Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-02-15
"Cut Taxes? Show Us How
and We WILL" Legislator
Tells People.

he was SpOheSilioii 1oA oSASS
from home, and one of his county
representatives was lending ear tt
his appeal. His delegation of citizen'
was just n of the many seen dali!
under the dome of the capitol while
the legislature is IN session.
Gail right" said the legislator
ssPve eaten and slept and talked tax
es so much, Pm beginning to EMO!
it. Shoot"
"It occurred to us" the spokesman
said, as hundreds of other hundreds
of other spokesman have said, that
the states property tax levy ought
to be brought way down. And the
rates on this income tax bill the
house has passed, and the senate soon
is to debate, are something fierce.
Couldn't the knife be used a little
more on the budget?"
The member of the legislature was
an old-timer.
Brother" said Sc, 'get out your
pencil and piece of paper. Well fig-
ure a little"
"What's your total tax levy?"
asked the solon.
"About So mills, 1 think"
Gail right. The states levy last
=
year was IL mills. 1t will be less this
year, but this will be partly made up
in the new indirect revenue meas
ures, such as the gasoline and in
come taxes. Subtract the IL mills,
and you find your city and county
taxes amounted to as mills"
"Those as mills said the legisla-
tor, "are upon you because you want
ed them there. You wanted schools,
you wanted roads, you wanted a bet
ter Jail and you wanted a lot OF other
things" Then followed a lengthy
statement of where the city and coun-
ty funds went.
"Well, said the titizen, 1--WE don't
mind that so much. Matter of fact,
out in our school district we want a
little heavier levy so we can have a
longer term and better teachers. But
we see where the city and county
taxes are going. How about the
state taxes?"
eyes," the legislator was talking
again, "let's get down to business on
the state taxes. You show me how to
reduce them and where to reduce
them and I'll do it."
Pencil and paper were in his
hands.
GLOW about the Confederate vet
Grams? They're getting some $780,
900 now
"Non the spokesman for the citi-
zens promptly said, "let them have
every penny of it."
every we'll, we'll take care OF the
veterans. They won't be with US many
more years."
"The state hospital for the insane
certainly costs a bunch of money!"
continued the legislator. "They have
2,1OO people. out there. Nine hundred
new ones came in last year, and 300
died, making an increase of 600.
Looks like we've got to take care OF
them; and it would be much more
pensive if each county tried to care
for its own" Just here, it is interest
ing to note that between 100 and 200
of the inmates are Greenville county
people; but this was not a Greenville
representative talking.
ooh, we couldn't think of impair
ing that work." the citizen agreed.
ST suspect they really need more
funds"
"Well, that's disposed of. Well
continue to support the asylum"
agreed the representatives Of the peo-
peo. "Now, the building and mainte-
nance of roads costs a lot"
Good roads are not only desir-
able but are absolutely necessary in
this day and time" said the citizen.
"Let's not touch the roads"
One by one the other phases of the
states work were taken up, and n
by one each was eliminated as a pos
sibility for budget knitting. Finally,
the citizens wanted to return to a
discussion of the county levy. The
same thing happened, until the group
struck the reduced appropriation for
the county farm demonstration agent.
Cant it be reduced a little more?
Or can't we cut it out altogether this