The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, July 09, 1913, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3
REPLY TO COL. MOORE BY NEW
COUNTY COMMITTEE
The following is the reply, of tho
committee of the proposed new
county with Woodruff as tho coun
ty seat, to the letter of Gol. T. J.
Moore, whi?U uppeared in the
Spartanburg Herald several weeks
ago and which was coppied iu this
paper:
To the Spartanburg Herald:
Col. Moore assures us that as
ihe has been cat off into the pro
posed new county, he has taken
it upon himself to investigate the
running expenses of counties, and
proceeds at once to lay down the
proposition that the new county
would start out. poorer than Spar
tanburg was at the close of the
Confederate war; as for the latter
statement, until the Colonel can
produce the figures in support of
this we will be compelled to be
suspicious of this statement and to
rely on the overwhelming weight
of authority which our older men
and forefathers have handed down
to us; that Spartanburg county,
along with the other counties of the
state at that period, was poverty
stricken, whereas tho venerable col
onel himself says that the new
county will start with $3,000,000
assessafble property; the real facts
being that the assessable property
will be between $3,500,000 and
$3,750,000, more closely approxi
mating the latter; the further
facts being that if the colonel had
taken the trouble to look into the
matter he would 'have been com
pelled to tell you that the new
county would start out with more
assessable property than has any
new county since the constitution
of 1895, under which such coun
ties are formed.
Now we find from the comptrol
ler-general's report for the pres
ent year covering values for 1012,
that of the nine new counties
formed since the constitutional
convention only three of that num
ber had last year as much assess
able property as the proposed new
?county will start with, and most
of these six counties have been run
ning for 17 years; here are your
figures, taken from pages 93 and
94. Comptroller-general's report
for 1913:
Total taxable property for year
commencing January 1, 1912 :
Bamberg $3,080,190
Calhoun 2,521,110
Cherokee 5,537.30 \
Dillon 3,770,972
Dorchester 3,185,952
Greenwood G,S03,092
Jasper 2,467,442
Dee 3,423,749
Saluda 2,619,462
Have you heard of any of these
counties being poverty stricken
and have any of the citizens of any
of the above counties who have told
you that their counties are not as
prosperous as any of the old coun
ties in their section?
If you have investigated these
?matters, as colonel says he 'has,
you will find that the county af
fairs of these new counties have
run on a smaller tax levy than
have those of the older counties
from which they have 'been cut,
and at a less levy than have coun
ties in the same section that have
not been cut.
The colonel being a wise man
leaves himself a prop on which to
fall back when the facts come out,
and this prop is, "If the same ef
ficiency now prevailing is to be
maintained." This efficiency evi
denty nowhere exists except in
the author's mind, and we are
sure the other readers of this
article have never before heard
of Spartanburg county's af
fairs being hold up as a mod
el, and when the taxpayer sees that
the estimate for running tho coun
ty for the year 1913 is $174,440
see page 245, Comptroller-Gener
al's report for 1913, the word "ef
ficiency" loses its charm, for he
knows that the county's business
-yhas gotten to be so large that
one man or set of men, how
capable, can administer per
Lily the affairs of a county
has gr
\ one
reaching from Landrum to Cross
Anchor.
Now let us see what some of the
new counties estimates are, from
the Comptroller-General's report
for 1913, transmitting the differ
ent county board's estimates, we
.find that they estimate they will
require the following amounts to
run their counties this year:
Bamberg.$18,315
(See page 203)
Calhoun. .. ... . .18,870
(See page 207)
Dillion. 29,200
See page 217)
Jasper.17,850
Sec page 223)
Saluda.21,130
See page 214)
These counties are well set up
for housekeeping and are running
their affairs on from one-tenth to
one-sixth as much as Spartanburg
county and on a smaller levy. By
reference to the Acts of General
Assembly for the present year are
as follows:
For all county purposes:
Mills.
Spartanburg county 7 1-2
See page 252)
Bamfberg county 6
See page 214)
Calhoun county 5
See page 220 )
Dillion county 7 1-8
See page 229)
Jasper county 4
See page 241)
Saluda county 7,
See page 252)
"He who runs may read", even
though he 'be looking for an "uu
'business Hike proportion.'-'
We are sure the colonel does not
care to mislead one intentionally,
and has been watching the press
closely to see him explain a new
county, assuming its proportionate
share of the public debt, does not
moan that it will have to pay one
cent more of it than it would were
it to remain a part of the old coun
ty.
Now let us look a liltlo further
and see whether or not the assessed
valuation of property will have to
be increased in order to keep the
levy down. It has been stated,
not by the colonel, however, "that
no doubt you people can show that
new counties have run their af
fairs on a smaller levy than old
ones, but the way it is done is by
increasing the assessed valuation
of property": in fact, we have
hoard it stated that in Cherokee
county farming lands are assessed
at $15 per acre. Now let's go again
to the tax books and get facts, not
hearsay. By referring to the
Comptroller-General's report for
years 1911, 1912, 1913, you will
find the farming lands in Spar
tanburg and Cherokee assessed as
follows:
-Per Acre ?
1910, 1911, 3912
Spartanburg
county . $6.17 $6.17 $6.19
Cherokee
county . 5.05 5.07 5.08
Spartanburg \s
excess.$1.12 $1.10 $1.12
You will find farm buildings as
sessed as follows:
Spartanburg county (per build
ing)?1910, $181.52; 1911 $182.80;
1912, $184.83.
Cherokee county- per 'binding?
1910, $84.19; 1911, $96.51; 1912.
$96,96.
Spartanburg'* excess?1910,
$97.33; 1911, $86.29; 19^2, $87.
87.
(For .above computations see
Comptroller-General's report for
1911, pages 503, 504; for 1912,
pages 973-974: for 1913, pages
85-86.;
Since the above was written our
attention has been called to a ta
ble of comparison of tax values
over tho state, gotten up from tho
Comptroller-General's books by
TTon. J. W. Canfield. auditor of
Greenwood county, and appearing
in full in the Laurons Advertiser
Juno 25, 1013. From this table
is extracted the following:
Average Assessable Values.
Spartanburg county?Lands per
acre, $6.18; horses and mules, $88.
10; cows, $11.19.
Laurens county?Lands, per
acre, $5.26; . horses and mules,
$16.34; cows, $9.69.
Groenvillo cfounty?Lands, per
acre, $5.23; horses and mules,
$39.39; cows, $9.75.
Cherokee county?Lands, per
acre, $5.07; horses and nudes,
$50.22; cows, $11.61.
"In the name of the great god,
"Justice," Mr. Spartanburg
County farmer, get your gun and
shoot somebody."
Let us follow the colonel fur
ther into his realms of speculation
and be exceedingly practical, as
would measure up to the colonel's
standard. He assumes that Spar
tar. --"- county's levy is 7 mills;
however,^,*? proper levy is 7 1-2
for 1913 (see Acts 1913, page 252).
Now let us apply this proper levy
to our assessable property of $3,
750,000, and this Avould give us
$28,125 from that surce; we pre
sume that $3,000 ought to be
realized fonm commutation road
tax, especially as there will be only
'three small incorporated towns in
the territory, viz: Switzer, Reid
ville and "Woodruff, so the coun
ty roads will get the benefit of there
being very few people incorporat
ed. Just here now we will say that
the citizens of Laurens county
pay $1.50 commutation road tax,
but the above $3,000 is estimated
on the basis of $1, as in Spartan
burg county. We presume also
that the fines from magistrate's
courts will amount to $1,000 per
year; from circuit court fines and
clerk of court's licenses there
should be $1,000 (Spartanburg
county estimates she will get $7,
500 from the two latter sources
(set' Comptroller-General's re
port, 1913, page 245) so this will
make a total of $33,125.
Now we do not intend for the
tax levy to be as high as Spartan
burg's but let us take the colonel
at his own word and figure on this.
The citizens of the town of Wood
ruff are pledging themselves to
give $25,000 to build a court
house and jail, and whereas this
may not be as much money as the
colonel would put into such were he
going to put it in "the great city of
Spartanburg," but it will be am
ple to furnish good dignified hous
ing for our county for twenty
yeai*s, and by that time Spartan
burg will probably have one cost
ing $200,000. and will spread it
over the Magnolia street school
building lot, which the chamber of
commerce of that city is endeavor
ing to get the county-board to take
over at a figure around $50,000.
When we assure you that the
school building at Woodruff only
cost a little more than $15,000, we
are confident that the most exact
ing will agree that a building like
it, will fill the bill, especially as
j $5,000 could be added to that and
the remaining $5,000 put into a
jail. Several of the citizens of the
town have offered to give a free
site.
Bui to get back to the question.
Now the colonel didn't mean to
mislead you in quoting the sala
ries of the auditor and treasurer
at $2,000 and $1,500. but the col
|onei ought to have gone further
and told you that the county only
pays one third of the salaries of
these officers?each of them in
Spartanburg county gets $2,100.
Living in the now county will be
cheap, and we are sur.npetenl
men can be found for these offices
for $1,200 a years in fnet. twonty
three counties in the state pay
them that or less. Here is n sug
gested budget which scorns to he
a proper one in several counties:
For county auditor? t
| County's share $400
For county treasurer
County's share 400
For county supervisor
and commissioner 1,500
For county board of
equalization 150
For jury, witness and
constables tickets 1,200
For clerk of court and
register combined, not
to include fees 200
For sheriff 1,000
For magistrates and con
stables $1,400
For coroner 100
For poor house and poor 500
For roads and bridges 10.000
For books, stationery and
printing 300
For contingent expenses 500
For post-mortem examin
ing and conveying lunatics 300
For jail expenses 500
Total amount to be
raised by taxation $18,450
Please note colonel that we have
provided $10,000 for roads and
bridges, and we are sure you will
agree that this amount is as much
as has annually been placed in the
area cut off?but our amount rais
ed ?s per levy, etc., was $33,125 so
we have a surplus of $14,675 to our
credit and were we to place this
on our roads and bridges would we
ever have to dream of half a mil
lion dollar bond issue for such, as
yoti did a few years back, and in
pursuit of the dream tried to place
on the county ?
Now the trouble, colonel, is that
your point of view is that of the
75 horse farmer, who can conceive
of no business being business unless
it is stupendious, and you have lost
sight, of the fact that our most, effi
cient fanners, as well as other
classes of citizens are those of
medium size, who do not have to
theorize, but can give the details
of their business their personal at
tention. oYld who really know what
a dollar means and what it can do.
Colonel, if we out the nice ex
pensive bri(lge>?y"olV, as enumerated
by von, wiJJ ihev not belong to us;
and even were there as many and
costly as you claim, don't you think
that they would be replaced more
quickly by being at the very door
of the county seat than having to
wait several years, as at present?
You enumerated 20 brides which,
according to your estimate, cost
$51,000: one of these you note has
been replaced, so this reduces your
cost to $49,000. Wc have not the
figures at hand, but arc reliably in
formed that one bridge on Pacolot
cost $14,000, and rather expect it
would not be difficult to find others
close by costing $10,000 each, so you
have five bridges costing more than
you give the new county, or if
you give the new county, or if you
prefer add the cost of several of
the fine concrete arch bridges
around Sparenburg and you will
not have to add far until you have
your amount-?in saying "it is pro
posed to saddle us with nearly all
the costly bridges in the county."
What, county do you mean? We
are sure you did riot maeti to imply
to your reader.-, that the bridges
on%norce river aro owned by Spar
tanburg county wholly. Now, col
onel, aren't these the facts about
the bridges in Spartanburg coun
ty? There are over 125 large
bridges in the county and the area
cut off in the proposed n* w coun
ty will include between 35 and 40
of them, which takes in the bridges
on Enorco river, which are only
half-owned by Spartanburg coun
ty?
Now let us ask you if it is i>"t
a fact that sonn? five or six years
ago Spartanburg county raised
$100.000 with which to pay up her
indebtedness:, and after doing so
had a small surplus from that
amount ? You say now that her
debt is $375,000 and we hoar it
explained that this was incurred in
building back bridges, now let us
suppose that every one of the
bridges enumerated by you. viz..
$23,560 wholly in Spartanburg
county and one-half cost of those
on Kno.ee river, or $12,700, making
a total of $30,250, had all been
washed away ill that time, which
hasn't been the case, from this
please state how you explain the
$375,000 debt, and especially how
you arrive at the conclusion that
the area cut off will have nearly all
the costly bridges in the county.
We note in your article in The
Herald on June 25 that you lind
Cherokee bankrupting itself by is
suing $47,500 bonds to meet de
ficiencies incurred from building
bridges and for ordinary county
expenses; by referring to Acts of
General Assembly for 1900, page
308, you will lind that Spartan
burg county, "for the puiposo of
providing sufficient funds for the
payment of the floating indebted
nes of the county of Spartanburg,
and for the building of bridges
therein: (the words are those of
the act itself), bonded herself for
$250,000.
"Pluck the beam out of thine
own eye" and you will probably
find the moat in Cherokee county's
eye a splinrcr in comparison. As
long as Cherokee county, with $5
537,503 assessable property in
in 1913 only has to issue $47,500
in bonds and Spartanburg in 1909
with $18,000,000 assessable has to
issue $250,000 bonds with which to
do identically the same thing, we
are sure the colonel will have to
place deeper into bankruptcy his
own efficient county and pray
for the homestead.
The colonel taunts us that all we
would have to do is to go to the
auditor's or supervisor's books,
and to the Comptroller-General's
reports, indeed he claims that, he
has found from the latter that in
1910 Cherokee county paid 5 1-2
mills and Spartanburg county 5
mills county taxes: we know of no
way thai laxes can be levied ex
cept by an ad passed by the legis
lature, and on page SO!) of the Acts
of l!)lo we find that Cherokee
county paid 6 1-2 mills county
taxes for the year 1910, and mi
page 830 of the same nets we find
that Spartanburg county paid 7
1-2 mills county taxes for the year
1010. If the Comptroller-General
or the county auditors of these
two counties in sworn statements
will say these are not the facts,
then the writer promises Col.
Moore that lie will vote against
the formation of the new county.
We do not know how the col
onel arrived at the figures quoted,
but we submit that any fair-mind
ed, reasonable man will agree that
the only honest way to arrive at
the facts in regard to taxation, is
to' take tin' average levies for the
whole life of a new county and
compare them with the average
levies of the old COUn*'0S cut for the
same, period. Now we have shown
yOU that property assessed at a
lower rate in Cherokee county
farming lands at from $1.10 to
$1.12 less, farm buildings at, half,
horses and nudes $37.70 per
head less, and cows at about
the same figure. Now, by taking
the total levies for the whole life
of Cherokee county, from 1800
down to and including 1913, and
getting the average for both coun
ties for that time you will find that
for that time Spartanburg county
has paid an average of 0.80 mills.
Cherokee county an average of 5.88
mills for county purposes, If there
be. any other way under the sun
by which to roach a just conclusion,
please State it.
The colonel in his June 25 ar
ticle in The Herald cites the
board's estimate for the present
year, and finds an item therein of
$5.oi)() for past indebtedness?
now. the colonel only had to look
on page 241 of the Acts of G( neral
Assembly for 1013, which is law
ami not estimates, and he. would
have found that Jasper county's
levy for the year 1013 is only 4
mills in nil for county purposes;
so colonel if your estimate is cor
rect and Jasper county can pay
i
a past indebtedness of $5,000 land
run the county on ft 4 mill le\<y,
don't you think that is the nuxst
tangible and conclusive arguments,
you can find for smaller counties tv
By referring to page 1913, covering
values for 1912, you will find that
Jasper county lands are assessed
at $2.06 per acre.
Article XI., section 6, of the
constitution of 1895 says that the
poll tax in this state shall bo ono
dollar, so we presume the colonel
would have his renders be imposed
upon to believe it could be greater
in a new county.
Now we are sure the colonel did
not mean commutation road tax,
for he would only have to refer
to the statutes to find that only a
few of the counties in tho state
pay over two dollars, and that all
of these are old counties -Lancas
ter, $3.00; Lexington, $3.00 Ches
ter. $2.60; 1 lorry, $3.00 Charles
ton, $3.00.
What the colonel (meant was
probably this; that the area cut off
in the proposed ney county hasn't
had much work done on its roads
in the past and that in order to
keep step with the progress which
the new county will have to bo
spent on the roads, and in this wo
agree with the colonel, but dear
sir, it' we get. placed on the roads
which are coming to us you will
have a nice 30 foot road reaching
this way as well as north of you,
Colonel, by taking a piece of pa
per nnd adding 318, the number
of miles of road In Beech springs
township in 1910, to 317. the num
ber in Cnmpbollo township for flie.
same time, you will get in these
two townships as much mileage as
there will be in the proposed new
county.
The colonel perorates by para
phrasing Patrick Henry's "(Jive
me liberty or give me death." And,
whore Patrick Henry was at the
time clamoring for separation
it may not be amiss to dig furth
er into (but famous speech and lind
these words. "Gentlemen, I know
of no way by which to judge tho
future except by the past." Using
this touchstone of reason, all we
ask is that all reasonable, fair
minded, honest. forward-looking
(not backward-looking) men take
the table containing the total
I assessable property of the new
comities and old counties, from
which they have been cut, and
counties in the same sections,
which have not been cut, and com
pare the average tax levies of these
counties; and then, if such men do
not lind it conclusively proven that,
new counties pay less taxes than
obi ones, then the only other con
clusion they can reach is that fig
ures lie.
This comparative table has been
gotten up for us at a large expense
of time and money by a former
imomibcr of the Comptroller-Gen
erals department in order that the
people may know the truth; it is
now in the hands of the printers
ami will be given the people both
in circular form and through the
press.
W. P. BRYSON,
L. H. LRBY,
K. A. BE A SON,
T. W. GR \Y.
T. W. COX.
.TN'O. M. GRAY,
S. LVr. KILOORE,
New County Committee.
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