Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-28

1t Is but fair to suppose that the cqualizlng
board of 1873 were honest and competent
men, but what, a tumble their lists must have
been If such varying additions needed to he
made to bring them to actual values. 1t may
possibly be said that the equalzed list OF
1878 was made by shrewd men, each anxious
TO see that its town did not pay more than Its
proper share of the State taxation; If so, the
board certainly would not pass the list of any
town till ii was raised up to the standard.
But did Bolton outwit them all and put in less
than half its real value, while Westford
placed all but the smallest fraction of its val
ue in the list, or were the Bolton listers of
1881 little over Jealous Westford and Boil
ton are on the extremes of the county and
possibly the listers may not have all been
familiar with their lands but Burlington in
the centre OF the county, where everybody
goes, had no chance nor skill to deceive ms to
its value. Can it be believed that she need
ed to have 81 2-10 per cent added to her APP
praisal of 1878 to make it correct in 1881
that she could in open daylight eucllre the
sharp men of the rest of the county to any
such extent. No, it is easier to believe
what good judges of real estate there now
tell lis that Burlington in 1881 was appraised
in Il majority of instances considerably above
its sale value. In 1870 Burlington made n
blunder of the same sort. However the facts
may be, it all goes to show the imperfection
of human judgment and the need of careful
revision and just equalization.
In this connection it may not be improper
to offer word upon the much talked OF COM
plant against the Ilincsburgh listers. The
town has been roundly abused for rcappoint-
ing that same board of listers in 1882 In IL
full town meeting where the men are fully
known, where the animus of the party making
complaint was fully known, not even one dis
senting vote was given against them. If the
listers were guilty above all other listers the
people of the town must he even more guilty
than the listers themselves to have thus coolly
adopted and ratified their action as proper
and correct. Could town that three years
before presented the list that was adopted by
the county as on the whole the best and fair
est-thc standard lst-in such a short time
have become so wonderfully demoralized.
1t would seem from the figures given above
relative to those two lists, figures furnished
by the Secretary of State from the transcript
of both appraisals filed in his office, including
both first and second class lands, without re-
ference to railroads, that Hinesburgh is
not sinner nor its listers sinners above
all other towns or listers in the coun-
ty If at all. Nine of the sixteen towns of
the county raised their list greater per cent
in 1881 aud six smaller per cent than Hines
burgh did. Here, as in '7S, Hinesburgh takes
conservative middle ground The possbili-
ty that any town could have got its figures
too high seems to have been entirely overlook
ed. As great injustice can be done by over
estimate as by underestimate. 1t must he
remembered that great pressure was brought
to bear in 81 upon the listers in some towns
to get up 'big lists
We are not defending Hinesburgh nor its
listers, but speaking in defence of good equal
izaton boards, and If it shall turn out when
that board meets that Hincsburgh, that was
fixed upon as right in rs, is still conservative
in 81 and 'S2, its board of listers having been
composed largely of the same men, ali these
years, we shall hear less complaint against
them individually, less against the town and
less about giving up equalizing conventions
MS useless and worthless machinery.