The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-20


complicated proceedings, 1t will be very
readily seen that errors may creep in; some
them of enough Importance to vitiate the
whole grand list of the state. 1t will be
remembered that four years ago, it was
claimed that the proceedings of this board,
then consisting Of a legislative committee,
were such as to render their acts void and
of no effect. The several towns of three
counties in the northwestern part Of the
state for time meditated refusal to pay
their taxes on this account, but in the
end yielded the point and, though still
protesting, paid their taxes. The present
state board almost made mistake which.
in our opinion, might, and probably would,
have vitated all the taxes of the state.
We refer TO the attempt made to allow
Bennington county to be represented by a
member not appointed IN the manner ex-
pressly provided by law. The danger
now, however, seems to be past, and we
only refer TO it as showing the difficulty
surrounding the matter of collecting taxes.
All of these cqualizing boards ought to be
unnecessary, and would be so if men were
honest. What can 4 man residing in Essex
county know ofthe value of real estate in
the towr or county of Rutland? 1t may
be that ten dollars per acre would be Il
just and true valuation for land in that
county, while from five to one hundred
dollars would be the same for Rutland
county. 1t may be that one town in Ben
ningtun county values its real estate too
low, while Rutland values hers too high,
but how can body of strangers equal
ize' it by adding certain per cent to the
valuation in one county, deducting given
per cent in another, leaving the third as it
is, and so on. Aud this is TIE process of
republication" 1t must be, and is, in a
great measure, mere guess woIk. But it is
law and we must abide by it,
Bat the trouble does not emu here. The
valuation having been fixed for the state,
the additions OF deductions must be made
10 The grand list of every man fortunate
| enough To own real estate. Here comes an
other liability for mistake. Then the list of
| each man being finally established. taxes
/ must he assessed thereon. Let us see
| their number. State, state school,
country, town, village, graded school,
school district, highway and such other
taxes as may be from time to time voted
Generally, with the exception of the fl ST
iTo, they all become due at different times
and there is a different collector for each
class of taxes The tax payer has the an
n'yance of never knowing whether his
taxes are paid or not, and of meeting diff
tercnt collector almost every week and at
nearly every street corner This ought
not to be so. Some method ought to be
adopted by which all taxes in town could
be consolidated and collected by one man
at the same time. 1t is so in most states
and it saves vast deal of trouble to the
tax payer besides cnsuring more cconomi-
cal and speedy collection of the taxes. The
Legislature could do no better work than to
revise the whole system of taxation. or
authorize the appointment of commits
sion for that purpose by which these
equalizing boards should be abolished;
uniform system of valuation secured,
and all taxes of the ycar-exccpt, perhaps
those assessed on account of some
extraordinary emergency due at
one time, be consolidated into one sum and
collected by the same person. We have
heard an eminent lawyer give il as his
opinion that not one tax out of five hun
dred could be collected at law ii its pay
mont was resisted ami we believe he stated
the truth The reason why taxes are paid
is because it is cheaper to do so than it
would be to pay the expenses of lawsuit
in resisting them. At the west where
land can only be sold for taxes assessed on
land, it has been decided in every case,
where the question has come before the
courts, that there was some error in the as
sessment, valuation or equalizing of the
taxes which rendered the whole list for the
year void, and men were thereby dispos-
sesscd of farms they had occupied and i'm
proved for fifteen or more years. This
was the case not for one year alone, but
for long series of years So impossible
was it found to make legal list and sale,
that the several legislatures at last, non
resident, owners refusing to pay taxes be-
cause they had reason to believe that there
would be some irregularity in their assess
mcnt passed laws by which a title to land
purchased at a tax sale became absolute in
two or three years thereafter We have
reason to believe that our tax lists ale as
defective as those of other states have
proved TO be, and we have, therefore,
called the attention Of the people and of
the forthcoming legislature to the subject.