Litchfield enquirer., 1879-01-16

agement to the joint tenants of an estate, who are all obliged to contribute in proportion to their respective interests in the estate."
 This precept is of the highest authority. It forbids any exemption from taxation, and re- quires that all property should be valued for the purpose of taxation by the same rule. There is in the state large amount of property claimed by it's owners to be exempted from taxation under various statutes, public or pri- yate. recommend the repeal of all these statutes, unless in clear cases of exemption by irreCealable grant from the legislature.
 It is matter of common knowledge that in many towns the requirements of the statute that ali property shall be set in the list at it's true and just value is not observed. But that while certain kinds of property are set in the Ii st at their full market value, certain other kinds are put in only at one half or two-thirds of their value The assessors justify them- selves for this practice in many instances on the ground that ''they do it in other towns" This is hardly case in which a common error. however long continued, can make a right. So plain a disregard of a statute, as well as 80 great an injustice as this practice involves, ought to find some correction in the wisdom of the legislature.
 The grand list of the state has fallen off within the last year the sum of $9, O24, 123. We cannot we'll diminish our rate ot taxation, but we can do much to distribute it's burdens more widely and more evenly, so that they shall rest as lightly as possible on each one.
 Another source of inequality is in the vary ing rates of valuation for the same kinds of property in different towns. Itis hardly cred ible that in the town of A horses are of an av- craze value of forty dollars, while in the ad- joining town of B they are assessed at an av- craze value of eighty dollars or that neat cat tie or real estate in one town are on an average of double the value of the same kind of prop ertv in town next beside it. Yet there are in the assessment lists differences of value as marked and as wide as this Tne board of equalization, consisting of the treasurer and the comptroller, has neither the power nor the opportunity of correcting such discrepancies as these. Might there not be some system of state assessments made by officers appointed by thestate who should once in five years, or in ten years, actually go into every town and view the property and make an appraisal am not able to learn that there has ever been any thorough or careful comparison between the assessment of the different towns in this state. An assessment once i'll ten years would establish basis for the board of equalization such as they do not now possess, and enable them to act intelligently in the adjustment of state taxation.
 While on this subject of taxation, permit me 10 call your attention to chapter l39 ot the pnblic acts of 1877, which relates to the tax on the stock of nonresident stockholders in na- tlonal banks. This act should be in my iudg ment repealed. IL is in it's terms repugnant to the federal statute on the same subject. It's operation has been such that a large portion of this class of stock has for two years wholly es- capped taxation. Besides, every lawyer in the legislature will feel it an imputation upon his intelligence to permit statute to remain un- repealed which is antagonistlc to federal statute, and upon subject where the federal law is clearly the paramount one.
 STATE FINANCES.
 The treasury balance at the beginning of