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!??' ?< '** I The Camden Chronipi f It. ^ *DUK mum CAROUWA. FRIDAY,' SEPTEMBER 11, 1936 NUMBER 25 ~~ Beattie Talks To Rotary On Taxation Assessing a tax on real property, M ? method Of securing revenue for . ,upport of the state government, is w obsolete and antiquated "as the bstblng suit your mother wore," declared A. J. Beattie, comptroller general of Boutb Carolina, in an address here Thursday before the Camden RoI tary club. The address wag made at the Camden Hotel where the club meeting was held. "Moreover, it (s the most unjust and inequitable method In use, and is being continued because u always bag been," the state official continued. Id his Opening remarks, he spoke of the modern methods employed In banking, manufacturing, farming and merchandising, adding, "But In one of the largest enterprises in Which the public Is Interested, and by which every citisen ie affected, we find some of the methods which have been in use for centuries still being used." Under the assessing of a tax on property, "No two taxpayers In any community are taxed on the same basis, for the reason that no two will have the same idea about the value of the property to be taxed and In such caseB the most persuasive speaker will probably have the lowest assessment," Mr. Beattie said. "There is no scientific method for arriving at a uniform valuation of property,, and the result Is a wide variation In the amount of taxes paid by taxpayers in the same community." "The theory of taxation," he said, "is based on one's ability to pay but nothing is further from conforming to this theory<vthan Imposing a tax on tangible property. One's ability to pay can best be measured by his financial Income, and, In fact, Is the only method by which it should be gauged." Further on he said, "I believe in collecting a tax on every transaction and collecting the tax at the time of the transaction. So far as the state government is concerned we are now doing this to a considerable extent, but county and? municipal. govsrrvment8 still rely on the property tax. Now then, yon may wonder what the county governments woujd do if the property tax were eliminated, and In that connection, I would like to call your attention to a few facts with which you are, perhaps, not familiar. During the current fiscal year there will be expended from the state treasury approximately $11,900,000, not including highway construction, and less than $1,000,000 will come from . property taxes. More than $0,000,000 of this will be expended by the state for county expenses. More than 50 per cent, therefore, of the revenue collected by the. state is already being expended by the counties. If this " is practicable "why hot go the whole way and let the state collect all the revenues necessary to operate county governments and do It by .means, of indirect taxation? "At present the state is paying the teachers' salaries, it is paying for county health work, for vocational education, elections, pensions, collection of taxes, it is paying the salaries of the judges, the court solicitors and stenographers and other activities for the benefit of the county. It could lust as easily extend this to include other ordinary expanses of county Rovernment. Do not understand that I am advocating centralised government. On the contrary, I am opposed to centrfidized government. The state does not want to and should not employ your county officials, nor your school teach-< crs nor supervise the expenditure of your funds locally, but the collection of revenues for this purpose* could he done by the state and If llowers, *e would not now having hanging over the citisens of South Carolina a ' debt represented by unpaid property taxes of approximately 011,600,000. I wcruld not" advocate the assumption by the state of local bond Issueqoillstanding in the Various counties and school districts of the stats. U is necessary to pledge property and prepay taxes for such purposes and this houid be handled locally, but. for purposes the property tax oouid ' * easily eliminated.' ^ . Aq \ "H such a change were made at<< this time it would require a state appropriation bfll of $16,000,000 instead Hi,o0o,ooo. but property taxes now u?e?sed for ordinary county purpos* ? wads, special school levies and the three mill constitutional tax which founts to $llh#0j600 would be rs- 5 movod.and in the neeform? of Indirect taxes could ^e sub . "s _" * ? ,n _ New Cotton Weigher and New Magistrate There being no statewide or counrv ^ M Tt6iU 10 the 8ecoud ry held rueeday not a great deal of Interest was displayed. The result! 7" lear,1<,d ?a*-ly in the evening? about an hour and a half after the Polls closed and the Camden box had I been counted. Alton B. Nelson defeated H. A Hawkins for the office of magistrate a ilaney, the office formerly held by Magistrate J. Donnie Watson. Mr. Watson is now a deputy in the sher-l iff * officg. C. E. Davis defeated M. L. Smith or the office of magistrate for DeKalb township. He will succeed Wade L Stokes who holds the office by appointment, he serving for tho unexpired term of the late magistrate Bennie M. Smith This year saw the cotton weigher's Job for DeK&lb Township put in the primary for the first time, in the .run-off primary in this race, A. L. McLeod, of the Charlotte Thompson community, defeated R. A. Bruce, of the same community. Mr. Bruce has been serving as cotton weigher for the past thirteen years. * The tabulated vote in all three races will be found In another place in this paper. J. G. Boag Sowell Dies At Mt. Pisgah J. O. (Boag) Sowell, 65 year old, resident of the Mt. Pisgah section, died suddenly at his home of a heart attack abbut noon Monday. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Laura Hilton Sowell, a five-year-old daughter. Peggy, and the following children by a former marriage, Roy L. Sowell, Ira Sowell and Ruth Suwell^twp^brpth^ra, 8- M. Sowell and W. P. Sowell, and one sister, Mrs. D. M. McCaskill. Funeral services were conducted at Mt. Pisgah church Tuesday afternoon ?<rtock - with burial in the churchyard. V \t stituted and collected in place of the property tax. ~ D? addition to the indirect taxes now being collected other forms of indirect taxation should be added. My views as to a general sales tax were publicly stated several/years ago and I have had no reason to change these views. There are several thousand people In South Carolina who receive all the benefits of government and who contribute little or nothing to the support of the government. This group is composed principally of salaried people, and there Is no reason why these should not make a small contribution to the support of the government. I realise that there la considerable opposition to the general sales tax. particularly among the merchants who fear that they would have to absorb a considerable portion of^the tax. 1 do not believe, however, that this is borne out by the experience of others In states which have a general sales tax. North Carolina, for example, has a 2 per cent. saJes tax which yields annually approximately $10,000,000.v Great numbers of people from South Carolina do their shopping In Charlotte and other North Carolina cities and pay no attention to the tax they are required to pay. > L _ "Advocates of the property tax frequently have much to say about a tax on Intangible property and statements as to the amount escaping taxation In this form have been greatly exaggerate ed. There is little Intangible property In South Carolina which could be taxed without imposing a doubly tax on tangible property. FofLiaagmpie, a stock certificate in a corpbratlbn Is nothing-mote than a. receipt fa* motley paid Into the corporation. The money, thus pall in having been invested in tangible property on which a tax is already being paid. It Would be Just as logical to tax a title to a tract of land whan the land is taxed " Other form, of lntanjftl* rah *, municipal bonds are specifically ex*IC*pt by law from taxation. If these ?cre made taxable, the increased tax, ea therefrom would be required to pay the increased me of interest, which would follow a t,taxable bond Property i whlch^aia set being taxed aad^uJkAdmal^he taxed are each Mr. Disttn was fx?jy Hiy ry Savage, dr. , City Schools Show Increase in Rolls The new school year for all children of district number one began on Tuesday morning at 0 o'clock. The teachers, however, began work on the previous day with a conference held in the school auditorium, Jtt this meeting all teachers and principals were present. They are listed below: J. Q. Richards, Jr., Superintendent. High School.?L. W. McFadden, principal; C. T. Baldwin, H. A. Small, Agnes Corbett, Henrietta Zepip, Gertrude Strother, Alberta Team, Ethel Murchison, Catherine Murcblapn, Ada Montgomery, Mary E. Hough, Rachel O'Danlel and Irma Seagle. Laurens Street School.?Margaret Burnet, principal; Emily Guy/ Cornelia Oliver, Anna Montgomery, Annie H. Boykin, Louise Cantey, Phebe Schenk. Grammar 8chool.?Susie C. Taylor, Lillie Dempster, Leslie McLeod, Lois I^atham, Margaret Blanding, Ada Ph'elps, Margaret Mills, Emily Zemp, Gertrude Zemp. Pine Tree Hill School.?C. P. Goodyear, principal; Olive Nettles, Virginia Halle, Nan H. Richards, Helen Phelps, Lula Glllis, Bessie L. McCasklll, Lou Pearce. The enrollment in the high school on the opening date was about forty above that of the opening date in 1936. The enrollment In the elementary schools was Just about- the same as on the opening dat^ of last year, j with the exception of Pine Tree Hill school, which shows an enrollment of approximately 20 less. The enrollment b^r schools was as follows: High School 350; 311 last year at opening. Laurens Street 240; 236 last year at opening;-' Grammar School 307; 302 last year at opening. Pine Tree Hill 234; 255 last year at opening. Totals?1131; 1104 last year at opening. The above data shows that the high school Is making rapid growth in . Pumbers, while the numbers In the lower ghr&des remain about the same. The High School enrollment Is . already 20 above the enrollment for the whole year 1936-36. Present outlooks are that the total enrollment this year will reach 370. Blaney Citizen Died Tuesday Edward M. Flaherty, 70, well known citizen of Blaney died there Tuesday after ? long illness. Mr. Flaherty was born at Blythewood, Fairfield county, June 11, 1866. He had been a resident of Blaney for thlrty-slx ' years.' ' "" Surviving him are his widow, Mrs. Minnie Harmon Flaherty; three sons, J. L. and C. M. FHaherty, of Hamlet, N. C.; J, B. Flaherty, of Raleigh, N". C. ; two daughters, Mrs. J. D. Watson, of Blaney, and Mrs. L. P. Rose, of Blaney; one sister, Mrs. Fletcher Faust, of Columbia; and several grandchildren. Funeral services and burial services were held at Blaney Baptist church Wednesday afternoon with services in charge of Rev. J. B. Caston, pastor of the First Baptist church of Camden. Pallbearers serving were: S. W. Rose, A. K. Rose, Jesse T, Ross, S. Ross, John Abbott and M. Perry. Former Citizen Dies at Georgetown \ - - .'a ? Georgetown Sept. 6.?Funeral services for Herman Edward Schroeder, 69, who died Friday, was laid to rest with the Rev. Welborne Summers in charge. The services were conducted In Waihaila where the interment was held. ; Mr. Schroeder, who was a member dt the lAffceran chtfrch, wa* bom in Charleston, and had lived in Georgetown lor the last 16 years. He is survived by his widow; two daughters, Mrs. Rawis Miami, Fla.; and Mrs. 6. Paul Alnsworth of this city; one son, Herman Bdward Schroeder, J*., of Brooklyn. MfM ed*? retW* where he conducted a bakery on South Broad Street He reaped to with his family about Cole Blease May Make Race In 1938 When Former Senator Blease was In Yorhvllle a few weeks ago, having stopped here en route to the Filbert, picnic, View* and Interviews, think tag of the future, asked him to give us an outline or prognostication of future political events as they might be affected in the coming first primary and afterward. Saturday the following tetter was | received from the former governor and we are passing It on as u matter of political Interest. The letter Is dated Columbia, August 27: "You asked me a rather mixed question, but 1 have had a great many similar questions asked me within the last two days and received Inquiries otherwise. I shall answer you as I see matters just now. "From Information received by me from the late Qovernor I. C. Black wood, shortly before his decease, in the law offices of Blease and Merchant at Spartanburg, and from other sources, I believe both Manning and Maybank will be in the race for governor In 1938t If some promises are kept which were made In ths campaign of 1934. 1 also believe that if some promises made then, and some made this year by certain people are kept, that Mr. Pearce may also be in the race, and If some promises made In Charleston at a certain meeting between the first and second primarleatf 1934, are kqpt, we will And out whether certain politicians are men of their word, and we may also find out where a certain candidate's cam paign funds, Intended for him and used for another, went to. Then it Is rumored that there will be a Johnston candidate, and also a highway candidate?so it looks like a full house. This Is not particularly a prediction, yet merely as I see it now. "You know that it has been a long time since the record to elect the runnerup of the previous campaign In the governor's race has been broken, so you see It is my time. Then you' see for years, no one has been elected M his first race for governor and this will not be my first, so the political stars point good for South Oaroljni having a governor next time of experience and ability and who knows mdre people in South Carolina than any other man. Knows more of the history of the state and as much or more of Its geography by actual observation than any other person. Knows the people's needs and wishes and Is better able to supply them than any other South Carolinian. So we call on the old guard, who have never faltered, to rally again and with our new and young recruits move into position for the fight of 1928 and let our motto be 'On to Victory,' for all ot the people and without prejudice or factionalism or religious prejudice and without race prejudence, with equal rights to all and special privileges to none. Air for one and one for all. "Hoping that this will serve your purpose and with my love to all the people, I am as always," etc. Plans Under Way For County Fair Under the supervision and direction of W. F. Nettles, general chairman of the Kershaw County Fair Committee, plans are,rapidly taking shape for the regular annual county fair of Kershaw county, to be held during the week beginning October 12. The premium catalog and fair program is now itt tye bands of the prints er and wlU be ready for distribution at an early date. Next week the public will be advised how those interested may obtain a copy of this catalog. Mr. Nettles and his committee are bending every effort to make this the biggest fair the county has had jwt They are arranging to have the largest and* most elaborate midway attractions that have ever been presented in Camden. u It Is. sincerely hoped that an the folks ail over the county will take an Intelsat In the fair .this year. The fair; belongs to the people of the county ahtr is put on for their benefit. The exhibits heretofore have each year exceeded expectations sad It is hoped thit there will be man more this rear, than ever before. Those desiring to enter exhibits are urged to be dmhM' their plkms and getting their vxkfkite in aWipe. Let's everybody mark on our' calendars that the week of October Iff to Khrehaw County Fair Week, a4| let's et aside several days during that Wyatt Patterson - Captured In Ohio "The law," will get you In the end. as the saying goes. Wyatt Patterson, last of nine prisoners who made a desperate break from the Sumter county State farm on April 7, 1936, was captured about throe weeks ago, your correspomlent learned Sunday afternoon on a visit to the State Farm. He was caught In a beer parlor at Canton, Ohio, as a suspicious character. Fingerprints were made and they tallied with those from Washington. Patterson acknowledged his guilt and did not resist requisition papers. Superintendent John M. Glenn, accompanied by Guards Gilbert Mahaffey and McManus went te Canton for the prisoner. They made the trip In two days, traveling 1,307 miles. Patterson Is now a double-shackled prisoner at the Sumter county farm, scene of his escape. At the tlni? of his capture he was going by the name of James Williams. He along with the other captured convicts, held in the etate penitentiary and In Sumter county will be tried for the attempted murder of Gilbert Mahffey, who was considered mortally wounded at the time. Mr. Mahaffey was brought to the Camden hospital and finally recovered being able to resume his position as guard at the state prison. Nine made their break?six have been captured?thfree .were killed. The break at the time was heralded as one of the most vicious ever occurring at the farms. Six of the fleeing convicts secured rifles. They were objects of a man hunt participated In by Nation al Guardsmen, who slew two of the escapes near Dalzell, the other b*>ing killed at the time of the break. Patterson was sent up for ten ye&rs for burglarizing numerous Camden homes, one of which was Chief of Police W. D. Whltaker's and another was W. Sheorn'B, prominent merchant of Camden and other residences were entered In the nighttime. He was captured by Deputy Sheriff C. F. Cooley and Policeman Alva Hush after a chase near Boykln station, after they had fired several BhotB at him. He was convicted In Kershaw county after a city operative had recognized some of the stolen goods on one of Patterson's female associates. Kershaw People Hurt In Wrecks Several residents of Kershaw were severely injured in wrecks last Thursday, one accident taking plane near Bennettsvllle, while another one happened near Chester. Mr. and Mrs. John Jenkins, Dr. Braslngton and Mrs. John Truesdale were In a car which went off a fill near Bennettsvllle Thursday and Mrs. Jenkins and Dr. Braslngton suffered the ' most painful injuries. They are now in a Bennettsvllle hospital where it Is said they are doing well. Mrs, Truesdale suffered a wrenched back but she was able to return to her home. Mrs. Jenkins is said to be suffering from a broken rib and broken collarbone while Dr. Braslngton suffered a broken rib and head injuries. It Is said that the car went off a fill when three cars filled the road completely. Mr. John Jenkins who was driving the car escaped without Injuries. Dr. Leroy Habenlcht of Kershaw suffered several broken ribs when the car he was drivng skidded and ran into a bridge near Chester. It was said that Dr. Habenlcht was in a serious condition In a Charlotte dxoapltal. Reports from the hospital Sunday Indicated that he had not developed pneumonia but that such development was feared. Mrs. Jenkins, one of the occupants of the car which was wrecked near Bennettsvllle recently recovered from iheuMsmHi nf an automobile ac cident betipent Kershaw and Camden in which she was painfully Injured. L Thompson Msdo Cadet Captain E^tntpn*-:f; Z William Thompson, of Camden, has been made Cadet Captain and Adjutant In the Presbyterian College R. O. T. C. Unit forthe coming year, according to an J^fPftbuncement recently made by Major R. E. Wyeor. Jr.. professor of Military Science and Tactics. Thompson is a senior at Presbyterian College. "4 .Mr. ClylMtm Thanks The Voters 1 take this method of thanking the voters of Kershaw coanty far elect lag me to the offlce bf Clerk of ConM for another term. I deeply appreciate the confidence, shown MP in an these years, and consider it a high compliment that I was allowed to make t)H ? ? ^ Mllh/iiil Ainnal4lae> w *9! net wiuurai onpoviaoi* > .. ^ Very ttW yem*. JAMBS H. CLYBURN ? * 1 >; v . O ;1 y'^j ' ... . 111 1,1) i -i-sa Fine Crops Grown On Two State Farms A Chronicle correspondent was shown over the two State Farms? one loouted In Kershuw county and tho other In Sumter county one day last week. Both farms have been under the superintendency of Captain John M. Glenn for the past fourteen years and the crops this year are unusually good, considering the drouth; On the combined farms he works two hundred prisoners?all negroes. It Is considered some of thi best farming lands In the state and nearly always produces good crops. Nearly everything needed tor the feeding of the prisoners and guards is raised on the farms. There are numerous cows, five hundred head of hogs, shoats and pigs, and be Is planning to kill 250 hogs this winter. The farm has canned 7,000 gallons of okra and tomatoes for winter use. It has under cultivation 700 acres In corn, 12.> acres in cotton, 1,000 acres broadcast roughage, 50 acres in sorghum cane, 20 acres In sweet potatoes, 400 acres In oats, estimated 200 acres ruined In lowlands due to high waters in Watered swamp, 5 acres in turnips, 50 acres In truck, 10 acres planted to watermelons. / The estimated yield #111 be around 2,300 bushels of wheat, corn expected to make 50 bushels to the acre, cottcn estimated to make a bale per acre. One particular 60 acre field has been pstimated to yield 75 baleB. Captain Qlenn is a most courteous gentleman and tokeB pleasure in showing visitors over the farms, which is always Interesting to those who have never visited there before. Mrs. C. C. Herbert; Dies In Hospital Charleston, Sept. 5.?Mrs. Ruth Allen Herbert, wife of the Rev. Chesley C. Herbert, D. D., died in a local hospital tonight. She was 67 years of age. Mrs. Herbert was. born in Florence, a daughter of the late James Allen of Wadesboro, N. C., and Mrs. Julia Marshall Allen of Charleston. She was active In church werk. For years she had been treasurer of the South Carolina Federation of Music Clabs. She was a talented musician and continued her Interest In music throughout her life. She was wj^l known ( In Sumter, Columbia, Spartanburg, Greenville, Camden, Anderaon, Cheater and other South Carolina communities where she and her husband had lived. Surviving, be&Jdes Doctor Herbert, are two sons, the Rev. Chesley C. Herbert, Jr., of Franklin, N. C., formerly of Charlotte; Dr. T. Walter Herbert of Mount Berry, Qa.; toup brothers, James M. Allen of Tuls% Okla.; Dr. W. B? Allen of New York; Hear Admiral H. V. Allen of the United States Navy and Dr. B. M Allen of Florence; two sisters, 8. Julia {A. McCain of San Diego, Calif., and Mrs. J. D. Oilland of Florence. ( Final Picture in Big $15,500 Ebso Contest i i V- Ttyp final picture in the aeries of 1 four which must be titled by entrants in the $15,600 Bsso Picture Title Contest appears in newspaper advertisements during this week. The prize winners #01 receive four $2,000 tuition ocholarshtps to leading colleges or universities, or the equivalent In cash. In addition, 114 cash prises will be awarded. The winners will be selected on the basis of their titles and a short statement of 10 words or less on "I know Ussolene gives greater mileage Manse ? M "Although the final picture appears in newspaper advertisements on September 7th and win thereafter be dieL played at g?w dealers* iiaUops tbd . contest will not dose until midnight , September 80," Bseo Marketers' officials explained. "Any automobile i owner in the eighteen states and the . district of Columbia, in which the Sst mi rtffl fftttr ^Mining contest blanks and the fekW pictures from a deafer. All four . MiyAlMmftua moultsneously. Bach picture Is pasUd inks > allotted space on tbe entry blank, 1 oodfefea Mm for the tttfeA t- end for the accompanying statement^ > as wan as complete contest rules and ' > Instructionlfe^^Miv -1m,*& 1 -- - ' " S3 t ? v- / ; . I .rv 'yfi ' ' ' ' y- 'y