The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-24
STATE EQUALIZATION BOARD.
MONTPELIER, Aug. "a, 1871

!, MONTPELIER, Aug. "a, 1874.
The board convened at o o'clock th
l.. morning, and was called to order by tn
president, Hon. George Nichols. TIL
journal of yesterday was read and al
proved.
Mr.. Jones, of Orleans, presented
statement concerning his county. ii
wished first to correct report that ha
been circulated to the effect that when far
l mers there gathered their sap-buckets il
the spring, ladders had to be used. Thi
was base Islander on Orleans county. |
was true that they chad to reach up
some also, snow staid on till quite late
often foot In May. lie then referred t
the altitude throughout the county; tn,
county was on the height of the lane
between Lake Cbamplain and the Connec
ticut. As to mountains, Barton had
thousand acres comparatively valueless
Charleston had a thousand acres of swamp
land; Coventry some two thousand acre:
of marsh and mountain land, appraised al
S1.50 per acre Jay had over four thousand
acres of mountain land appraised at 81 90
per acre; Salem was appraised at $1,000
per acre, while ii had no store, hotel, doc
tor, lawyer or minister. The rivers and
roads were included in the appraisal He
then gave the rate per acre for second-class
lands as follows Albany, $13.OG; Barton,
S1l.S2; Bloomington, $1053; Charleston,
$500; Craftsbury, S14O2; Coventry, $12 49,
Desby, $940; Glover, $1,000; Greensboro,
1915; Holland, IS. 30 Irasburgh, S12S /;
Jay, $3.50; Lowell, SAT-; Morgan,
1851 ; Newport, $l0.53; Salem, 3d. !;
Troy, $500; Westford, 1857; West
more, $3.45.
He then moved that the appraisal of
Orleans county, as returned by the county
equalization convention be decreased 10
per cent for the valuation of the next four
years.
The motion was opposed by Mr.. Water
man, of Lamoille, and Mr. Abel of Rut-
land. Mr.. Parks, Of Caledonia, moved
to amend by substituting five per cent. for
ten per cent. Mr.. Abel protested against
any reduction IN the appraisal of Orleans
county as an injustice to Rutland county
MIR. Chamberln, of Grand Isle. moved
to amend by striking out the ''five per
cent" and making the appraisal stand as
returned by the county equalization con-
vention. Mr.. Jones opposed the amend
mont 1,,tf fha t,,oo a,rroal To nj tl,,
motion as amended by the member from
Grand Isle was then adopted.
Mr.. Dwnell, of Washington, then pre-
sented an interesting exhibit of his county.
1t was stated as a strictly agricultural
county, with some numbering and a little
manufacturing done.
There were one hundred aud thirty thous-
and acres Of mountainous land in the
county, much of it worthless. The aver
age per acre of second class hands in the
eighteen towns comprising the county was
as follows Barrc-thc best town in the
county-$19S2 Berlin, $l5.77; Cabot,
$12.16; Calais, S15.21 Duxbury, $7.S4;
East Montpelier, 1920; Fayston, S451;
Marshtield, $ll.40; Middesex, $12.4S;
Montpelier, .$3l.34; Moretown, S1O.92;
Northileld, SLAP; Plalntield, $l5.O3;
Koxbury, $7.5S; Wattsfield, $3.50; War
rem, S7.15 Waterbury, $l5.03; Wood
bury, So OF; Worcester, 1884; average
for the county $11.s6 The county, separ-
ate from village property showed the lar
gest increase of any county, since 1870
This should have some bearing on fixing
the appraisal of the county. The county
has lost some one thousand of its inhab-
tants and stood high in comparison to other
counties, as appraised by the county con
vention.
There had been no progress made IN the
thrift of the principal towns for the last
fifteen years, and comparison was drawn
between Montpelier and Mortified in
Washington county and others Of the best
towns in different counties.
He then moved that the appraisal for
Washington county be reduced 10 per cent
from the valuation made by the county
CtluullZluR Us TIT LOT
the next four years.
Mr.. Parks Of Caledonia moved to amend
by substituting five per cent reduction in
stead Of ten per cent.
Mr.. Abtll of Rutland opposed any re-
| duction, while Mr.. Jones of Orleans con-
sidercd that the appraisal in his county was
higher than that in Washington county as
returned by the county convention, and
moved to further amend by fixing the APP
praisal as returned by the county equalizing
convention which amendment was agreed
to and the motion Us thus amended by Mr..
Jones was then adopted.
Mr.. Lynde of Windham gave lengthy
report of his county, which was shown
up as depreciating in value and decreasing
in population and thrift. Each town was
taken up and thoroughly examined.
A report from the listers of the different
towns was read, from which the following
statistics are gathered: Nottingham
Thirteen farms had been abandoned in the
last five years and thirty farm houses were
now vacant, being considered at twenty
per cent of the town. Wilmington was
considered as good town, while " Hay
stock mountain was referred to as con-
tanning many thousand acres of worthless
land; twcnty-scven farms abandoned and
twenty-five farm houses vacant. Dover had
ten farm houses vacant. Stratton was ap-
praised at $500 per acre--belng at its full
value, thirty-iive miles from any railroad.
Somerset was small town of nineteen
voters. Jamaica had twenty three farms
abandoned which are appraised at 81 90
per acre, its full cash value. Atheas had
six farms Abandoned; appraised at So. 0O
per acre. Halifax had thirty-,hrcc farm
houses vacant. Marlboro had ten farms
abandoned and twenty-three farm houses
l