St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-12-13
Valuation of Real Estate.

Valuation of Real Estate.
Chittcudrm. Grand Isle. and Franklin
counties. called t"r II read Iu~tmcmt of
the last QuiuqcuniHl valuation of real
estate AT the session of the Legislature
Just terminated The >rn;*. passed Il
hill grantim" the request. cutting down
the Valuation in these counties To the
standard agreed upon 10y the county
cquaizing committees of the several
counties. The state cquIlizin% COM
mittcc. two Years AGO. raised the valua
ton. foI Grand Isle county I0pcr cent.
for franklin county 30 per cent, and
for Chttcndcm county ~ per cent. The
House refused Il third reading of the
hill 10y vote of IT, ayes to b. NAYS.
In the House. the hill a. passed 10y the
Senate. WAS referred to Il special com
mittcc. They reported unanimously
against the passage of the hill.
Some of the papers III these counties
complain of the action of the IIou>, in
diSpo>ng of tins matter. and assert that
the raising of the valuation of the land
IN these counties. 10y the cqualiZim" lc.i>-
lativc committee. 80 much above the
valuation of the same. made and ac-
ccptcd by the legislature in I-ti.J. at
ford> good ground for the change they
called for. If the Valuation of lands in
these counties wa> comparatively just
in l-Gj. and the equalization of the re-
SpcctiNc county committees two Years
since WAS 50 likewise. then certainly
the House in refusing Il third rradn"
of the bill may deserve the crmsurc it
receives.
These counties are located upon Lake
Champlain. The land i prnVcrhially
good. and farms within their limits. up
on IN average. sell high. especially such
~ are contiguous to the waters of the
Lake. OrchaIding. in the larger SEC
tion> of these counties. is prosperous
and IcmrIncIatiVc. greatly above most
of other sections of the state. These
counties were settled earlier than some
others. and consequently more Of the
comparatively poorer lands. found more
al less in I'LL counties. have been sub
ducd and made productive. The tacil-
tiles of communication provided hN the
waters of Lake Champaign enable the
producers of these counties to send
chcaply t" market. the products of their
farms. and to procure. equally adVam-
ta@cnu>lN. the products of other sec
tiun> of the country which their mccc>-
stiles require. But few. if amy of the
inhabitants of other sections of the state.
enjoy in an equal degree. :" many local
facilities. and other Valuable privileges.
H. do the land holders. ~ whole. in
these three counties. II these things
Ice -. there existed some REASONS fuI
the rTualizug committee "t the lrgi>-
laturc ot $50. to take the action they
did
Prior t" $50. it WIS the general upin-
ION of many who had considered the
comparative valuations "t the property
located in the different counties. that
property in Chittcndcm and Franklin
counties. was valued below that of most
nf the other counties of the state Had
the respective cqHali/im" boards these
counties Recognized this. and taken such I.
action ~ would have di>aImrd every f.
body of Il certain suspicion that they I.
aimed to avoid their equal share of
taxation. then. pcihap>. the legislature
would NOT have felt it to Ice Il duty. in .
the rc-adiu>rmcrt at the apprIi>a> of
the several committees. /" rai>c their
II these counties really undcrto"i, rn
drive Il sharp bargain. instead of pre-
~cutiug Il fan. just and equal appraisal
of them property. To the Legislature H. Il
basis "f state tJNI1i"u. and have. ~ u
been made to suffer I'M
duly. they will NOT elicit much >lmpa-
thy i'll THEN complaints. hut the lessen
may he of service in the, future. to all
such counties is may hr disposed to
initiate their example. We 1t" not as
>crt that. in d""mtiItg thc>, counties the
committee of tine Legislature,
may not have done it >umcv hat i'm
hut the valuation of the
property ui both these counties in times
past, a> compared with that of many of
the otncI counties at the state. has been
Il matter of criticism. II Injustice has
been done there should Ice Icctiticntinm.
but We do NOT hesitate tn express the
hope, that whenever amy town or county
seeks L" avoid Il Just share of tlIc bur
lcn> OF society. that mercy only shall
he granted which i consistent with
Justice.
= The Montpelier 1ry"~ is a little
protu>c III its criticisms upon speaker
Fairbanks. attribuljmg the prolon~a-
ion of the session To his injudiciou> adj
Iu>im"mf of the committees giving APP
to the same men upon diff
icrcut committees and otherwise fail
me- to facilitate the business of the SIS
sion. Is some other man might have
tone. To the damage of the state in the
,un, 81 >lO.OOU. This j. rather Il pom
ferrous >Ir: for the state to lose by one
man. DOES ia, l'G"~ propose To re-
rover it in an acfi III # debt Il
Other papers rive the Speaker the