Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-03-21
THAT NEW LISTING LAW.

No act OF the Legislature Tor many
years has occasioned the discussion and
commotion that is made by the Act of
1880 80 Equalize Taxation" For
long time there has been great clamor
for change in the listing laws of the
State. 1t had become a party question,
and was really the subject. which the
people desired to have the Legislature
take hold of. 1t was we'll known that
a large amount of property was seques-
tered and hidden out of sight; that
much visible property was in the list at
a ridiculously low price, and that many
who were best able to pay taxes, by one
means and another, managed to escape
this pleasant burden. The Legislature
went to work bill was carefully con-
sidered and long and critically discussed.
That the law should be perfect is not
to be expected, but if its provisions are
just, the people ought to be satisfied for
the present. To "equalize taxation"
would seem to be this: The payment
of taxes on poll set at just rate (per-
haps $500 is too small under the pres
ent law, and the honest bringing for
ward of all taxable property of every
other tax payer. That is, every man
should pay taxes on all his taxable
property. There is no injustice in this;
but every other system or plan is wrong.
The scaling down custom is fraud,
just as much as lying off property is
crime.
The present law, very strict in regard
to the oaths of taxpayers and listers, and
somewhat obscure in some of its wording,
undertakes to make every man put in
his whole taxable property; and, so far,
nobody has any cause of complaint.
But there is great hue and cry against
it by that class whose lists ought to be
raised, and who have hitherto Jared very
we'll under the old law. These people
find it very difficult to understand the
new law, and have discovered that it is
impossible to live up to its exact letter.
1t would probably be a great help to
them in interpreting the law to start
right out on the basis that the law re-
quires them to put all their taxable
property in their lists. There would
then be some difficulty, where men are
extremely conscientious about theil
oaths, in taking the ''iron clad" oath
but we have noticed that conscience will
bear a greater strain on tax matters thar
on almost anything else. There would
then remain question in regard to thu
provision in the act about debts due
from solvent. debtors. The common
meaning of the term solvent, as applied
to individuals, is one who pays or car
pay one hundred cents on every dollar
he owes. Now it is quite impossible fo1
a man having outstanding claims to tel
whether they are all solvent or not
but most men have some means of know
ing pretty nearly what is the characte
of each claim. Laws must be construe,
according to their intent, and in sucl
points as they require imposslbilitie
must be considered null and void. L
regard to this matter, it is right an
in consonance with the intent of the law
that every man should carefully an
honestly estimate the value of all claim
due him, as he would in making a pei
sOnal invoice of his property, and brin
this in as part of his taxable assets
otherwise a great amount of propert
would escape taxation.
The tax laws of the State exempt
large amount of property. as will be see
by reference to the subjoined list, anc
by just enactment, allow the tax pave
who is owing debts to "swear off, liz
sum of his personal property; but til
new law will not let him out if he is tt
holder of bonds on which he pays I
taxes. This is right; no man wi
has money in his pocket. either gree
backs or bonds, ought to squeak out
his taxes because he owes debts; bett
take his bonds and pay his debts.
The "iron clad" oath was the mo
unwise thing in the whole law, from Il
fact that not one person in twenty C;
know that what he swears to is abs
lutely correct; there should have be,
the same reservation in it, that is in mo
oaths according to my best knowled
and belief" 1t will be noticed tn
those who prefer can take the oath
affirmation, and face the law rather tn
the Almighty. AS to the doubli
clause of the act, we give it as our pt
sonal opinion that when the listers dc
bic a list for violation of the provisio
of the act, they will be compelled
double the whole of it. A mans list
or should be. the sum total of his ia,
bic property. If listers are COMPEL
to punish man for his wickednes
trying to evade the law, it would SCI
reasonable that they should find all I
property possible that goes to make
his list, which would really be
list, as found by the state; then, for
violation of the law, the State fines l.