Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

t I VOLUME XXXVI LAURE * MS, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1920. STAT[ TAX SYST[M 8HOULD B[ R[YI[D So Recommends Special In. vestigating Committee ALL PROPERTY - ' BE REVALUED Seport Made to Governor Cooper Recommends Radical Changes in State Taxing System. Would Add Much Taxable Property to the Books . and Reduce Levy. Columbia, Nov. 27.-Carrying rec ommendations that the entire tax sys tem of the state be revised; that all property be revalued in an effort to justly place the burden of taxes; that the state take control of all assessing prerogatives; that an inheritance and income tax could be established; that a general revision of the administra tive scheme of the state at present should be made and hundreds of oth ter recommendations are contained in the report of the joint legislative pom mittee to the governor and made pub lic here today. The committee completed its Work some time ago, but the report was not finished and given out until today. The 1920 General Assembly wppointed the committee to study the tax situa tion of South Carolina thoroughly and the report is very exhaustive, taking up every phase of the government. Senator J. H. Marion, of Chester, is chairman of the committee, and he was assisted by the following temnbers: Senator Christensen, of Beaufort; Senator Laney of Chesterfield; Repre sentative Merry, of Oran ehurg; ide, 'of Marion; Atkinson, of SpartatnturIg. and 'Iiuckinghanm, of Aiken. ,The committee finds "that existing high rates of property taxation can not be ju:dly attributeri to ext'iv:agant app ropriatiolns, or to ineii(ff(ie l t ex peldititres of tihe public fitd '' The report makCo a comnr;)lete survey of the situation that faces Soul a ('aro lina today and take., up in detail stig gested rmt"( diies. Only the 'high slits" '('n be touched in a top.r; Iap: - story. Mlalitn g 'lax Betu11rns ' The connittee admits that t;o fa' as the law is concerned ;ab)ut noiiug the return as to taxes, that the charge of "outlawry" is suhstantiated, and the law is really a dead letter. 'T'ha t all real and personal prpe rty a:; w(I as Intangible property is pitt on the books year after year, grossly tinll(.' valuated, an( that muht('}1 property is not even plut on the books, it; anot he r" conclusion of the commtittee. The law requires "a uniform and eqlual rate of assessment and taxation," but that this law is violated is a "notorious fact, admitted by all," the committee says. "i'Tat a vast attoutnt of the taxable prtopety of the state 1a not upon the tax books at all is not only well known, but Is acquiesced in and openly justilled by3 the majority of outr citizens. The operation of the tax system is somuething lik~e the operating of a mioonishlie still or crackitng safes, the committee says. Unequtal taxation of the farmet' w"ho owns real prtopety atid can not hide it, is charged, as contr'asted with the business man r.~vho has intanigile~ prop erty, Trho prolperty of all kinds ini the state is gr'ossly undervaluca an7 un.. der'assessedl, Is also a liain fact, that should be remedied, the r'epor't says. Oross U~ndervaluation. -Due to gross underfalutation of hpropety, real, per'soniai ando Intangi ble, the committee finds that to raise the small revenueo to run the state governmnt that it r'equires six and two-thirds of the value of the property a year which wvould mean Practieal confiscation, if the true values had been given, which the law says must be the case. Inequality of paying taxes Is atressed by theo report, It showing that for examn9!9 In Abbeville ounty In 1919 three :gold or silver watches were returned at a value of $65 while in L~aurens county 204 Watches were reOtUrrhed at a value of $3655., In Clarendon county in 1919 3,171 dogs at a value of $31,170 'Wore returned, while In Cherokee county only 15 dogs were Itoturned at a value of $225, "There is annthm, fe..ir of t.. I. YOUTHFUL ARTIST CLAIME1 BY .DEATRn Augustus Morton, Young. Man of Greenville, Found Dead in lied at Clinton. Augustus Morton, son of Mrs. W. C. Morton of :Perry avenue, Greenville, and a young artist in his early twen ties, was found dead in bed Monday morning in Clinton. .ir. Morton had been engaged as an artist for the egdvertising agency of Jacobs & Company in Clinton for about three months, having. lived in Greenville previous to that time. As far as could be learned, the young man was missed from his office Mon day morning, and about 10 o'clock, one of his friends went to his room, thinking 'possibly that he was ill there and found him dead in his bed. Coroner Owings went to Clinton Monday and held an inquest over the body 'Letters which the young man left behind gave conclusive proof of suicide and Jury returned/ a verdict accordingly. Mr. 'Morton's family has been in Greenville for about eight years. In addition to his mother, he is survive(1 by three brothers, Thomas and James ton, of Texas. The young man had been in Greenville visiting his mother about a ,week ago and was apparently in good health at that time. lie was a member of St. Paul Methodist church there. NEW OFFI('Elt FOR COTTON ASSOCIATION Mr. 11. 1). Byrd Elected President of Local liranh of American Cottoi Associallon. At the annual meeting of the local branch of the American Cotton Asso elation, held in the court house Friday .Mr. W. 1). lyrd was elected presiden to 5tcceed \r. C. A. Power, who ha. served for two years and ar"ked to h( relieved. M r. A. Ii. Moore was elected vice president and M r 0. O . Lons; see retary and treasuer. Other offileer vhlitei were as follows: .lem bers uotinty Exeentive ('ornmit. Lee: 11. F. Copeind, Itenno; J. Itoy ( raword, .loutvill; ,. A. Adams Cross 11111; A\. )i:ll Gray. Isauirents; \\' \V. Yeargin, ( ray Court.. State Hloard D~irectors of Amtericani I",Xpor~ts and lInpor ts C'ols,1ration1: W, 1). Biyrd, Laurenss; Ilayne II. \V'orlenta Clinton; C. i1. Owings, Owings. erliality resulting fromt this haphziatrd1 tlet hod oif listing andl assessing prop erty that should he brought homte to the icet( le of the, state. It is the little fellow, the small property owner, the boor 1n11n, who is catrryintg the ht'avie end of t he log. The smttall property holder is paying mior in iproportloll to value than the large," the report says and a close investigation was made in several countles to make sure of this statement. The committee finds this to he the ease. Operniloun Is Failure Of the total taxable Property ini 1920 counity real estate alone furnish edl $260,000,000 of the total or $-102, ~f9,9417. Railrtoadl :onflhanies, banks etc., fitrnishedi $120,000,000. Conclud ing its study on the :general propterty tax andl~ the tax scheme the report finds: that the practical opierat ion of the tax system is a failitte; it has promoted and developed an outlaw sys-. tent of levying and collecting the pub.. lie revenuie, whih lilaces the taxptay er in the position of circiumventing the law and is subsersive of habits of goodi citizenship and of the puiblic morals; it has been Ultoductive of gross in eqluality and consistent Injustice In the inciden~ce of the tax burdens uzponj the citizens of the state; it has led to the imuposition of exorbitantly high tax tates that tend to dliscoutrage the own ership1 of property and the Investment of newv capital In the state; as it is nerqw admninistered it has reached the breaking point as a producer of nec essary revenues for the state and Its governmtental sub-divisions. Rclassilcation Act. As a remedy for the -present bungle.. some system the committee recom mends a reclassification act by the general assembly; a revaluation andi a reassessment act by this body; then establish'ment of 'tax maps to ac curately show whore all Property is located apid the price it ia listed at. ( Cont lnted on 'Pg.) RICHEY RESIGNS THREE CANDID, W. R. Richey, Jr., Resigns al and Candidates Ofi At the meeting of City Council held Monday night Mayor W. R. Richey handed in his resignation to take ef fect January 1st and the 'Christmas season will thereby 'find the city in the throes of another election. Mayor Richey has accepted a commission as captain In the regular army and will report for duty in a few weeks. Speculation was rife yesterday as to probable candidates to succeed Mayor 'itichey, !Late yetersday even ing the announcements began to come in and by the time this paper had gone to press last night three names were in. Friends of Mr. W. G. Lan caster, assistant cashier of the En terprise National Bank, announced him both in the regular announce ment column and also ordered a dis 'lay space. Dr. W. H. Dial phoned in his announcement shortly afterwards and later on Mr. Phil D. Huff came up to place his name in the pot. Other citizens, including former Mayor C. M. 'Blabb, Mr. John A. Franks, Mr. R. dlRt. L.OD(E TO SPEIAK (HERtE Will Address County 'I'eachers at Their Meeting Saturday Morning i)r. Lee Davis Lodge, president of Limestoife College, will address the teachers at their monthly meeting in the court house Saturday morning, i )eeember the hI ti. )r. ILodige is one of the leading educators in the state and his address will be of interest not only to the teachers but to the public at large. The d e nill RtI d ;a:-t n :1t.; v'ill imeet. Pirftl 'r w.,il I :: th e 1i (tnce I d i , mea t he n - 7111 ( . gj i ' . .,57, l 2 4i'.i, in I' w our t iiioie. William ('.it in lr .on. irss iii, Nov. 2.-Aftr an 'ill 1"ness of several weekg, Wilam Calvin it-y an Itdid .n da?o nn;a o t 1 o'e lock at his home in C ross 11li I Where he had lived about a year, hav ing moved here from his coun ty home near Mountville. 1847. lie served in thle Con federate war' and in every~ respect was a wor thy and1( honorable ci tir.en. ii is wife who was before marriage .\i iss' E.:ge.. n Ia FlemIng of Lan ford; thriee daugh ters, 'Mis. J1. 10. Wasson of Charleston Mrs. L~. A. Cook, of Slier' City, N. (. and Mr's. Ji. F. Workman of Chester; thiree sons, it. 0. ltiyson of Charles. tonl; 0. M. Biryson, of Cross 111l1, a birother, J. M. 'Bryson, and a nlumber of other relatives surivive to miour n his dleath. Mr. Jlrysoni was a member of the Presbyterian1 church. A large number of sorroin~g friends gathieredl to Pay their last resp~ects as8 the body was laid to rest in Liberty Springs cemetery. Five of 1i i enni radles in aims aIctedl as honorary 'ipallI bearers : W. It. F'ulle r, J. S. Pinson, y* HT. Austin, J- HI. Wasson and (a Mi Hlanna. P'reaching MIssonj Next. Week Rev. J. M. Stoney of Clemson will condluct a Preaching mission at Epi ph'any Episcoqpal church, beginning Monday night, 'D~ec. 6th, continuing each night during the wveek, including Sunday, the 12th. Service begin8 at 1:30 p. mn. A cordial invitation to at tend is extended to every One by the pastor andl congregation. At Wadsworth School. There will be a music recital at tihe WVadsworthm school F'riday' evening, Dec'. 3rd., hwaii n- I . im;a 72. o' o AS MAYOR; iTES ANNOUNCED Mayor to Enter the Army er to Succeed Him. R. Nickels, and 'Mr. Joe F. Smith, have 'been mentioned as possible con tenders in the mayoralty handicap. The election date was not definitely settled yesterday but will be some time around Christmas to comply with the law. Mayor Pro-Tem Albert Dial twill have the reins of the city in charge unti Mayor Richey's successor is named and inducted into ofilce. 'Mayor Richey was elected to office last spring over 'Mr. C. .I. Blabb by a margin of about thirty votes. He Is a World War veteran, having served on the western front as captain in the 371st Infantry. Upon his return home lie was commissioned a major in the reserve corps and has always tak en Interest in military affairs, for a number of years being the captain of the Traynham Guards. lie stood the examination for his commission sev eral weeks ago without letting it be publicly known and the announcement of his decision to re-enter the army came as a surprise to his many friends. CO3DIANI)EltY .ELECTS OFFICEiIS I. t. Nickels Elected Eminent, Con mander. Officers to be Installed Monday Night. At the . nual Conclave of Laurens Commando ; No. 1:3 held Monday evening No . 22nd, the following ofil ("ers ny ere elected1: It. I.. Nic kels, E. C.; M L. L.Smitl, Gen'; S. 11. 'Templeman, Cap't Gen.; L. C. 'Hallc, 'Treasurer; II. H. Roper, Recorder; C. 'T. Squires, Prelate; It. A. Bah, S. W.; L. C. Pat ksd:ale, J. \V.; C. A. Power, St. 13.; 5. 1. I xton, Sw. P.: 'T. I. .\lo'ro ', 7: :1) 0(tV('k1 ia i0ilnhn at, hi iitie xcvi a \5rden: 01. I~Iii~. lli Th i C l aid V lnu F .1tt r lx-ea.t l. radti '\e'il andi~i lor i i te ctlnt' e. VIi l -i Y'h aovie iths Le nsusalled o I a'alil o ( 1 t1el ts alie dir(iia mith ita:u:uiig Atc(, lock ck his (a t -lohcne la rlonC.NI1 \Vill n , x-one eal., hiaith and hne ofs the (unty's e day orning At Is h'come hseven iltes Mrs. Martha Elmore, came to the house an roiid wer fthelr cidy in (loath o the fiont ore h, his iesala i('i' and eye glasses at his side. 'Tw%%o of his children resided with Mr. \ViI liams, Mirs. 'Elmore and -l rank 1.. \ i - Iliams. 'Two oilier clhildren, .11rs. \V 1. Miindy and \Vade II. \Villiams, live in t he same community. llis wife, who w.as a Miss Moirc of thme 'ounity, died a goodl manyI yearis ago. M 1r. Willhias served( dliin g thle war in Comprany C. Tlwenty-seventhi~ South Cao inabttalion. l10 was 70 you old and iwas a mlemiber' of Mount Pleas ant liajtist chuireb of' which lie had bteen a deacon in this clhuirch foir many years. Chbarged WithI Posting (isn, Rloy Saxon, a young white man from time uipper part oft the county, was ar rested biy Sheriff Reld and Deputy Shei'iff Owligs last week on a warrant SWorn ouit by S. M. LAOwe', dleputy slate Sire onmmissloier, on t he chari'ge of posting gins several wveeki; ago whlenm this method or rediucing the ginning figures was resorteud t.> in ia rious t'arts of the count ry. Saxon is charg ed'( wIth posting phe. Iirooks ami Gog~i gion gins, lie w~as later released on a peace bond, ('ottoni flninmgs hleavy The census bureau has announced 47,071 bales of cotton ginned in this county up to November 14th, as corn paredl to 40,81F5 bales ginned to the 'same date last year when over 50,000 bales was ginned in the entire sea son. Unless later ginnings show a decided falling off from last year, it Is likely that TIs year's figures will reach te i0,('O m.a... BANK[RS [NDORS[ [DG[ BANK State Bankers Subscribe for Stock FARMERS URGED TO REDUCE State Bankers, Meeting ia Columbia, Subscribes Nearly Full Quota to Federal International Bankingi Con pany to Finance Sale of Farm Pro ducts. I The State, 26th. Unanimous indorsement of the Fed eral International Banking Company, the subscription of approximately $300,000 of its stock, the recomnenda tion of a '50 per cent reduction in the cotton acreage to be made effective by discouraging loans except to farmers who follow this suggestion, and the pledge of support to the state chain ber of commerce's movement to ob tain a branch of the Richimond federal reserve bank for some South Carolina city were the more important acts of the 200 representative South Carolina bankers meeting in special session in Columbia yesterday. The resolutions indorsing the Fed eral International (Banking Company, presented by B. C. Matthews of New berry and adopted by the association, recommend that all the banks of South Carolina, both national and state, sub scribe for their full quota of stock in the corporation, 3 per cent, of their capital and surplus, and where pos sible 5 per cent of the capital and sur plus. It was also suggested that all other corporations, business and indi vidtuals who are interested in the )ro duction and hand ling of both raw ma terials and ml atnufactured lproducts, and also all persons engaged in the exhort business, be invited to sub S(rilb fo tock in lte c i yi.iii Ap\priox iliat !'ly $-:O,iu in stock in the 'olipny was sliliso~ile(i by the hantkers present, a numb11er" of Whlom), unable to subscribe yesttcrday, are reiturnting to their boardsI of dirtector~s or t lurf :111;j t o u sc i (( um a1j~ l (Ioa . I out 'arolina bonk. will ha\ little difliulty in reaehing their (tia of allFaX in:atly $5O0,ii00. a(cor'dinlg to J. I'. Alait hw, state chairman. The reaolui ion recomiiinelded a re tilon of the cotton ac riane, intro-. duced by 1). Al. Crosson of leesvi lie, stales that it is ti senle of the South Carolina hani-ers' A;snciatiou that the farters of the state shoild redluce the cot totn aIteage plaiited next year by 50 per cenI, aIi( that the banks shuhl ddiscouirage the linancing of erop;s where tis is not adl-r 1edl to.' 'Te iutrodluction of the resolution fol lowed the address of lE'-Coternor Alainninjg, w ho uirgedl thle ban ker's to tise thieirz infIlu ence in~ utrging the r ductiiion of cotton acreage. The fainm irs shoti Id be ta ugh t, Mr.i C rosson sa id ini dIiscuissing his resolultion that the banks4 do not propose to help1 those wh dio(( not hiel p t henmsel ves, andl that thie fir1st mfeasu re oIf self hlp :;the reduction of the coitton aie rLage bly onie-hiali. D). it. Cok er, als recom melndedl a d) tier cent1 reducitioni in the cotton acreage. 'The- meeting which wats priesidled over by 11. W. Fraser of Ileaufort, pr-esiden t of the South Carolina Blank. ers' Association, was called for the sp1eciftic Iltrplose of discussing the F'ede ral InternatilonalI B ankinug Comn.. Pany, now being organized utnder the Edge act. Tis orgaizlat ion, J., Pope Matthews, ,president of the Palmetto National bank I, pioin ted out, will be0 a money miaking bulsiness. There wvas he said, 1no elenment or spiecutlation or risk abulItt it. The company, which had its formal geliesis at New Orleans November 0, proploses to finance the export of Southern products, chiefly cotton, thereby opening til markets now closed, serving the double l)urp~ose of sup~plying foreign buiyers with the nleedled raw material and the Southern 'producers with the needed market for their goods. The extension of long time credit and the amnelloration of de-. preciated exchan~go values would be the chief methods enmployed by the company in accomplishing it~s immne dilate aim of supply a market for (Cont iniedi o n- Pae .) TOWN OF OWINGS VISITED BY FIRE llank of Owings and Two Store Build. Ings Consumed by Fire Friday Night Fire, originating in the tipper por tion of Bryson and Hunt's store at Ow ings Station late Friday night destroy ed the stock and store of that. nrm, the stock and store of W. J. -1111 & Com nany and the banking house of the lank of Owings. Bryson & Hunt had a stock of between $12,000 and $15,000 and carried insurance to the amount of $4,500. W. J. Hill & Com pany had 2 stock of about $6,000 and carried insurance to the amount of $1,500. The insurance carried by the hank could not be ascertained yester day, but it was not thought to ap proach the value of the building. The three buildings adjoined each other and were of brick construction, being variously estimated in value at be tween $8,000 and $15,000: The papers of the bank were saved, but the books and accounts of Bryson & Hunt were lost, the excessive heat melting the metal cabinet holding them. TEACIIERS HEAR GOOD ADDRESSES Children's Chorus Scores Artistic Trl. umph. Schools Need Funds. Spartanburg, Nov. 26-Tonight's session of the 47th annual meeting of the South Carolina Teachers' Associa tion resolved itself into an unqualified artistic triumph for the children's chorus of the public schools of this city. To the amazement and delight of an audience that packed the audito rium of Converse college, the young sters rendered selection after selec tion in a manner that elicited pro longed applause from an astounded and enraptured concourse of teachers and local citizens. The program of the evening terminated with the ron dition of "The Star Spangled Banner,'' in whiii'hi the atulience joiwd wit i the children. ...... . . wa n, state superin tendent of (cdue:tioi, (eliverd his ;ecourl acddre :: of thll conltvention, out ninu, the financeial needs: of the 'hools of the tat.:' lie trged the ltenher: of the stat( to co-operate in Ile effort to seire (thn finds ahso hutely r:::entiall to the upi idinL of hc school systemn of the tatu. Dr,. Jf. L2. M.1 , ;un(r intendlent of city iiscools of (reenville, p;'oke of the wrorl; of the school siiittrvisor. :Ind dliscutssedl the supervisors' r-ela otnsihip i to the teaeher and to the pi aiis. Just as a poor teacher retards the progress of the bright pupil so the poor supervisor affeets the teachers who labor uinder him. The (luty of the supervisor, the speakeor declared, is to assist the teachers, to measur e the iro ress of both teachers and Ipiils and to keep ia sympathetic finger upon it' pulse of all connected with the schools liss I'ssie Tiller of the ('olumbia cityv schools diussed th 1le Position of lie su peri visor' aniid utrged that the tenleers co-operate in ani undierstandl Iing mann ier w ith the supcervisors, L-- 8. 1Iitwkins oif the federal voca I onal bioardl deliv'eredl ani '( tloiuen iileai for more thorouigh sup lervision in the0 ii' rua schools. d ieclai rig thait the back to the farm m)ov'ement can never ga in its desire mo(lnnien tumi unil ess the ruiral schls ar' imProved. The pieo pie who arie wanted'( most- in the rur'al diistricts are pcolie who appreciate tile need( of goodl schools, and only throu01gh proper' sutpervislon can thiis object be a tta ined. he asserted. ("ouri Next Week T'he special term of the court of comnmon pleas for this couinty recent 1' ordie redl by the governor I, will con vene Mondcay morn lug. Judge IErnest M\oo re, of I laancasteOr, will priesidle. T he court calendar Is a. fairly heavy oneu anid it is likdly that the term~ will last throtughouit the tweek. Cotton Stronger Y'esterday. The COtton market showed dlecidled strength yesterday following stronger cables from Iiverpooh which wvas said to be more active than In many tweeks. IFutumres advanced around 75 points from the lw level of the day before. Meeting of UI. D. C. TPhe 3. B3. Kershaw chapter, U. '1, C., will meet Monday afternoon, I~ecem.. ber 6th, at 4 o'clock with M~iss Willie .Jone s.