. Representative }. Carl
Kearse, who called the meeting, stat
ed in a brief talk the purposes for
which the meeting had been asked,
and invited those present to state to
the tax commissioners their various
complaints.
The chairman first asked the COM
missioners present to state the facts
regarding the increase of land as
sessments in this county right at a
time when the county is practically
bankrupt from the ravages of the
boil weevil.
Mr.. Lyon, speaking first, said that
the commission was in sympathy with
the farmer, and he realized that the
people had taxes to pay that some OF
them cannot pay. The state puts
first mortgage on your property, he
said. The legislature determines how
much money to spend. 1t is the busi-
ness of the commission to endeavor
to collect this money in as equitable
manner as possible. He and Mr.. Der
ham came to Bamberg, he said, with
open minds. ''If you will point out
a wrong, we are here to right it, he
said. eve all feel bad about the
situation; you cannot feel it any
more than we do. We want facts
and figures, so that not only may we
be convinced there has been an er-
ror made, but that we may be able
to show other counties why an excep-
ton should be made of Bamberg.
Four years ago the tax commission
went to work to iron out the assess
ment of lands, and difficult task it
has been."
Showing the relative increase of
land assessments in various sections
OF the state, Mr.. Lyon said that in
Marlboro land had been increased
from S5 to SIS; Darlington Sc to
$40; Anderson Sc to s12, etc. Not
withstanding these increases, many
counties have continued to pay on
smaller assessments than before. II
the commission erred in regard to
Bamberg four years ago, it is willing
to review the entire matter with a
view to adjusting it. The land as
sessments in South Carolina, he said,
are lower than an average in the
United States.
Mr.. Derham said that while the
people of this section are feeling the
effects of the boil weevil acutely, the
entire state, with the exception of
small area, is feeling the same. In
his own county, Horny, the weevils
had taken a toll of two-thirds of the
cotton crop. In other counties where
the devastation has not been as great,
he said, the distress seems to be
about as acute as in Bamberg. Civ
ing the figures in regard to the as
sessment system, he said that the
commission had valued the land here
at an average of s15.15 per acre,
and had taken.42% of that amount
in reaching the assessable value. The
land values had been adjusted as best
they could, using all available in
formation to arrive at them. This
valuation had been arrived at in
1918. No attempt had been made to
fix values on the inflated prices of
later years. The land sales Of this
county had been inspected for the
years 19l3-14-15. Z. S. census fig
ures for 1910 had also been employ
ed.
Replying TO question, Mr. Der
ham said that the land assessment in
Barnwell county is $40 per acre: