The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, January 11, 1910, Page FOUR, Image 4
E H. AULL, EDITOR.
Intered at the Postoffice at New
rry, S. C.. as 2nd class matter.
Tuesday, January 11, 1910.
JONS ON TAXATION.
South Carolina never had a more
efrient or more energetic hard
working and' conscientious official
than . Comptroller General A. W.
Jones. He knows the tax system of
the State thoroughly and is familiar
with every detail.
As this is the year in which re
turns of real estate are to be made
M.r. Jones is again calling attention
of auditors to the provision of the
eonstitution which sayts property
must be listed at its actual value.
By this, he explains, is meant its
eash value. Mr. Jones very truly
says that the main purpose in as
sessing property is to get an equi
table valuation so that the burden
will bear evenly among the counties
and in order to do this we must first
get it returned at its cash value and
then the board of equalization can
adopt a sixty per cent. ratio and
the ,burden will bear evenly. If
one man returns at twenty-five per
cent. valuation and another at fifty
per eent. and another at sixty why
of course . there can be no equitable
distributio& of the tax burden. The
same is true among the counties.
Mr. Jones is right. There is room
for reform in the matter of assess
ment of property. There is great
inequality. The constitution places
actual value as the proper basis. It
makes little difference in one sense
vwhat the basis is so the same ratio
of value is maintained in the as
sessment of all the p'roperty. In an
other sense it makes a big difference.
At one time' 1M heartily agr
-ith Mr. Jones that actual value
was the right thing to do bunt after
an association of several years with
legislation and a rather close ob
servance of, the making of laws and
the men who are commissioned to
make them and to spend the money,
and a somewhat close study of the
fmnances of the State. our ,view3 have
uindergone a 'decided change and we
would advise not over a 'fifty per
cent valuation and would prefer a
twenty-five per cent valuation. Do
you ask why. Have you observed
that for more than ten years as as
sessments have'-increased the levy
for State purposes has increased in
stead 'of decreasing.
That means, of course, that ex
.penses have increased.
In 1898 the assessed value of the
property of the State was in~ round
.figures $170,000,000 and the tax levy
was 4 1-2 mills, and at the end of
the year there was a surplus of about
$100,000. Ten years later the as
sessed value was $270,000,000 and
the levy for State purposes was 5 1-2
mills and. there was a d-eficit of nearly
$100,000. In other words in ten
*years the expenses of running the
government had increased from
$800,000 to over $1, 600,000. Other
sources of income had been divised
in the meantime such as the corpor
stion license tax and tax on? insur
ance companies, on 'incomes and' so
on by which something like a hun
* dred thousand had been added to the
income of the State. If the valua
tion had remained the same the leg
islature would nev'er have doubled
the levy. The average legislator
thinks he has done well if he does
oiot inc.rease the levy and if he can
reduce the levy he has a great cam
paign slogan as to how he reduced
taxes even if the assessed valuation
has increased so as to make the in
crease twice What it was.
Of course it should not be forgot
ten that as population increases the
expenses of government increase but
the expenses in South Carolina have
increased out of all proportion.
'What we need first is a legislature
that will hbe more careful in spending
tihe people's money an?d not gauge
their appropriation bill on the basis
of .net .inecreasing* the levy regardless I
of what the assessed value is or I
how it has been increased. When
you can assure us of that then we
will agree with Mr. Jones on an ac
tual cash valuation basis but uitil
then suppose we make the basis a
twenty-five per eent. valuation.
What do you say, Mr. Jonest
The State says in its local depart
ment: "An examination of the book
containing commissioned officers kept
by the secretary of State shows that
many of those named for trustees
of State colleges have failed to se
cure their commissions in the past
several years." That is easily ex
plained. They want to hold on to
some other job, member of the leg
islature for instance, and they try
to persuade themselves if they re
fuse to take a commission as trustee
they avoid the constitutional inhibi
tion as to a member of the legisla
ture holding on to any other job. If
the members of the legislature had
the right kind of backbone they
would declare the seats of some of
these members vacant who are go
ing in the face of the constitution
they are sworn to uphold. But all
things will come right because right,
and justice will prevail.
An effort is being made to pur
chase an automobile for Supervisor
Langford of Lexington. We wish
some one would -bay an automobile
for the Newberry supervisor. Maybe
then he would realize ths importance
of putting the changang on perma
nent work and we would get a few
miles each year of good roads.
Th,e jubilee edition of the News
and Courier was a gre*t journalistic
feat. The matter was well gotten
up and arranged and gave a fine ex
hibit of the resources of the State.
The News and Courier is a great
newspaper and is published in a
great town. Charleston is beginning
to come into its own. It is destined
sooni to be, the .greatest city on the
Atlantic coast. It his the finest nat
ural advantages,.
The little county of Greenville in
the supply b.il agreed upon by the
members of the legislature provides
$25,000 for roads and bridges and
beid. $18,000 for maintenance of
cony:ects and road working organiza
tion. A chain gang and. $18,000 for
maintenanee will do a good deal of
road building if intelligently di
reeted.
The Herald and News has never
been able to see the,equity in requir
ing the Newberry cotton mill, or the]
Mollohon: mill, to pay for police pro
teetion. As we understand the ac
tion of city council, the council elects
a policeman for the Newberry cotton
mnill. and one for the Mollohon mill,
half the salaries of these officers are
;aid by the mills, respectively. All
of the village of the Newberry cot
;oni mill is within the corpoi-ate lim
ts of the city, and a large portion
of the Mollohon village is also s
within the corporate limits, and both t
of the institut-ions are not only large 3
Is
taxpayers, but we. should think they
ave contributed very largely to the t
treet duty fum'd and there .is noIr
eason in equity, that we can see, 3
why they should be expected to pay I
xtra for police protection.
The fact is, the two poEcemen who
re elected for the two mills should
be a part of the city force, and.
hould receive the same pay as other
plicemen, and be subject to the same
aills 'but the section of the two millss
ules and regulations, and should o
ot be especially detailed to the two t
nluded in the corporate Jim- t
ts should be covered by all the po
*d
icemen, as the other porbions of the
~ity.
It would 'be better for the discip
ine of t-he foree and for the pres
~rvation of law and order in the ~
thole town, besides being right. h
In giving the list of trustees of
he State colleges the name of Mr. p
rthur Kibler appears in the daily t
apers as a memb.er of the board ofS
he Colored college. This is a mis
as he was elected a member of the
legislature, thus obeying the State
constitution against a member of
the legislature holding any other
position.
O'Neall Dots.
O'Neall, Jan. 10.-The students of
O'Neal school t-njoyed a merry
'Christmas and happy new year.
Messrs. George Harmon and Jimmie
Fields, of Lexington coanty,; enjoyed
the tree at this sehool house with us.
Miss Myrtie Shealy, of Lexington
county, spent the h6lidays with Miss
Lola and Miss Leona Lowman.
Miss Hattie Wise, of- this section,
spent a few days near Lexington city
during Christmas with friends and
relativeis.
Misses Lola and Leorn-a 'Lowman,
Myrtie Shealy and Mr., Oscar. Wes
singer spent aj few days with Mr.I
Luke Robertsdn and family during
Christmas.
Messrs. George and Rudolph Har
mon, of near Lexington Court House,
spent a few days, including new
year, with friends and relatives of
this section.
Misses Katie Eleazer, Birdie Clark
and Mr. Rhett Clark spent a few
days with Misses Lola and Leona
Lowman, of this section.
Mr. C. L. Craig, who was pastor of
Bethel church, preached his farewell
sermon the fourth Sunday in -- De
cember, 1909. Rev. Mr. Dudley, of
Georgia, will now take his plaea as
pastor of Bethel, Prosperity and
Eastside Baptist churches. . He has
moved .to Prosperity.
Prof. G. T. Pugh, qf Columbia Fe
male college, spent the holidays with
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. P.
Pugh, of this section.
Mrs. I. J. Lowman and little son.
5pent a few days with her parents,
>f Saluda county, during the '-past
veek.
Mr. and Mrs. Moody Beden;baugh
;pent the day at Mr. and .Mrs. J. S.,
Rairmon's last Sunday, January 2,
L910.
Mr. Henry Wessinger visited rel
atives at Ballentine, and Columbia,.
he first few days of Christmas.
Mr. Norman and Mr. Voigt Wes
;inger visited Mr. I. V. Wessinger
ind family near Lexington, ,dhring
Tristmas. ;
Mr. Cole. Wessinger visited a
Eriend near Hagood, S. C., Sumter
~onty.
Liittle Wilbur'~ and Ethel "We3
singer visited friends and arelatives
~t Newberry.
We were glad to have Miss Ger!
rude Simpson, the missionary who
s going to visit every Lutheran
~hurch in South Carolina, -with us
~t Mt. Olivet last Sunday. She gave
is a fine talk on- the true 'spirit of
hristm.as.
Mr. Ma!. Shealy and family moved
:o Mr. P. W. S.healy's place last:
[uesday.
Mr. Claude B. Mills, who is study
ng medicine at Charleston, spent
:everal days with relatives around
) 'Neall, Christmas. Come agai,
)oc.
Several of the young folks of
) 'Neal! came very near having a se
ious accident while out huggy rid
tg New Year's day. While they
ere returning home, laughing, talk-'
ng and havi-ng a good time in gen
raa, one of the mules happened to
ook back, got scared, (I don't know'
ghat at) and began to run. The
triver did not try .to stop the mule,;
ut threw the :lines at him and
oined the frog tribe. At least they '
ay they jumped, but aeeording to I
he evidence of an. eye witness they
ust rolled out of those,. buggies,
cme against telephones posts, some
a mud holes. Such a tangle up as
iey did have! but when. they all
lled themselves out and raked off .
me of .the mud, they found that all ~
ad escaped serious injury; n'othing
iore than- a few lost buttons and
kinned noses and torn up buggies.
~ut my! how scared they. were. d
''Students." K
Clock Stuttered, Too. r
A droll sort of a fellow, given to
~utteriing, met an old college chum ii
a the street. They had some hours p,
>gether and other things. As - the
ardy one stealthily asended the f
~airs on reaching home, out of the o
arkness came his wife's voice: a
"What time is i " she asked, *b
~ernly.
'ItJ is j-j-j-j-just 1," he stammered. t
The words were scarcely uttered
hen the. old fashioned clock on the e
anding gave four laborious strokes. S
''Do you hear that?" she asked,
iarply.
''But my d-d-dear," he rejoined
[easantly, ''y-you mustni't mind L
at c-c-clock. It's i-I-I-like me. "- e
acess Magazine. .B
- Lti
Sighitseeing With 'Reservations. Iv
Out of the Grand Central station pi
the other day came a couple the
sight of whom caused citizens who
saw them to admit to themselves
that there- might be, after all, some
basis of truth in the "Uncle Josh"
jokes of the allegedly funny papers.
The old man grasped his carpet bag
and bulging green umbrella firmly,
and looked up and down the street,
his mouth agape.
"There's a heap o' sights in New
York, I guess, Maria," he said. "I
misdoubt if we see them all."
The old lady's mouth set grimly.
"Well, Silas," she replied, and
her manner was more than signifi
cant, "bein' as I'm with you, there's
-some, I expect, that you ain't going
to see!"--Lippinott's.
Why Complain?
Chicago Record-Herald.
"Do you know, Mary, that we
are spending every cent I earnt"
"Well, I don't see why you should
complain. All the other people in
our -set are spending a good deal
more .than they earn-. What's the
use being so penurious?"
How to Know Twins.
The Beverly twins, Fred and
Frank, were such exact counterparts
of each other that none of the neigh
bors could tell them apart, and even I
their mother sometimes had har I
doubts. The resemblance is aeen-1
tua-ted, by the fact that they are
dressed 'exactly alike.
"How in the world can you your
self tell which is which, Mrs. Bever
ly?" asked a caller one day.
"To tell the truth," she answered,
"I can't always; but if I ar a
noise in the pantry and I eall out,
'Fred. is that vou?' and he says, 1
'yes, mamma.' I know it's Frank,
and that he's in some kind of mis
chief. "-Youth's Companion.
More Names in Stock.
The school census taker stopped
at a little hut in the mountains. of
Kentuekyi and addressing the moth
er of an unusually large floek of
3hild.ren said:
"Madam, I am taking the sehool
eensus. How many children have
you hetween the ages of six and"
"Lemme see," she broke in;
"there's Katy an' Mary, a_' Annie
an' Lucy, an' Carrie an' Rob, an'
Jake, an' Will, an' Harry, an'
Jim. "-She paused for breath and
hier caller made haste to say:
"Now, madam, if you could just
give me the number"
"Number!" she snapped; "num-'
ber ! We ain't commenced numbe'rin'j
yet.. thank ye. We ain.'t run out o'
names. "-Clevela.nd ILeader.
- "Horrid.'.'
He had just completed the reading
>f her letter in whieci she returned
21s ring and requested. the return of*
1er gifts.
"All that you1 have given me,1
which seems of ahy value, is the lock
>f hair I am inclosing and which
will serve you as a souvenir of the'
ime you were a blonde.'"-Ex-I
~hange.
Stepmother and Foreigners..
Children's answers to historical
~uestions are samtimes illuminating.
'he girl who, when aske~d for a
~haracter of Queen Mary, replied:
':She we; as wilful as a girl' and
ruel as '. r >rm: but .viia: ean you
xpect f' ym a pe:';m w no :iad five
~tepmotD1 rs?". s' m:'ed a logical
ind. Sometimes they allow their
>atriotic feelings unduly to bias,
hem, This was the case with -an
tmeriean boy who, called upon to1
tame tthe first man, answered,
'Washington.'" When~ reminded of
idam, 'he protested: "Oh, we don't
ount foreigners.'"-London Chron
sle.
Style.
"The late Richard Watson Gil
er," said a New York poet, "al
rays opposed the reading of light
.terature." A poet, he said, cul d
ot read sueh literature without cr-|I
ptir:g h-is literary style. (
"He once told me that the poet,
i this respect, 'was like Brown's
arrot.
Brown bought a parrot for $20|
om a pet stock dealer, and a week I
e two later returned to the shop|
nd insisted th'at the bird be taken1
ack.
"What's the matter with it"
i'e dealer asked. I m
" 'W-w-'why,' said Brdwn, 'th e- es
ritter st-stutters.' "-Washington. hi
tar.
No Favored Ones. ai
There joined the police force of
an
ondon a you'ng Scotchman but re-a
ntly arrived from his native land. l
eing detailed one day to .bloek the
affe on a certain thoroughfare m:
ee members ~of' ojalty were ex- let
at;d in mas he was accosted by a
Blank
Journals,
Day E
Record
Cash E
'Time- I
Order ]
Letter Copy
Letter Fi
Memora
IMay es'
STO
City Oper
Friday Evenir
). Hoke Leonard's Spe
Aice In 'V
Auspices Civic
50-Great Castr
Beautiful Costumes
Dazzling Colored (
New Songs, New Marches,
.Twenty Musical
Adrmissioni: 25, 35
VIles! IIh
I will have a<
First Class Mule
to arrive next Frida
ome to my barn in r,
'Hous
B. A..H A
lady hurrying to keep an appoint- i
nt, wo thrust her head from the
rriage window to remonstrate with maCo
m over the delay.
"I eanna let you pass, ma'am, eie'
iswered the manm of the baton. u
"But, sir, you do not know who I den
. I am the wife of a cabinet min- tihe
"It disna mak' *na difference for
i'a." he answered. "I couldna
you pass if you were the wife of
Prehterian minister.'-X. f'
BooksI
U-N
Ledgers
looks
looks
Books
looks.i
ing Books
les aind
ndums
de
Book
REj
ig, Jan. 21
Asociation~
eat Coum:
FJaborate Properties ~
altufi Eects >2
New.Speciaties,
[and 50 cents .
8M I
ar load of ~
y. Prices right.
ear of new
VI RD.
)TICE FINAL STIMN
otie is hereby gives I1O3d
te final settlement in the
irt for Newberry County,9
dnesday, February 9th; 1910, at
ren o'cloek in the forenoon, ~as
.rdian of the estate of Kate Be,
baugh, and will immediately..
reafter apply for letters dis
r as guardian of said estate and
said minor'
Nancy A. Bed
Guardian-Kate
.n.10.4t ta.