Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-01-27
The Real Estate Question

results obtained by the listers and averag-
ing committees in the processes required by
law ?'' The results Of Mr.. Walt9n's calcu-
lations are very far from agreeing with the
results obtained BY the listers in many OF
the counties. They do agree, however, with
the results Of the work Of the State Equaliz-
Ing Committee, and to the msjoritY OF that
committee arc doubtless satisfactory. To
Us, who believe many of the results OF
the WORE Of the Eaualizing Committee to
be al tr-ong. the circumstance that the
Wa.chnan's tables agree with them is pa
ma fdcie evidence that there is some tlilacy
in the tables
Mr.. Walton need have spent no time and
ink in arguing that highly improved real
estate accompanies permanent and dense
uopulation. We have said nothing to con-
fict with that assertion. Granting all that
be says on that point, and the fact remains
that mere population canno, re made the an
solute test of value. IF it could, the test
ought to hold as to details Us well as IN the
lump. and the " French village" north Of
our city would be worth more than the Cen
ire Ward with It's blocks Of stores.
We have never thought Of denying that
real estate rises or falls with the population.
We have said repeatedly shat SO iar as the
ac,uaI ralue Of the zeal esta.e Of Chit;en-
den county was affected bv the growth Of
Burlington. we desired tie c7cumstance to
have its full weight. But one very import
ant point made by rs, and one that is wholly
overlooked IN the Hata5m7n's reply, Is shat
such increase of val1e is DOT bounded by
county lines. 1t affects IN point Of faa.
and in an equal degree, the portions Of other
counties that ale Just as aelr and Sc aecessi-
bic to the ciryas portions q our own coun-
ty. and it should. therefore, aiee. them for
taxes.
Our position in this mater ed ;Ae pro
4 position is 50 selfevidcnt that It seems IN
necessary even to state it's simply that
actual roile. ar determined by consideration
Of o1lthe matters affecting value. must be
the basis of valuation for taxes. It is the
listers da-y To inquire as 20 cael piece Of
real estate. uo;. low many people live upon
this farm hut. what would j. sell for in
money? And a. Ia repec. to each farm
and village LOT tie listers must consider
errWhiuq which iucrea IS or lowers values,
. so IN respect to forms in the county equaliz-
ing conventions. and go IN -esreot TO oour-
. tics il the state Equalization. soil, proximity
TO market, railroad facilities, everything that
Affects value, must be considered. We know
no other legal presses"
Thee seems 20 us 20 be. We viii not say
a studied. butts conspicuous L apprehension,
or missiateuent, Of the position Of those who
complain Of tie recent equalization. Our
listing law diyides the zeal estate into two
classes. Il che column Is sc: the riHqge 20
perry, and IL another TIE farming lands In
stlll another II sat the personal property.
These different kinds Of property are mainly
held by different CLASSES of our population.
Now Chittenden county complains not that
the village property is set for taxes 700 high,
how that may be we DO not know
whether vi,.see lots IN Rutland, for instance.
which as q rule actually sell as high as city
lots in Burlington are listed as high. is be-
yond our knowledge, and SO Of other towns
there a.av be grave cause of complaint there
and there may not be but or complaint is
that the farming lands Of this county are by
the action Of the State Equallzng Commit
zee set In the list Tor taxes at e rerg much
aigier rate IN proportion TO acts0i ra'us, than
the farming lands Of other counties and Of
the State in general No amount Of fgur-
ing, or tables Of population, viii wipe out
this. The farmers Of Chittenden county
would be glad to exchange their land acre for
acre for the splendid level stretches Of Adj
san county. or the rich meadows Of Rutland
county. Does the Hatot1.an suppose that
in such a state Of thiug- they VIII be content
20 be taxed at double the ratc9 The farming
town Of Williston, with DO increase Of popu-
latiun, and sigh; increase in actual values Of
real estate, under the existing valuation is
called on for as much money, TO pay the
State tax Of so cents on the dollar, as it
paid on a war tax of l25 cents on the
dollar Does the HqtcEmcn suppose it Is
e simple matter. by q table Of abstract
calculations, T. reconcile the Wnliston far
mer= TO the situation And SO Of cur
county as whole.
Nor does the discovery announced by the
Uatchn.cn. that the average Of personal
property to the poll ir Chittenden county
is below the average for the State, help the
case. That state Of things is but a natural
result from the unqucstionable fact that q
larger proportion Of the population Of Chit
tendsn county (the la5orcrs in our mills and
lumber YARDS have no list except their polls.
than any other county. Bat whether that is
the fac, or not, and whether It is right or
wrong, avails nothing TO relieve the class
whose property i mainly not personal but
real, and who have been oppressed by the
action of the State Equalizing Committee.
The Wa.chnlan SAYS we have wronged the
State Averaging Committee. We have not
meant to. We do the majority OF the com
mittee the justice 20 believe that they did
not know how their hasty job would look
when viewed deliberately in the light of
facts. That they themselves do not alto
gether like the looks Of It on reflection,
we infer from the circumstance that neither
they nor any Of their defenders have let the
people Of the State know. in all the discus
sions in the papers, that the farming lands
Of Chittenden county, comprising range
of mountain towns and belt of barren pine
plains, are set for Sta taxes at nearly
tiDeaty four dollars an acre, whereas not
another county IN the State (save the two
that Join with Chitte,iden county in com
plainly is set at over 6nlrteen dollars an acre.
We are willing. too, that the blame should
be shared by the law. as the Watehmar sug-
gests, or rather by the universal practice IN
der the law, by which tie State has cut loose
from any uniform and equitable standard OF
valuation. And greatas Is the particularwrOng
done to Chittenden county, in this instance,
we regard, and hare regs -rded steadily, the in
teEest of the State at lirge rather than that
of any portion of it. 1Che STATE cannot af-
ford to keep upon its sta tute books a law un-
der which the injustice and inequalities posi-
Bile and Pr0cticed under the existing law, can
he continued.
1t is not surprising that the citizens of
Trov and Whitehall shortid o-,rosa the ierr.