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• / . r Thursday, March 1, 1951 THE CLINTON CHRONICLE Page Three COMMENT ON MEN AND THINGS By The Spectator Editor Latimer of “The State” pub lished an editorial study recently of the per capita State tax in the var ious States. AccoodSng to the figures cited by Mr. Latimer, we South Car- '4 olinians are neither the most highly taxed, nor yet the most.favored; our tax- is $48.80, Florida’s taxes, when divided by the number of citizens, amount to $73.90 for each citizen, as compared with $35.56 six years ago. Mr. Latimer, who wishes always to be fair and accurate, as well as gracious and generous, remarks that he does not know exactly what may be the reason for the doubling of the Florida tax, nor just what may be in cluded in the present tax. The Florida people take comfort in the fact that California’s State tax imposes a burden of $87.54; Louis iana’s tax on each individual is the highest—$96.70. The dkftficulty here is that these figures indicate vaguely a certain amount of revenue, divided by the number of citizens. If we had a hun dred more mammoth textile plants in this State, like those of Joanna and Greenwood; and a hundred more taxpayers like the Power Companies, our income would be so much great er that, our per capita tax might or might not be higher, depending on the Legislature’s resistance to pres sure groups. But .even though our per capita part might seem higher, the actual taxes paid by the individual might be lower. There is another factor of special importance in considering the bur den of taxes; that is the very point suggested by Mr. Latimer, namely, what does the State of Florida in clude in the so-called per capita av erage? For example, suppose the State of South Carolina should wipe out all local school taxes and assume full charge for all bus service and pub lic road service. Even without in creasing the cost by one dollar we would have much higher state per capita taxes, though with reduced county taxes. So it is difficult to judge one state by another, unless we have all the facts. Year by year our General Assem bly has authorized the taking over of more county roads, a larger part of the school bus service, more pay for the teachers. In theory this in creases the State load on each cit izen and reduces the county and lo cal taxes. It works out to increase the state load but seems to strike a snag or two before it reaches the counties. In spite of all the State’s contribution my county school taxes went uiJ six mills last year! Some weeks ago I quoted The Newberry Sun to show that the taxes of Lex ington county were higher under a new school program that was almost guaranteed to reduce costs! What I am moved to inquire is this: how much must the State spend in order to result in lower county and school taxes, If the sales tax of three per cent should produce $30,000,000 a year, or $20,000,000 or $50,000,000, would it reduitt county taxes? Our people do not usually refer to school taxes as county taxes. I pay, for example, forty mills in district 9 of Clarendon county, for school pur poses; an increase of six mills under a plan of economical adjustment, con solidation, that was expected to re duce the taxes! Nobody seems to put his mind to the problem of reducing taxes; ev erybody has a budget; and every budget calls for more. . Someone tells me that the planned Sales Tax would be used to increase teacher pay $2,500,000 and allocate $6,500,000 for something else con nected with the schools. That total— $9,000,000—seems to be something guessed at; but even that would leave jan expected $21,000,000. Does anyone expect a reduction of $21,000,000 in taxes, real estate, individual income, corporation or generation? No, we must have a few millions to play with; we must match the Federal Government with some brand of boondoggling; we must build more county hospitals and sink more counties in debt; or we must expand the bloated welfare service to the point otf providing special funds, perhaps for expectant illegiti mate fathers, since we now encour age the mothers, apparently. What happened to all the surplus millions we had two or three years ago? A little prudence, a bare, wee bit of common, horse sense and our state would still have millions on hand! We have before us for adoption a plan to issue $75,000,000 in bonds and a proposed Sales Tax of 3%, ex pected to yield $30,000,000, or a big juicy melon or old-time slush fund of many millions! We try to bring in more indus tries; we need them; but what about those we have? Let’s encourage them, too. But the poorest advertisement in the world is increasing taxes. Since .1945 this State has received nearly three quarters of a billion dollars in plant expansion and new industries. Yet, in spite of more and more in come taxes, more and more of cor poration taxes, we can’t think of anything but new taxes and more taxes! Don’t create a job unless it is so necessary that the State would ruin without it. Once a man gets a job nis bread and meat depend on it; his wife and children must be sup ported by it; so it is a calamity, a tragedy, when that job is eliminated, even though it was never worth a nickel to the state! Even if the job holder were like the railroad em ployee tapping the wheels of the coaches when the train came in. One i day he saw the superintendent ob serving his ■ tapping and thought the superintendent might be in good spir its, so he said: “Chief, don’t you think I ought to have a raise? I’ve been on this job twenty years, and without one cent raise.” The superin tendent asked: “What is your job”? “I taps the wheels”. “Why”,? asked the Superintendent. “I don’t know,*’ replied the man. “Twenty years ago I was told to tap thefcn wheels, and I bin tapping ever since.” By the way, not every other State has a Sales Tax; and some have two per cent; one has one per cent. A very interesting study of this by Mr. E. W. Capen will be useful to all who are interested. In buying a shank half of ham, have about two inches of the shank bone cut off. Then, when you make soup from the bone, you’ll be able to get the bones more easily into the average-sized kettle. Backbones on pork loin roasts should' be loosened before you leave the butcher. Carving this roast will be an easy matter since you need only the knife between each rib. Serving spareribs will be easier if you have the ribs cracked in several places before they’e cooked. Short ribs should be cut off on rib roasts, or the bones should be crack ed. The backbone should also be loosened by the butcher, and it can be removed in the kitchen before you bring the meat to the table. If you’re serving fried chicken, have dark meat pieces on one side of the platter, and Ifght on the other. Then on one will have to poke around looking for his or her preferance. Carving any roast or fowl is milch simpler if the meat does not slip around the platter. It can be anchor ed on a board that his nails long enough to hook into the roast. The piece of wood used should be small enough to fit a platter easily. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Egg Foo Young ! (Makes 12 cakes) 1 cup coarsely chopped cooked chicken 2 tablespoons butter 1 can bean sprouts, drained 1-2 cup chopped onion 1-2 cup chopped .celery 1 tablespoon finely chopped green pepper 6 eggs, slightly beaten 1 teaspoon salt Brown chicken lightly in butter. Add bean sprouts .onion, celery and green pepper. Cover and cook a few minutes until onion is transparent. Cool slightly. Spoon chicken-vegeta ble mixture into beaten eggs, strain ing out liquid in bottom of pan. Add salt. Mix thoroughly. Pour about 1-4 cup mixture in hot fat, about 1-2 inch deep. Flatten “cake” to 1-2 inch thickness. Cook until brown on both sides, turning once. Drain and serve hot with soy sauce. I ops t <) r quality tops for q u a 1 i t y tops for quality THE CHRONICLE Completely Covers Clinton’s Trade Area for Advertisers There Is No Substitute for News paper Advertising Pepti-Cola Company, Long Itland City, N. Y. AMERICA’S BIGGEST COLA VALUE! When you buy^the big, BIG 12-ounce bottle of Pepsi Cola, you get TWO FULL GLASSES in every bottle -- yet you ALSO get top quality in every drop. Ounce for ounce, no finer cola! So today, tomorrow, ALWAYS — buy America’s BIGGEST cola value: Pepsi-Cola! Whenever you shop, always take home six big, BIG 12-ounce bottles of Pepsi-Cola for the family! TWELVE full glasses—plenty for all! No Finer Value at Any Price! pi PROFESSIONAL NOTICE I am returning to limited active practice immediately and will be associated with Dr. E. W. Tucker in our same office in the Hodges Building. I will do the combined j Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat work. Office hours on Mon- j i# day, Thursday and by appointment. Phone 4726. Dr. j Tucker will also continue to do Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat : work. C. E. CROSBY, M. D. I GREENWOOD, S. C. ;i. L ## WWIHHHMHWHRimiHHHCiMCWIICHBIHMWacXHBXIWIWHeaiRXKKacWBCKRKRwl Say "I Saw It In The Chronicle" — Thank You! PEPSI-COLA BOTTLING CO. GREENVILLE, S. C. GIVE ME IMS 51 DODGE kr long life... dependability MIDWAY Drive-In Theatre NEWEST AND FINEST CLINTON — JOANNA it i.t I § :: jj % ff a i.t s my : jX ’ x c Sy.v>SK k -y y ■ v v' y* .. . £ • . • V V V V : .y.xtyt-.y •••. 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