The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-03-03
REFUSES TOSIGN
TAX RESOLUTION
GOVERNOR RETURNS MEASURE
TO SENATE
Chief Executive Says Postponement
OF Taxes VIII Impair Credit of
South Carolina

Of Taxes VIII Impair Credit of
South Carolina
The State, %.
Governor Cooper last night return
ed to the senate, withou. his sigma
ture, the Wells joint resolution to
extend the time for the payment of
state and county taxes Until June l.,
1922. In his message returning the
resolution the governor said that he
felt that the resolution would ma
terially hurt the states credit and
not afford the relief that those who
supported the resolution thought it
would.
The state now has $1,500,000 in
outstanding notes to meet ani only
100000 to pay the notes, the gov
ernor said in his message. "lf this
Joint resolution becomes law it is my
opinion that the credit of the state
will be impaired" he said.
The governor says the section pro-
viding that all persons who pay their
taxes within the time given in the
resolution shall be construed as .hav-
ing paid their taxes within the time
prescribed by law and shall be eligible
to vote in any general election is un-
constitutional.
May Extend Anyway
Under the law at present the comp
troller general has the power to ex-
tend the time for paying taxes with
out penalty, with the approval of the
governor, and the governor says he
has conferred with the comptroller
general and that the comptroller gen.
eral informed him that he would ex-
tend the time until April 1, 1922.
It was understood last week that
the chief executive would veto the
measure, and last night he returned
the resolution to the senate. where it
originated, without his approval.
Due to the absence of so many SEN
ators vetoing message was held over
until today, no action being taken.
It is not known what disposition
the senate will make of the message
as when the resolution was passed
there was not dissenting vote
against it. However, the house is
pretty we'll equally divided and should
the senate go over the governors
head the lower body may refuse to do
The message of the governor on the
resolution follows:
"Mr. President and gentlemen Of
the senate:
81 am returning, thout ny sig
nature, senate joint resolution No.
221, entitled, ga joint resolution to
extend the time for the payment of
state and county taxes for the year
1921, until June /, 1922, with Ger
tain penalties
"The state now has outstanding
S1,50O,OO0 of 1921 notes which were
issued under specific authority con-
tanned in Section 66 Of the spproprl-
alton act of 1921. We have in the
treasury only 100000 available for
the payment of these notes, and II
this Joint resolution becomes law if is
my opinion that the credit of the state
will be impaired. The fact that South
Carolina has never failed to pay her
notes promptly shows that the credit
Of the state has been jealousy pro-
tected, thereby enabling its fiscal Of
fcers to borrow money in the mar
kets at most reasonable rates. Under
the terms of the resolution in question
a person may pay his taxes on August
81, with a penalty of eight per cent,
and this penalty is no greater IMAM
that which has been in existence from
January 1 to this date. The law at
present fixes the penalty at 1 per
cent month, and if this penalty has
failed to cause the payment of taxes
during January and February, it is
fair to conclude that a similar penal
ty will not cause the payment of tax
es prior to September /. Immediate
ly upon the adjournment of the gen
eral assembly it will be necessary for
the state to borrow money for the
fiscal year 1922, and it is very evil
dent that inability to pay 1921 notes
will affect our credit in 1922.
Is Unconstitutional
"Section 2 of the joint resolution
provides that the payment Of taxes