Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-14

! Some OF our Vermont papers have recent
/ ly devoted more or less space 10 the ever
present problem OF State and local taxation.
1t is an important subject and We are always
glad 10 have attention called to it in any way
that is likely to influence public opinion and
tend to secure effective action The FREE
PEEss, as our readers VIII testify, has not
been silent on this subject Time and again
in former years we have compiled statistics
and published tables and shown up the in
equalities in the valuation of real estate
and the Withholding of personal property
from the Isis; and the consequent outrageous
inequalities and disproportion Of taxation to
the amounts of property actually held 10y the
taxpayers. The subject has been from time
10 time earnestly discussed by the Vermont
Press at large; but all with very little rrac-
tical effect. The subject comes up regular
ly at each session of the Legislature; is al
ways discussed at length; bills 10y the dozen
To improve the system are introduced, re-
fcrrcd to committees and reported upon;
but all 10 no practical effect The need Of a
change Of the laws is always admitted hy the
great mass of The legislators but they can
never agree on what change is really dcsir
able, and are never ready to intuguratc any
thorough improvement.
How long the people of Vermont will stand
the present state of things in regard To this
matter, Of course we cannot say. We
have np doubt, however, that more
property escapes taxation in Vermont
and that more practical injustice is
wrought in the listing or failure to
list personal property in this State than in
any other New England State, and perhaps
more than in any State in the Union. The .
lists really bear little or no relation 10 prop
erty. \ tax payers list Of personal prop
erty ia two cases out Of three, is not Il state /
mcnt of what lac has liable to taxation. but |
Of what he is r'lEHg to be- taxed on and as .
the willingness 10 bear ones share of the .
public burdens varies greatly among indi- |
yiduals the lists show equal variations from
the truth. That, for instance. there is more
than a million Of dollars Of personal property
withheld from taxation in this city, We sup
pose no intelligent man who has looked into
the subject Doubts But the citizens Of Bur
lington are probably not sinners above others
in this regard. They all do it. The tables
that have been printed, showing that the
amount Of personal property listed in this
city is less to the citizen and To the poll
than in others of the larger towns, does not
prove that there is more cheating in this re
spcct here than elsewhere. In many of the
Vermont towns property is much more
distributed and there is higher
average Of property among the taxpayers
than here. Burlington, with fcw very rich
men or immense manufacturing concerns
which return hrr'a lists hla a large popula-
ton Of poor people, who have nothing but
their polls 10 put in the lists While these
reduce greatly thu average of personal prop
criy 10 the citizen, they also suffer most, as
We have often shown by The, Outrageous with
holding of personal property from the lists by
men of means. As simple a measure AS the
of an oath from ererg TAXPAYER.
Ia the effect that he had made full return
If lis property, and that hc had transferred
no property and incurred no nominal debts
Tor the sake OF creating an offset and rcduc-
ne his list, would, We doubt not, effect AN
change forihc better in this matter
If listing property. That there is crying
lecd OF some measure that shall bring every
aXpayer's conscience to bear ON this render
ng Of false returns Of property for taxation,
which is not only fal7ehopd but actual
tealng from honcster taxpayers and from
hose who have only their polls to put into