The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-21

We have presented To our readers the re-
ports of the selectmcn and auditors of The
town Of Rutland, and they have bad an
opportunity Of examining the same. These
reports, with those of other town officers,
will bc distributed tn our fellow citizens,
10 day, being contained in pamphlet of
forty-one pages. In one sense, if not in
ALL it is the most satisfactory report which
has been presented to our voters and tax
payers for years. Ii is complete, full and
readily understood. 1t docs not seem TO
require much comment at our hands, but ii
is possible that our financial condition may
be more readily and thoroughly comprc-
hended by a few brief comparisons and en-
plantations. The census of 1870 reports the
population of Rutland at 1854. We have
no doubt that this number was far less
than Our actual population at that time, as
it certainly is now--wc shall, however. con-
slider it at about that number, or, in round
numbers, at ten thousand, which is suiici-
ent for our present purpose. This, it will
be understood, includes men, women and
children OF all ages. The number of tax
payers VIC have not at hand, but that IS Of
no consequence rs their lists would vary
from one dollar up to thousands each. The
grand list of Rutland for the year 1878 was
$40, 9Sl.63, or nearly forty-one thousand
dollars. Taking into the account property
claimed to be wrongfully assessed, and up
on which the taxes will be abated, it can
hardly be called over forty thousand dol
lars, and as such we shall consider it. The
statute provides that, ''all real and personal
estate owned by the inhabitants of, or stu
ated in this state, shall be set in the grand
list at one per centum of its value" 1t
would follow, therefore, that if all the
real and personal estate owned by the in
haLitants of, or situated in" Rutland is set
in the list at one per centum Of its just,
true, cash value, it represents four millions
of dollars of property-we have made al
lowance for the ''polls" in the deduction OF
the odd hundreds of dollars. This OF
course, is not the actual, cash valuation OF
such property. We have no means Of as
pertaining what that exact value is, anC
must, consequently, content ourselves with
that made in the grand list.
With these explanations, to which i
will be necessary to recur, we proceed
The expenditures for highways and bridges
incurred during the year, were 90
and those classed as miscellaneous ar
9l,823,94. If, rs we have reason TO be
lieve. from the report, these are..all the eXpen
ditures made, including orders drawn ant
unpaid, it is most satisfactory exhibit
and shows an economy on the part of til
sclcctmen which cannot lie too highl
praised. Last year and when we spca
of last year, We mean the year ending i
February or March 1878, and so with tn
others years-the expenditures for thcs
purposes, including orders since drawn
were Us follows Miscellaneous, Sl4
o2s.39 highways and bridges Sj,09G. IL
being an expenditure Of $40, 1888 les
,his year than last. In other words, ihcs
expenses last year were over one dolls
and ninety cents 10 every man, W
man and child in town, while this yei
they amounted to trllc over thirty mir
cents. Last year these expenses were nea
" equal to one half of the grand list viii
this year they are less than ten per cci
thereof.
In the matter OF taking care of the poo
there has been slight increase over la
year, the whole expenses being S4,011.9
against S3,34S.G 2 last year OF this, Y
see no reason to complain Indeed, it is
much smaller increase than might ha'
naturally been looked for The causes
this are well known, and we believe eve
taxpayer will agree with us in saying tn
the overseer, if he crrs, had far better c
on the side of mercy, even il few dolla
are added to our already heavy taxes.
From the report of the 'town liqu
agent" it appears that something over tv
thousand dollars worth of liquor was PIT
chased and sold during the year with
judgment, il all wrong The town do
not engage in the business of selling llquc
for the profit thereof. 1t is, perhaps, I
cessary and proper to establish such age
cies, although this is a mooted questio
If necessary and proper, not one cent
the proceeds should ever go into the to,
treasury. Let the prices be fixed, as ne
as may be, so as to cover the actual {
penses of the agency and no more. This
no time orplace to considerthc expedene
or other bearings of the question, of Il
branch Of town business, and therefore d