Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-10-22
Agricultural.
DO Farmers Fay More than AN Equi-
thIlIa ahnre Of TnNeHl

table share Of TaNest
We do not believe that we have laws that
designedly discriminate against agriculturists
On the contrary, all classes applaud the far
mers calling, and the agricultural interests Of
the country receive substantial aid and en-
couragcmont from both the state and national
governments Yet we have laws that with
out being intended for that purpose affect ad-
versely the farmers interest. Tho law that
has been in force in this state for many years.
provides that there shall be deducted from
the list Of the personal property of each per-
son the amount Of all the debts due from
such person above the sums due to him This
method of making deduction for debt is un-
equal in its operation. 1t entirely relieves
the taxpayer in some cases from the assess
ment Of property in excess Of his real worth,
in other partially in others not at ALL For
instance and b are worth equal sums /;
each has personal estate to the value Of 81 600.
A has farm appraised at $1,000, b has
farm appraised at $4,000. The bal
ance of debt against A is 81, 900; against b
$1,000. Under the operation of helaw A pays
taxes on 81, 900 and b pays taxes on SO, 000
b pays taxes on thousand dollars more than
A, while he is worth only the same amount of
property. II we suppose to have no per-
sonal property, which might rarely happen,
he would be liable to pay taxes on $4,000
more than A. If anything is to be deducted
from the grand list for debt, why should not
the whole amount of the debt be deducted
from the whole amount of the list Why
should part be deducted in one case, the
whole in another, and nothing in third Is
it not possible to devise a more equitable
plan? In the second and third cases sup
posed the creditor of b is liable to pay taxes
on the 81 900 in one instance, or the 50, 900
in the other, while is taxed for what is vir-
tually the same property represented by his
real estate.
This law finds its excuse, not its justifica-
ton, in the venerable fallacy that real estate,
being the most easily found by assessors
should bear the burden of taxation. The
farms cannot be concealed and are never eI-
empt from taxation at their full appraised
value. AS a consequence, an unequal share
of taxation falls upon class of farmers least
able to bear t,-those owing debts in excess
of their personal property which may be de-
Quoted from their lists. The property of a
large proportion of the farm ers of this state
is almost wholly in their farms and live stock,
and part of this is frequently held by Dor
rowed capital Whatever this class of far
mers have that is liable to taxation, is visible
to appraisers and it inevitably goes into
the list. The nature of farming property il
such that under the most favorable assess
ment laws that have ever been proposed, far
mcrs would bear their full share of taxation.
The difference between the visibility of the
farmers estate and other kinds of property il
something that cannot be changed by legisls-
ton. From the character of the property il
is subject to somewhat disproportionate
share of taxation, but we should have no law
by which person may be taxed for more
property than he has, while not fourth part
of property in money, stocks, etc, is as
sessed.
The real and personal property of this
state is assessed at about $S5, 900, 600; only
about one-sixth part of this is personal es
tnte, and probably one-half of that sixth par
is for live stock on the farms. The value Of
such stock as given by the census of 1870 was
about $lG,0O0,0O0. Perhaps not far from
one-half of the whole wealth of the state con
sists of farm property. This half pays the
principal part of the taxes, as may be seer
from the above figures. The weather. clas'
of farmers, having the major part of theil
property outside their farms, may have little
reason to complain unless they do 80 in be
half of their less fortunate brothers, but not Sc
the poorer and debt-burdened class that ar,
liable under the present laws to pay taxes oil
more than they are worth.