Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Slilt HI CQMM1SSI0H. marks HP.roilT or WoliK HI 11 ? DM 1WM M \K l\ BfVAIsi 1/4\?. ta\i;s. THIs \Mi.m Action Was Taken aiul I tea sot is for M.?km- Change* in Vs liotiN IWuik.h, When Mffort was to Assess Institution* at llfty I'er tout of Values. ' In order to e?fecti\?.\ cany int.? execution the equitable assessment of property for taxation." the South Car? olina Tax Otmiuiaslon was created by the Act of Kein uii r> LMmIi, 11? 10. The Act abolished the State Hoard of As? sessors and the State Hoard of Equal? isation .tn?l devolved their duties upon tin- Tax * 'ommission, ami nave th ? Tsx r..mmlssiou g? -neral supervision a^er the assessment and tax laws of the State, over all hoards of assessors ?Md equalization, o\ er all assessing of tlceiti in the performance of their du? ties, to the end, that all assessments ?f property l?e mudo relatively Just and equal In compliance with the laws ?f the State. The Act empowers and direct* the South Carolina Tax Com? mission to "assess and equalize the taxable value upon the property and fmnchlses of railroads, street railway Companies, electric railways. Water, heat, habt and power companies, cm - |m>i i'i -iis textile Industrie. Oo?ton s#e<l oil and fertilizer compa? nies, ruitmau Palace car companies, axpress companies, telegraph and tele plnoie companies, private ear lln**? ?ml canals furnishing power tor rent, hire or sale, and puhllc service cor? porations, hanks and hanking corpora thm*. insurance and trust companies." >. The Tax Commission. In pursuance of the statute, at once entered upon the assessment and equalization of the tnxahle values of properties of cor? poration* required to he assessed hy them under subdivision 16, of Sec. S, ?f the Act above quoted In making these assessments. tin Tax Commission undertook to act up? on the same hasls theretofore observ? ed b\ the State Hoard of Assessors asd State Hoard of Equalization with respect to the classes of property theretofore assessed by tin in In assessing the hanks and banking corporations which have heretofore been assessed hy the County Auditors ?and County Hoards of Equalization on si hasla varying In each county, the State Tax Commission sought for a ssntform percentage of value which Siould place the hanking properties on tin- same relative basis on which they wsrs assessed in 1914. The aggregate amount of assessments of such proper? ty for the year 1914. was $13,07*. 4ft 1.no, but a great difference existed in the percentage of the true value taken for tho purpose of assessment, in the completeness of tin- returns for purposes of taxation, and in the allow? ance of alhaced exemptions; hanks In some countb-s being assessed at 20 par cent, of the real value of their Stock, while others in the HM coun? ties were sosessed at N per cent Tin Tax Commission ascertained that the average percentage taken for assess? ment and taxation, of the actual value of all bank stock throughout the stair for the year 1914 was 4 8 1-10 per cent, and there/ore adopted this basis of percentage of the true value of tin banks In 1911 as the basts to assess anil equalize all banks' slocks of the State in 1915. Th* Inenb n ,i . n , t wm, |0 rod yet th* amount of f ixes u> he paid by some banks ami Increase the amount to he paid bv others. In making the assessment MM,| equalization of the banks, the Tax Commission discov? ered ami added some items of tnxa'-U property held by the n.mks escaping taxation which will more fully appear lo the tahul itt -l statement - in another part of this report. No radical changes were mule, the object of the Tsx Commission being to tQIStltni the amount of taxe:- paid by the hanks throughout the entire State; to assess snd equalize them upon a common bssls. so as to place tin m upon an equal footing ffpf tix.tmn, until such time as there would h? a new assess? ment of all classes of property in the State, Including real estate, when a common percentsgp of the true value for pPJrpnfJM of taxate-n will b.- **>? plied to all property. The increase of 41.4S7.904, In the assessment of bank Stocks for 191.1 o\er the assessment of 1914. Is accounted for. not by the cbsnge in the percentpssj of trus value .taken for the purpose of taxation, but the Increase of new capital, surplus and undivided profits, together with property heretofore escaping ln*att< ? snd by tho dls-ullo* inee of exemp ttons erroneously allowed In the as? sessments of Oil . To Illustrate: The banks In Char? leston county returned for taxation In tbs year 1911. I 1,9 11,111 ?4) The) were allowed exemptions fof Invest? ments In Iledemi-tlon Crown Consol Honds and Stoc ks $ I..:mi,7::?< no. Th true value of their property taken in b*. taxed In 1914. was, 9M*MM M, of which there was taken for assess - ment and taxation, tili : p< i cent . or 91.7*-Mi,4H4.0? Kor th? year I !? I.". rb. , sre assessed SSJ th. basis of h I In per cent of the real value, or $!.?? b, 187.00, I littl?? less than the amount assessed In II1 I. j Tim way in which tile figures were arrived at in 1018 was as follows: The tax i etui its lor the year 1118 in Char? leston included the return of their oroptrty made by the Charleston banks, tor If] I. $8,141,114.00; and added the additional capital invested in new hanks in Charleston Count) dortni the v ir 101 I. $60,000.00; also added tbe additional capital added by old banks in Charleston during; the ymmt 1014, $i 10,1X0.00, and added the Increase in surplus and undivided proflta during the year 1114, $j<m;, 805.00, and deducted therefrom the decrease of certain banks in Charles toa County of undivided profits for the year 1911, which made the ag? gregate vulue of hank stocks in Char? leston County on January 1st, 11*15, as then returned by the hanks for tax? ation. $4,811,078.00. The South Carolina Tax (Commis? sion, upon oonsldeiing these returns, added thereto the agglSgatt sum of $512,151.00 for additional surplus and undivided protits, etc., belonging to the Charleston banks and omitted i nun their tax returns, w hic h brought the true value of the property ?>f tho auks to the figures reported by them to the State Pank Examiner and the Comptroller Of the Currency at the close of business December II, 1014, to wit: $4,771,114.00, When the dlf feernce between tho actual value of specific real estate and property, and valuation thereof returned to the Hank Examiner and Comptroller of the Currency is added to the state? ments of assets made to those otllcers, which Increasing their undivided protits and surplus in such amounts. This is d?>ne only In those eases w here it Is apparent that the real estate and other specltle property is not carried is an asset at its real value. To il? lustrate: The bankin? house of Caro? lina Savings Bank is valued in its statement to the Hank Examiner at $10.000.00, and its other real estate at $f,141.ff, The assessed value of this property by the local board of asses? sors was $30,171.00, so the Tax Com? mission in ascertaining' the value of the stock, Increased the value placed in the bank on this real and specific property lit its statement to the Hank Ran miner by gelding thereto $11.325.00. This is not double taxation of the real estate, as the assessed value of the real estate for purposes of taxation is de? ducted from the aggregate value of hank's property, and the remainder only is taken as the taxable value of the shares, and assessed against the shareholders. The Commission then deducted from this aggregate amount the sum of $1,111,101.00, the amount of investments in Redemption Brown Consol State Ilonds, the only bonds to be deducted in ascertaining the tax? able value of bank shares, under special provisions in the Statutes, and $10,000,00, funds temporarily held by the banks for dividends theretofore declared due the stockholders, but not actually paid out. which made the true mine Of all taxable property be longlng to the banks on .January 1, 1015, $l,411,Slt.0O, which was an in? crease of $101,001.0$ In the actual value of the property belonging to the banks December Ii 1st, the close of the year 1014, The Tax Commission then applied the uniform percentage of true value (4S 1-10 per cent.), be? ing the average percentage through? out the State, taken for the purpose of taunt Ion This gave tin- assessed val? ue for the purpose of taxation for 11? 1."? for all the banks in Charleston County as $1,041,417.00, a net reduc? tion of $70,017.00 less than the assess? ed values for 1014, Another illustration may he given by referring to the assessments of banks in Anderson county: The true value of property return? ed by the banks in Anderson County for the year 1014 was $1,711,417.00. There was no deductions or exemp? tions and this was taken as the basis for taxation and a tax thereon assess? ed for that year at 10 per cent, or $810,318.00, in making the assess? ment for I'M.", the banks of Anderson County reported an Increase <>f addi? tional capital to the extent of $18,? 181.00, ,,nd an Increase from undivid? ed protits of $81,107.00, and a decrease In some undivided protits of $ic.y, 884.00 ,,, ;i net decrease ol $13ft,? 847.00, m.iklng the returns of true value oi their stock as given by the banks for 1011, $1,880,041.00, The Tax Commission added to these figures for additional surplus and undivided profits not returned by the banks? 8180,801.00, Which brought the true ValUe Of the property i.f the b;i||ks to the figures reported by them on I De? cember -1st. 1014, to the State Hank Rxnmlner and the Comptroller of the Currency $1,770,304.00, after Includ? ing therein $800.00, Value of bank fixtures and furniture omitted in the statement made by the |:.uiL ol An? derson to the State Hank KxamJner, I ind of this amount 18 1-10 per cent, j was taken as the assessed Value for purposes oi taxation for the year I'M.*., or $x&3,X30.00, a ileeerase of $117.00 front tin ussiihwmI value for taxation. I 'f ? nurse, in t he equalisation of ilii'sr amounts there were Increases of ussi h menls *>( certain banks ovel theli assesped vajue for 1014 to the! Amount of lOASQ^w+exud decrease In the assessed valuation of other hanks for the purpoteg Of taxation to the ex? tent of 139,279.00, In this equalization of the property for the purpose of tax? ation, tile amount paid by s<>me hanks has been increased, while the amount paid by others has been reduced. This is a necessary incident to the equaliza? tion of property for the purpose of taxation, and shows that the work of thtl Commission is for equalizing and not adding to the burden of the tax? payers. We do not go Into detail at this point as to the iigures In other Opuntles, but they will be found In an? other part of this report, and we sub? mit the result to inspection by the Governor, the General Assembly and the taxpayers of the state, confident that when they review our action it will meet with their approval, and that tiny will lind that we have done Justice as between tin banks of the State. The percentage required and con- ! templated to be taken as the basis for taxation by the Constitution, is 100 per cent., or, the true value of all property, but the ameesmcnts have heretofore been made at such a vary? ing percentage of the true value that, to at once undertake to apply the true value, or to assess all property at its true value for purposes of taxation would result in raising more money than contemplated by the Appropria? tion Act, and would be revolutionary. Assessment at the true value is the ideal mode of assessment, and to it we must eventually come if inequali i ties are to be avoided, but we cannot equitably adopt it as to one class of property until we are able and ready to adopt it as to all. Before any equitable basis of assessment can be arrived at the true value of all prop? erty must be first ascertained, and this is the object of the Tax Commis? sion in its enforcement of the tax laws. Hut the condition <>f affairs ex? isting when the Tax Commission com? menced its work prevents an imme? diate assessment on such values. The taxation of real estate and personal property other than property of cor? porations, has been a matter of guess work, and, of course, will continue to bo largely so, because of the difficulty in arriving at the market vahu of real estate, and the changes that take ef? fect with reference thereto from year to year, The statutes contemplate the ascertainment of the value of real es? tate once in every four years, and a rev ision at such periods. If the legis? lature desires a revision before 1918 is now directed in the existing stat? utes, they should so declare, and they should also fix the percentage of the true value of real estate and all other property to be taken as the basis of assessment for purposes of taxation.' One of the reasons why the assess? ments on real estate and other proper? ty for the purposes of taxation has not been at the true value of the property, has been the arbitrary :! mill Constitu? tional tax for schools, and the practico of the legislature in levying a rate of taxation to be assessed before the assessments are made, and the amount ascertained upon which the levy is to be made. The abolition of an arbitrary Consti? tutional :i mill school tax, and the authorisation of a flexible levy to meet the amount of appropriations made by tho General Assembly for State, County and School purposes, Is essen? tial to a satisfactory re-adjustment of present taxing methods in this State, and to fin equitable assessment and taxation of property for the purpose of meeting the annual appropriations and the avoidance of Inequalities and Unnecessary taxation. The restrictions of the Constitution upon the power of the Legislature to classify the various kinds of property in the Stste for purposes of taxation, should be abolished; the Constitution? al :: mill tax on all taxable property for school purposes, and the Consti? tutional requirement for a uniform and equal rate of assessment and tax? ation should be repealed, if such Con? stitutional amendments were submit? ted to the electors at the general elec? tion In 19lt;, and these restrictions up? on the power of th< Legislature re? moved by amendments to the Consti? tution, many reforms would follow, existing Inequalities be remedied, and a simple method of equitable and just taxation Inaugurated to meet the de? mands of our necessities. When the object of ibis Commis? sion in securing the equitable usses ment for property for taxation shall have been accomplished, the results will necessarily be to lower the burden borne by those who are paying more than their proportion of taxes and increase it on those who have hereto? fore escaped the proportion due by '??< in. and not to Increase the aggre? gate amount of taxes paid by the peo? ple. Call New Pastor. Cedar Creek and Antloch congre? gations have called Ki v. .1. 1.. Mayers -'t Kostovi i as their pastor and he has neeepted and baa. entered upon his work up there. Hi- first service as pastor w its in id last Runday. Mr. Mayers has been railed to n Held for meat work und usefulness. Itishop vllls Leader und Vindicator, KJ-:,\m>ox TUttows BOUQUETS. Compliments, Comment* and licmi nisonoc* Ancnt The Anniversary Edition. Editor The Sumter Dally Item: it is a general custom throughout the world for newspaper men to do a great di al of work, spend a lot of their money, give freely of their time, and to otherwise contribute towards the success of every public undertak? ing, hy tree advertising, free boosting, and when the events have passed into history, and the glory is being divided the newspaper scribes and proprietors are forgotten, it Indeed they have been at all connected up with the success of the undertaking. At best, about all of the recognition that is ordinarily accorded the aver? age newspaper for its public spirited ness and enterprise is the additional privilege of furnishing free of charge, hundreds of extra copies of the papers containing the "booster writings," and a limited number of complimentary tickets, occasionally, which aforesaid "oomnlimentnriee" or "compliments" have been paid for many times over by columns of free advertising, "before and after taking" the free passes. So in order that you and your asso? ciates of the publications issued by the Osteen Publishing Company may see how the bouquets which will be placed Upon your graves are going to look, I will undertake to show the apprecia? tion Of tae Sumter Horse Show Asso? ciation, the Bumter Chamber of Com? merce, and the Retail Merchants' As? sociation for the enterprise and extra? ordinary liberality which you have ex? hibited in getting out the Special An? niversary edition of the Sumtcr Daily Item, which reflects so much credit up? on Sumter city and county and upon the Osteen Publishing Company. If it will afford you any pleasure, and usually gratitude showed does bring about a feeling of reward for good things done by an individual en? terprise, I want to say to you that I have heard hundreds of Sumter's ap? preciative citizens expressing their hearty appreciation of what you have accomplished for Sumter city and county hy the unexcelled special edi? tion, just issued, of the Sumter Dally Item. , 1 haven't heard a "knock" or un? favorable comment, and then the half has never been toid, although that statement Is breaking all records on the high gear hut "safety first" meth? ods of showing general appreciation. You know that during the twenty one years that I have been directly connected with your publications, and as a contributing writer, you have al? ways accused me of being a "volumin? ous'' and long-winded scribe, but who always "got there just the same" if allowed time and unlimited space. So you must bear patiently with the old "E. I. It." who has tried your patience and, tested your religious inclinations for lo, these many years. )t you have stood it this long and lived to tell the story, why one more spasm of enthusiasm from a grateful fellow citizen woA't effect your appe? tite to any great extent. To begin with, I have wandered, all great men wander, and many great writers and orators "wander" a great deal before getting down to the story or the oration in simon pure style, 1 have wondered if the average man and woman who reads the Special Anni? versary edition have the remotest idea of how much it cost you and your com? pany in dollars and time for the enor? mous amount of boosting of Sumter's business and banking establishments, schools, organizations, institutions, citizens generally, public officials, farmers, churches, corporations, and generally advertising Sumter and Sumter county. Do they realize that you spent hundreds of dollars In get? ting up all of this data, setting up the type, copy reading, and proof reading, having extra writers and information gatherers and compilers working, and other extra expenses, all of which you paid for and charged nothing for. Do they know that the Sumte? Chamber of Commerce was given all of the free space it wanted to "boost" Sumter city and county, and that you have mailed out at your expense more than two thousand copies of your special edition to every State In the United States, and to Canada, Mexico, Cuba, England, Germany, Fiance, Ire? land, Scotland. Wales, New Foundland, Greece, and other foreign countries, names furnished by this commercial organisation wanking In conjunction with the industrial, immigration, ami land agencies Of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad company, ami tin Southern Hallway company, and through other local and state agen? cies That all of this free space, free copies, ami free postage given, cost you a neat stun of money? That it cost you some money to have cuts made, to employ a force <>f extra writers and advertising solicitors, and further that after all has been said and done, after all of the paid advertising you receiv? ed, that when you count up the cost. In lime expended, and free advertising and other "complimentary" conces? sions on your part, that you just about "break even" on the proposition of celebrating the Pally i lKw'i' mnjortiyi birthday ? Hut Mr. Editor, 1 imagine that your reward comes In the way that your fellow citizens patronised the special edition, and the spirit in which it was received, more than In the hopes of financial profit. As "one ??f the old guard that nev? er surrendered" to the dark (loads of adversity which have periodically ov? ershadowed Sumter's prosperity, and one wiio lias fought a good fight, and thoroughly imbued with the never say die Sumter spirit, you are one who can take gratitude and appreciation, co? operation and public spirit In place of cash rewards, if your fellow citizens show that what you are trying to do for your home city and county is ap? preciated. The Twenty-first Anniversary edition of your paper, Mr. Editor, is all that high class journalism, brains, and en- i terprise, coupled up with good business management con' possibly produce. It h - a special value which I am going to emphasize. That value lies In the absolute reliability of the state? ments made and so carefully verified by you from official records or other reliable sources. Its value as an advertisement for Sumter city and county is based upon the fact that what you permitted printed about Sumter and Sumter county had to be verified before you allowed the stories to become a part of the special edition. If you had put in as much time seeing how much money you could make out of the special edition as you did In verifying statements, you could now be riding around in a Ford tour? ing car with a string band accompany? ing you. I know this to be a fact. You required me to stand up to the Sum? ter Chamber of Commerce motto "The Truth Is Good Enough," and you had to be shown by every writer, regular and special, that what was written was .absolutely correct. Your special edition leaves the beat? en track of ordinary specializing in journalism. The edition is not only a business edition, and a valuable ad? vertising proposition for the entire city and county of Sumter, and for those business establishments which used advertising space, but this edition is very valuable from a historical and an educational point of view. You have done much for Sumter and Sumter county in the past. The special edition but adds to the value of yoru services to your native city, coun? ty, and State. I can imagine your thoughts going* back twenty-one years ago to the old 1 O'Connor little wooden building on the site of your present magnificent three story buildings, and you recall how ? you saved Kmmett's lite many a time, by not publishing some of the fool stuff I wrote. Candidly I think you ought to have a Carnegie hero medal for the patience and friendship you displayed for a hot headed young Irish aspirant for journalistic fame. You doubtless recalled the olden time hand press, worked by "elbow grease" motive power, we didn't have bight tension magnetos in our office "them days." And how the type were set by hand, and how we use to say that Joe Darr'a red hair was red enough to keep the room warm with? out a stove, and how we didn't know half the time where the pay roll mon? ey was coming in, but how you always paid off whether you got anything for yourself or not. Well, Mr. Editor, you have a lot to be proud of, and a lot to be thankful for, and I know that you are well pleas 1 with your lot in life. I just wanted, in my good olden time, "ramb? ling way" of voluminous emphasis to lot you know what Sumter people think of your splendid anniversary ed? ition. Like the writer, you are just crossing the middle ground slopes of "the great divide" and I want you to feel that you are still useful and ap? preciated so that you wont allow our, premature grey hairs and threatened' bald heads to dampen our well pre? served youthful enthusiasm. We have worked so well together, in double harness, for so many years,] in getting up fall festivals, organizing and helping to keep up chambers of commerce, advocating sewerage and the Waterworks systems, paved streets, lighting for big bond issues, getting, "cussed" out and occasionally doing i a "little necessary and judicious cus? sing" ourselves just to show that WO weren't whipped out, working for the federal building, writing up weddings, first horns, funerals, fires, and foot races, firemen's tournaments, ami so forth and so on, that 1 have about concluded that the Dally Item and Watchman and Southron are insep? arable parts of my life work, and l have thought for a number of years that those two papers and the pub? lishers couldn't possibly get along without some advice and writings from MB. I. it." Self complacence, and o friendly medium of dispalying same, without cost, have a tendency to cause your benellciaries am] your proteges to voluntarily offer consolation, advice, ami congratulations, whichever may be needed for the time being. So that is why 1 am writing this long letter to you. 1 have nothing to bide, and 1 would like to see these old sentiments of appreciation and grati tude worked up Into an intelligible ar? ticle for publication. You have writ? ten me up and other Sumter men a great many times during my twenty odd years of public and semi-public life, and you have stood by me through thick and thin. I would like to seo how something written about you would look in print. Hero's hop? ing that The Daily Item and the whole Daily Item force of public spirited boosters and all around good citizens may long continue to wave. You and your papers have been po? tent factors in the development of Sumter in every conceivable manner. And you don't want to lay down and die thinking that your good work has not been appreciated. While "a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country'' will continue to be true to a more or less extent, unless the European war re? sults change even the old adages long In vogue, and if this war doesn't change adages they will be about the only unchanged thing of any commer? cial value, nevertheless The Daily Item will continue to be a big and inspir? ier medium of public usefuness in the future as it has been in the past. Keep up your never say die, good old time Sumter spirit, and spread the enthusiasm of optimism which engenders that civic pride that builds cities and accomplishes oth? er great things. You might in? dulge even in some wholesome sterilized and sanitary "hot air" occasionally, and if your "hot air" tank is rusty or out of whack, there are those who are fully prepared to furnish a good supply, when occasion demands, believe me. With assur? ances of the writer's highest esteem and gratitude, I remain with best wishes, Yours truly, E. I. lteardon, Managing Secretary. TO PARADE IN FULL DRESS. A unique and at the same time very appropriate feature of the Sum? ter county division of the Harvest Jubilee parade in Columbia next Wed? nesday will be a company of gentle? men .attired in full evening dress clothes wearing derby hats, and wear? ing hat bands inscribed "Sumter, The Gamecock County," and a thorough? bred gamecock inscribed on the hat band. Coat ribbon badges similarly in? scribed will he worn by the full dress parade delegation. Every citizen of Sumter county who owns or can rent a full dress suit for this occasion is cordially invited to participate. If the Sumter Shrine Club partici? pates in the parade their large mem? bership of Shriners will add greatly to the number in the full evening drees division from Sumter county, and their bright red and golden trim? med fezzes, will vie with the smart and business-like derby hats of their fellow citizens, whose hats will bear the gamecock. Superintendent of Education S. H. Edmunds is trying to arrange for a company of sixty of the Sumter High School military department to par? ticipate in the Sumter section of the big parade. Secretary Birchard of the local Y. M. C. A. says that a de? tachment of the Boy Scouts will be there to act as honorary escort for the beautiful Sumter queens who will grace the Sumter float by their pres? ence. These young ladies will ba highly honored also by solicituous at? tention and "safety first" honorary, and other kinds of escort, vicing with His Excellency Gov. Manning in the honorary attentions paid by admiring Sumter men and boys. PELLAGRA KILLS MANY. The death rate in South Carolina front pellagra, based on reports to the bureau of vital statistics, has been 90 per 100,000 inhabitants for the first eight months of this year. The death rate from typhoid fever for the same period was 20.5. The number of deaths from pellagra from January 1 to August 31, in elusive, was 1,982, apportioned as fol? lows: 125 white men, or a percentage of 11.6 of the total deaths; 232 white women, 21.4 percent., 215 negro men, 19.1? per cent; 511 negro women, 47.2 per cent. Weather and Crop Summary. For the week ending at 12 Noon, Wednesday, October 20, 1915. The week has been one of abnormal heat, abundant sunshine and but little rain. Tin- bulk of the cotton crop has Opened, and picking has been pushed. A good peanut crop is being gathered in the eastern portion. Late gardens and field truck are in good condition. Not much fall plowing has been done, as most planters have been engaged In cotton picking, haying and corn gath? ering. Brownsville, Oct. 19.?Corporal Mr Roc and Engineer Kendall were killed when Mexican bandits wearing Car ran za uniforms wrecked and robbed a St. Louis-Southern train near here last night. United States troops were rushed to the scens.