The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-09

The new secretary of war, Judge AL
phonso Taft of Ohio, is native OF Yer
mont, the second son of this state who has
been called to a seat IN the cabinet, and the
only one in whom the state can take airy
pride. He was born in Jamaica, Wind
ham county, studied law in that county,a and
removed to OHIO some thirty years ago.
His father, Peter r. Taft, was distin-
gulshed citizen of Windham county, was
representative from Townshend in 1918,
20, % and "a from Jamaica in 1927, IS
and "a judge of probate from 1880 to
1888 judge of the county court from 1875
THE FINANCIAL ssfTuRfioN.S still
The action of the town, Tuesday, leaves
us about in this situation: \ tax of fifty
cents on the dollar was voted, the town re-
iusing to raise an additional sum. With
the grand list as it now is, this will pay
into the town treasury S1S,572.53 The
probability is, however, that the grand list
will be even lower than last year. If the
selectmen aud town treasurer conclude that
no " seasonable provision for the payment
" of the interest on the obligations" of the
town has been made, the treasurer may is-
sue his warrant for the collection of tax
sufficient to pay the interest on the eleven
thousand five hundred dollars borrowed
last year-that is for six hundred and
ninety dollars. The ayails Of the two will
hardly reach, certainly not exceed, nine
teen thousand dollars,
The liabilities for the current year are
estimated by the auditors at $5S.G72. o..
OF this amount SlS,01229, is for town
bonds to become due during the year, and
interest on the bonded Indebtedness and
the United States surplus fund. Applying
the amount of tax to the payment Of this
Indebtedness, ii leaves only some one thou
sand dollars for current expenses. To this,
however, is TO be added some five thousand
dollars due from the Gale of the old town
hall lot and town farm, and the balance due
on the tax of l975-making some six thou
sand dollars in all--which ought to pay the
current expenses of the town, and would
very nearly, il it were not for the 'Taier"
street road and poor expenses Even with
these expenses, the debt can and should be
reduced five thousand dollars during the
year
This is the rose colored view of our
financial situation but one we greatly
fear that will not be realized. Let us look
Mt the other eida TaL;no ,Lo oo.,..... r
the auditors, deducting therefrom some
ten thousand dollars ($10,150) which the |
treasurer informs us will not become due,
or will not be called for, during the year,
the five thousand dollars of ''assets" before |
referred to, and the avails Of the tax, we |
have nearly twenty-five thousand dollars |
1894, 465.OD of current liabilities pressing |
for payment during the year. AS we
stated, yesterday, the selectmen have the
unquestioned right to borrow money on
demand orders, in order to meet accruing
Indebtedness. If they can SO borrow
money, it will be plain sailing for them
although the facility for so doing may not
prove financial benefit to the town.
But supposing that the selectmen are
unable to borrow money on demand Or
ders-and towns that refuse to make pro.
vision for their Indebtedness cannot long
borrow-what then? The creditors of the
town, unable to obtain their money, and
despairing of ever having provision made
therefor, commence suits for the recovery
of their just dues. A judgment obtained,
the property of any inhabiIant of the town
may be levied upon an sold. The money
being SO obtained, the inhabitant whose
property has been 80 sold may, in his turn,
sue the town and sell the property of any
other inhabitant-and so on in an endless
chain of lawsuits. Even this, we fear,
would not bring the town to realizing
sense of the situation. The men who re-
fuse to vote taxes, who can, by their nu-
merical strength, control the whole matter
If taxation, are not the men whose prop
'rty would be seized to pay debt of the